أَلا تَرَيانِ البَرقِ ما هُوَ صانِعُ

بِدَمعَةِ صَبٍّ شَفَّهُ النَأيُ وَالشَحطُ

Do you not see lightning, what is it doing

With a teardrop the long separation has dried up

مِنَ اللَهِ سُقياهُ لِشُرٍّ وَجَودُهُ

وَلَيسَ لَها سَحُّ الغَمامِ وَلا القَحطُ

God has quenched it for evil while its flowing is goodness

It has no power over the clouds or drought

وَمِن رَحمَةِ اللَهِ الَّتي أَنا آمِلٌ

وَمُنتَظِرٌ قُربَ المَزارِ وَإِن شَطّوا

And from God’s mercy which I hope for

And await nearness to the shrine though they were unkind

فَإِن نَجتَمِع بَعدَ الفِراقِ فَما لَنا

عَلى فَعَلاتِ الدَهرِ عَتبٌ وَلا سُخطُ

If we gather after separation, we have no

Reproach or anger at the deeds of fate

أَلا هَل تَرَوا ما قَد رَأى مِن مُعاشِرٍ

لَهُم فِيَّ حُكمٌ يَهجُرُ الحَقَّ مُشتَطُّ

Do you see what has been seen from companions

Whose judgment of me discards truth, they are quick to judge

يُذيعونَ ما أَعتَبتُهُم في شَبيبَتي

عَلى حينَ أَن ذَكَّيتُ وَاِشتَعَلَ الوَخطُ

They spread what I chided them for in my youth

When I was wise and anger was kindled

أَلا إِنَّها أُمُّ العَجائِبِ فَاِصطَبِر

وَإِن كُنتَ ما لُقّيتَ أَمثالَها قَطُّ

Verily it is the mother of wonders, so be patient

Even if you have not met its like before

إِذا ما رَأَوا خَيراً أَبَوا وَتَحَمَّلوا

إِلى بَيتِهِم أَو إِن رَأَوا شِرَّةً حَطّوا

When they see good, they refuse and carry

Evil back to their homes or scatter it if they see it

أَلا إِنَّ حِلمي واسِعٌ إِن صَلُحتُمُ

بِحِلمي وَعِندي بَعضُهُ الجوعُ وَالخَمطُ

Verily my forbearance is vast if you reform

With my forbearance while some of it is hunger and trial

فَلا تُكثِروا شَوكَ الأَذى في غُصونَكُم

فَيَكثُرَ مِنّي فيكُمُ الكَسرُ وَالخَبطُ

So do not increase thorns that prick in your branches

Lest breaking and splitting increase from me among you

وَلَيسَ لِقُرباكُم وَأَنتُم عَقَقتُمُ

عَلى السَيفِ يَومَ الرَوعِ عَهدٌ وَلا شَرطُ

For your nearness, while you have rebelled

There is no pact or vow on the sword-day of turmoil

وَلا رَحِمٌ إِلّا وَقَد شُجِبَت بِكُم

وَمَزَّقتُموها مِثلَ ما مُزِّقَ المِرطُ

No womb but that you have estranged it

Tearing it like shredded scrolls

سَتَدرُسُ آثارُ المَحَبَّةِ بَينَنا

وَنَحنُ بَنو عَمٍّ كَما اِنفَرَجَ المِشطُ

Traces of affection between us will be erased

While we are cousins, like the comb disjoined

كَفَرتُم يَدي فيكُم فَحُلَّ عِقالُها

إِلى غَيرِكُم لَمّا يُشَدُّ لَها رَبطُ

You rejected my hand, so its reins are freed

To others when it is pulled to tie

وَما كُنتُ إِلّا مِن يَدِ اللَهِ مُعطِياً

أَلا أَنَّهُ في كَفِّهِ القَبضُ وَالبَسطُ

I was only a giver from God’s hand

Verily withholding and releasing are in His grip

وَهَل عِندَكُم عَتبي فَيَرجِعَ مُحسِنٌ

بِعَينِ الرِضا وَالعَفوِ نائِلُهُ بَسطُ

Is there among you reproach so a benefactor returns

With the eye of approval and pardon, its reception a gift?

وَإِلّا عَزَلتُ الأَمرَ عَنّي وَعَنكُمُ

وَكُنتُ كَأَنّي لَيسَ لي مِنكُمُ رَهطُ

Otherwise, I will remove the matter from me and you

And be as if I have no tribe among you

وَهَل لَكُمُ مِن هَذِهِ غَيرُ زَفرَةٍ

تُصَعَّدُ مِنكُم في الصُدورِ وَتَنحَطُّ

Or is there in this for you anything but a gasp

That ascends in the chests and descends

وَإِلّا وَعيدٌ لا يَسيرُ بِجُندِهِ

وَحَيّاتُ ضِغنٍ في مَكامِنِها رُقطُ

Otherwise only threats, his troops untroubled,

And snakes in their lurking-places, coiled

فَمَن يَكُ ذا سِلمٍ فَإِنّي طَبيبُهُ

وَمَن يَكُ مَجنوناً فَعِندي لَهُ سَعطُ

So whoever is sick, I am his doctor

Whoever insane, I have a remedy for him

فَغانَيتُمُ إِن مَسَّ حالُكُمُ الغِنى

فَلا تَصرَحوا بِاِسمي إِذا مَسَّها الضَغطُ

You hid when fortune smiles then does not

So do not mention me by name when distress grips it

إِذا ما اِلتَقَت حَلقاتُ دَهرٍ عَلَيكُمُ

فَيُمنى يَدَيهِ في أَديمُكُمُ عَطُّ

When the rings of fate close in around you

And its right hand fans your hide, a gift

وَعِندَ كَمالِ الحَظِّ يُخشى زَوالُهُ

كَما لِغَريقِ اللُجَّةِ الرَيُّ وَالقَحطُ

And at the height of fortune, its decline is feared

Like the drowned man has rain then drought

أَأَن مَدَّني فَرعُ العُلى فَعَلَوتُهُ

وَأَمسَكَكُم بَطنُ القَرارَةِ وَالهَبطُ

Did the branch of glory elevate me and I climbed it

While the belly of lowland held you back?

سَخَطتُم عَلى اللَهِ العَظيمِ قَضائَهُ

سَيَمضي بِما فيهِ إِذا كَثُرَ اللَغطُ

You resent the great ordinance of God

It will go on with whatever increases confusion

فَيا لَكَ حَقّاً لا يُقالُ لِسامِعٍ

وَجَوهَرَ حُكمٍ ما لِمَنثورِهِ لَقطُ

O you who are rightfully beyond words to a listener

And essence of wisdom no scattered bits can pick up