يَا طَلْعَةَ الشُّومِ التَّي مَهْمَا بَدَتْ
يَئِسَتْ عُفَاةُ النُّجْحِ مِنْ أَسْبَابِهِ
O dawn of ill omens that no matter how it seems
The means of success have despaired of its causes
يَا وَقْفَةَ النَّاعِيِ بِمَقْتَل وَاحِدٍ
أَذْكَى عَلَى الأَحْشَاءِ حَرَّ مُصَابِهِ
O pausing of the mourner for the death of one
That revived in the entrails the heat of his affliction
يَا زَوْرَةَ الأَلَمِ الَّذِي مَهْمَا يُرَى
جَاءَتْ رِكَابُ الْمَوْتِ فِي أَعْقَابِهِ
O blossoming of pain that no matter how much it is seen
The feet of death came in its aftermath
يَا فُرْقَةَ السَّكَنِ الَّذِي لاَ تَرْتَجِي
يَوْمَ الْودَاع النَّفْسُ يَوْمَ إِيَابِهِ
O parting of dwelling that does not shudder
The soul on the day of farewell, the day of its return
يَا صِبْغَةَ الشَّيْبِ الْمُلِمّ بِعَارِض
زَجَرَتْ حَمَائِمُهُ غُرَابَ شَبَابِهِ
O dyeing of hoary hair that blamed
Its doves drove away the crows of its youth
يَا مَوْقِعَ الْفَقْرِ الشَّدِيدِ عَلَى الْغِنَى
مِنْ ذِي ضَنىً تُغْرِي الْفَلاَ بِرِكَابِهِ
O position of severe poverty over wealth
From one of misery that entices destinations with its stirrups
يَا وَقفةَ الَطُّلاَّبِ فِي بَابِ امْرِئٍ
تُخْزَى سِبَالُهُمْ لَدَى بَوَّابِهِ
O stopping of students at the door of a lord
Their sword belts are humiliated at his doorkeeper
يَا خَجْلَةً مِنْ ضَارِطٍ فِي مَحْفِلٍ
تَبْقَى غَضَاضَتُهَا عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِ
O shame from one who breaks wind in a gathering
Its embarrassment remains after it
وَفَضِيحَةَ الْخَوَّانِ لَمَّا أَلْفِيَتْ
أَسْبَابُ مَنْ يَبْغِيهِ تَحْتَ ثيَابِهِ
And the disgrace of the deceitful when
The causes of one who seeks it are found under his clothes
يَا مَنْ تَشَكَّى عَصْرُهُ مِنْ عَارِهِ
يَا مَنْ تَبَرَّمَ دَهْرُهُ مِنْ عَابِهِ
O one whom his time complained of his shame
O one whom his world blamed for his fault
يَا مَنْ يَغَصُّ بِهِ الزَّمَانُ نَدَامَةً
مِنْ كَفِّهِ وَتَرَاهُ قَارِعَ نَابِهِ
O one whom time chokes with regret
For his palm and sees him battering his fangs
وَيَغُضُّ مِنْ فَرْطِ الْحَيَاءِ جُفُونَهُ
مِنْ سُوءِ مَا قَدْ جَاءَهُ وَأَتَى بِهِ
And whose eyelids crease from intense shame
At the evil of what came to him and he brought
يَا مَنْ تَجَمَّلَ بِالْحَرَامِ وَإِنَّمَا
قَدْرُ الْفَتَى مَا كَانَ تَحْتَ إِهَابِهِ
O one who beautified himself with the forbidden, indeed
The worth of a young man is what was under his turban
هَلاَّ ذَكَرْتَ وَكَيْفَ وَهْيَ فَضِيلَةٌ
مَا إِنْ يَضُرُّ الْعَضْبَ لَوْنُ قِرَابِهِ
Why did you not remember how a virtue is
That if virtuous does not harm the color of its jugular vein
