اعتزلْ ذكرَ الأغاني والغزلْ

وقلِ الفصلَ وجانبْ مَنْ هزلْ

Abandon the mention of songs and love poems,

And say what is appropriate and avoid jesting.

ودعِ الذكرى لأيامِ الصِّبا

فلأيامِ الصِّبا نجمٌ أفلْ

Leave the memories of the days of youth,

For the days of youth have set like stars.

إنَّ أحلى عيشةٍ قضيتُها

ذهبتْ لذاتُها والإثمُ حلْ

The sweetest life I have spent

Has passed for its own sake, and the sin is resolved.

واتركِ الغادةَ لا تحفلْ بها

تُمْسِ في عزٍّ وتُرْفَعْ وتُجَلْ

And leave frivolity, do not care for it,

It is possessed in glory, raised and revered.

والهَ عنْ آلةِ لهوٍ أطربَتْ

وعنِ الأمردِ مرتجِّ الكفلْ

And distract yourself from the instruments of vanity that enthralled you,

And from the silk clothes and fluttering locks of hair.

إن تبدّى تنكسفْ شمسُ الضّحى

وإذا ما ماسَ يزري بالأسلْ

If the sun of morn appeared it would be eclipsed,

And if it touched, it would bloom with nightshade.

زادَ إنْ قسناهُ بالبدرِ سنا

وعدلناهُ بغصنٍ فاعتدلْ

If we compared it to the full moon it would age,

And if we matched it to a branch it would straighten.

وافتكرْ في منتهى حسنِ الذي

أنتَ تهواهُ تجدْ أمراً جلَلْ

And think about the utmost beauty of the one

Whom you love, you will find a momentous matter.

واتّقِ اللهَ فتقوى اللهِ ما

جاوزَتْ قلبَ امرئٍ إلاّ وصلْ

And fear God, for fearing God, nothing

Has ever entered a person's heart except and reached its destination.

ليسَ مَنْ يقطعُ طرقاً بطلاً

إنما مَنْ يتّقِ اللهَ بطلْ

Not everyone who travels roads is a hero,

Rather, he who fears God is the brave one.

واهجرِ الخمرةَ إنْ كنتَ فتىً

كيفَ يسعى في جنونٍ مَنْ عقلْ

And abandon wine if you are a young man,

How can one in frenzy progress if he is reasonable?

صدِّقِ الشرعَ ولا تركنْ إلى

رجلٍ يرصدُ بالليلِ زحلْ

Believe in the Shariah and do not incline

To a man who observes Saturn at night.

حارتِ الأفكارُ في قدرةِ مَنْ

قدْ هدانا سبْلنا عزَّ وجلْ

Minds are confused about the power of Him

Who has guided us, the Almighty and Majestic.

كتبَ الموتَ على الخلقِ فكمْ

فلَّ مِنْ جَمْعٍ وأفنى منْ دُولْ

He has prescribed death upon creation, so how many

Have departed from assemblies and passed away from leadership.

أينَ نمرودُ وكنعانُ ومَنْ

ملكَ الأمرَ وولّى وعزَلْ

Where is Nimrod, and Canaan, and those

Who ruled matters and was appointed and dismissed?

أينَ عادٌ أينَ فرعونُ ومَنْ

رفعَ الأهرامَ مَنْ يسمعْ يخلْ

Where is Aad, where is Pharaoh and those

Who built the pyramids - who hears this is enlightened?

أينَ مَنْ سادوا وشادوا وبنوا

هلكَ الكلُّ ولمْ تغنِ القللْ

Where are those who dominated and constructed and built?

All have perished, and mountains did not avail.

أينَ أربابُ الحجا أهلُ النّهى

أينَ أهلُ العلمِ والقومُ الأُوَلْ

Where are the mosque patrons and the people of prohibition?

Where are the people of knowledge and the foremost nation?

سيعيدُ اللهُ كلاًّ منهمُ

وسيجزي فاعلاً ما قدْ فعلْ

God will resurrect each one of them,

And will recompense the doer for what he has done.

أيْ بنيَّ اسمعْ وصايا جَمعتْ

حكماً خُصَّتْ بها خيرُ المللْ

O my son, listen to commandments that comprise

Wisdom specific to the best of religions.

اطلبِ العلمَ ولا تكسلْ فما

أبعدَ الخيرَ على أهلِ الكسلْ

Seek knowledge and do not be lazy, for nothing

Has distanced good from the people of laziness.

واحتفلْ للفقهِ في الدينِ ولا

تشتغلْ عنهُ بمالٍ أوْ خَوَلْ

And celebrate jurisprudence in religion, and do not

Be distracted from it by money or fantasies.

واهجرِ النومَ وحصِّلْهُ فَمَنْ

يعرفِ المطلوبَ يحقرْ ما بذلْ

And avoid sleep, and obtain it, for he who

Knows what is sought belittles what is spent.

لا تقلْ قدْ ذهبَتْ أربابُهُ

كلُّ مَنْ سارَ على الدربِ وصلْ

Do not say its experts have passed away,

For all who traversed the path have arrived.

في ازديادِ العلمِ إرغامُ العِدى

وجمالُ العلمِ يا صاحِ العملْ

In the proliferation of knowledge is subjugation of enemies,

And the beauty of knowledge, O man of action.

جمِّلِ المنطقَ بالنَّحوِ فَمَنْ

يُحرمِ الإعرابَ في النطقِ اختبلْ

Adorn speech with grammar, for whoever

Is deprived of syntax in speech goes senile.

وانظمِ الشعرَ ولازمْ مذهبي

فاطراحُ الرفدِ في الدنيا أقلْ

And compose poetry and adhere to my creed,

For the lavishness of rhymed prose in life is paltry.

فهْوَ عنوانٌ على الفضلِ وما

أحسنَ الشعرَ إذا لمْ يُبتذلْ

For it is a sign of virtue, and how wonderful poetry is when not debased.

The noble have died, none remains but

ماتَ أهلُ الجودِ لم يبقَ سوى

مُقرفٍ أوْ مَنْ على الأصلِ اتكلْ

The vulgar or one who depends on his lineage.

I do not choose to kiss a hand,

أنا لا أختارُ تقبيلَ يدٍ

قطعُها أجملُ مِنْ تلكَ القبلْ

Cutting it off is more beautiful than those kisses.

If you spare me from my praises I would be

إنْ تُجِزْني عنْ مديحي صرتُ في

رقِّها أوْ لا فيكفيني الخجلْ

Shy, or else self-reproach suffices me.

The sweetest words are my words to you, take them,

أعذبُ الألفاظِ قولي لكَ خذْ

وأمرُّ القولِ قولي بِلَعَلْ

And the most bitter words are my words, perhaps.

The kingdom of Chosroes does not make a cup suffice,

مُلْكُ كسرى عنهُ تغني كِسرةٌ

وعنْ البحرِ ارتشافٌ بالوشلْ

And a sip by a ladle does not quench thirst from the sea.

Take heed, we have divided between them,

اعتبرْ نحنُ قَسَمْنا بينَهُمْ

تلقَهُ حقاً وبالحقِّ نَزَلْ

Receive truthfully and with truth it has descended.

Nothing detains a young man from his resolve,

ليسَ ما يحوي الفتى عَنْ عزمِهِ

لا ولا ما فاتَ يوماً بالكسلْ

Neither "no" nor what has passed with laziness.

And leave this world, for among its habits

واتركِ الدنيا فمِنْ عاداتِها

تخفضُ العالي وتعلي مَنْ سَفلْ

Is degrading the noble and elevating the lowly.

The life of an ascetic in attaining it

عيشةُ الزاهدِ في تحصيلِها

عيشةُُ الجاهِدِ بلْ هذا أزلْ

Is the life of a warrior, rather, this is more difficult.

How many ignorant ones, though bearing fruit abundantly,

كم جهولٍ وهْوَ مثرٍ مكثرٌ

وحكيمٍ ماتَ منها بالعللْ

And wise ones have died from illnesses.

How many courageous ones have not attained any wealth from it,

كم شجاعٍ لم ينلْ منها غنى

وجبانٍ نالَ غاياتِ الأملْ

And cowards attained the hopes completely.

So abandon cunning in it, and be steadfast,

فاتركِ الحيلةَ فيها واتّئدْ

إنما الحيلةُ في تركِ الحيلْ

As cunning therein is to abandon cunning.

What palm has not attained wishes from it?

أيُّ كفٍّ لمْ تنلْ منها المنى

فبلاها اللهُ منهُ بالشللْ

So may God afflict it with paralysis.

Do not say I have lineage and ancestry,

لا تقلْ أصلي وفصلي أبدا

إنما أصلُ الفتى ما قدْ حصلْ

Rather, the lineage of a young man is what he himself attains.

One may gain prominence without a father,

قدْ يسودُ المرءُ منْ غيرِ أبٍ

وبحسنِ السبكِ قَدْ يُنْفى الزغلْ

And with excellent conduct base birth is concealed.

Just as roses grow from thorns and

وكذا الوردُ منَ الشوكِ وما

ينبتُ النرجسُ إلا منْ بصلْ

The narcissus only sprouts from a bulb.

Despite that I thank God for

معَ أني أحمَدُ اللهَ على

نسبي إذْ بأبي بكرِ اتصلْ

My lineage, as it connects to Abu Bakr.

The value of a human being is what he is proficient in,

قيمةُ الإنسانِ ما يحسِنُهُ

أكثرَ الإنسانُ منهُ أوْ أقلْ

However much the human being increases it or diminishes it.

And conceal the two matters: poverty and riches,

واكتمِ الأمرينِ فقراً وغنىً

واكسبِ الفلسَ وحاسبْ مَنْ بَطَلْ

And earn your living and audit the one who slackened.

And dress intensely and labor hard, and avoid

وادّرعْ جداً وكداً واجتنبْ

صحبةَ الحمقى وأربابِ البخلْ

The company of fools and misers.

Between extravagance and miserliness there is a position,

بينَ تبذيرٍ وبخلٍ رتبةً

فكلا هذينِ إنْ زادَ قتلْ

For if either of them exceeds, it kills.

Do not engage in vilifying noble ones who have passed away,

لا تخضْ في سبِّ ساداتٍ مضَوا

إنهمْ ليسوا بأهلٍ للزللْ

They are not deserving of any lapse.

And overlook matters, for he who is

وتغافلْ عنْ أمورٍ إنَّهُ

لمْ يفزْ بالرفدِ إلاّ مَنْ غفلْ

Distracted by nonsense does not attain any gains.

It is not devoid of its opposite, and if

ليسَ يخلو المرُْ عنْ ضدٍّ وإنْ

حاولَ العزلةَ في رأسِ جبلْ

One attempts isolation at the top of a mountain.

Keep away from the gossiper and shun him, for

غبْ عنِ النمّامِ واهجرْهُ فما

بلَّغَ المكروهَ إلاّ مَنْ نقلْ

None conveyed disapproval except one who transmitted.

Leave the neighbor of your house if he is unneighborly,

دارِ جارَ الدارِ إنْ جارَ وإنْ

لمْ تجدْ صبراً فما أحلى النقلْ

And if you do not find patience then relocation is beautiful.

Keep away from the sultan and beware his tyranny,

جانبِ السلطانَ واحذرْ بطشَهُ

لا تخاصمْ مَنْ إذا قالَ فعلْ

Do not dispute with one who if he spoke, acted.

Do not accept governance, even if they ask

لا تلِ الحكمَ وإنْ همْ سألوا

رغبةً فيكَ وخالفْ مَنْ عذَلْ

Out of desire for you, and oppose those who were foreceful.

Half the people are enemies of one who

إنَّ نصفَ الناسِ أعداءٌ لمَنْ

وليَ الأحكامَ هذا إنْ عدلْ

Assumes judgments - this is if he is just.

For he is like one imprisoned from his pleasures,

فهْوَ كالمحبوسِ عنْ لذّاتِهِ

وكلا كفَّيْهِ في الحشرِ تُغَلْ

And both his hands bound on the Day of Resurrection.

Deficiency and resentment are only in

إنما النقصُ والاستثقالُ في

لفظةِ القاضي لوعظٍ ومثلْ

The words of the judge, for preaching and examples.

The pleasures of rule cannot be compared with

لا توازى لذَّةُ الحكمِ بما

ذاقَها المرءُ إذا المرْ انعزلْ

What a person tastes when the matter is undone.

And governance, even if agreeable to one who tastes it,

والولاياتُ وإنْ طابتْ لمَنْ

ذاقَها فالسمُّ في ذاكَ العسلْ

Poison is in that honey.

Appointment to office has made me weaker

نَصَبُ المنصبِ أوهى جَلَدي

وعنائي منْ مداراةِ السفلْ

And busier than appeasing the lowly.

Shorten hopes in this world and you will succeed,

قصِّرِ الآمالَ في الدنيا تفزْ

فدليلُ العقلِ تقصيرُ الأملْ

For the mark of intellect is shorten one's hopes.

Whoever death seeks suddenly

إنَّ مَنْ يطلبهُ الموتُ على

غرّةٍ منهُ جديرٌ بالوجلْ

Deserves anxiety and fear.

Stay away and frequent your beloved ones rarely,

غِبْ وزُرْ غِبّاً تزدْ حباً فَمَنْ

أكثرَ التردادَ أضناهُ المللْ

For whoever repeats his visits wearies his beloved.

Take the blade of the sword and leave its scabbard,

خذْ بنصلِ السيفِ واتركْ غِمْدَهُ

واعتبرْ فضلَ الفتى دونَ الحللْ

And consider the excellence of the young man apart from his garb.

Your love of homelands is evident incapacity,

حبُّكَ الأوطانَ عجزٌ ظاهرٌ

فاغتربْ تلْقَ عنِ الأهلِ بدلْ

So travel far from family in exchange.

For by the remaining of water it stays stale,

فبمكثِ الماءِ يبقى آسناً

وسُرى البدرِ بهِ البدرُ اكتملْ

And the cycling of the moon, it by it becomes full.

O critic, say my words are nonsense,

أيها العائبُ قولي عبثاً

إنَّ طيبَ الوردِ مؤذٍ بالجُعَلْ

For the scent of roses harms beetles.

Ignore the arrows of my words and take cover,

عدِّ عَنْ أسهمِ لفظي واستترْ

لا يصيبنَّكَ سهمٌ مِنْ ثُعَلْ

Lest an arrow from my quiver strike you.

Let not the softness of a young man deceive you,

لا يغرنَّكَ لينٌ مِنتْ فتى

إنَّ للحيّاتِ لينٌ يُعتزَلْ

For snakes have a deceptive gentleness to be avoided.

I am like water, easy flowing,

أنا مثلُ الماءِ سهلٌ سائغٌ

ومتى سُخِّنَ آذى وقتلْ

And when heated I harm and kill.

I am like glass, difficult to break,

أنا كالخيزورِ صعبٌ كسرُهُ

وهْوَ لدْنٌ كيفما شئتَ انفتلْ

Yet pliable however you wish it to bend.

Except I am in a time in which whoever possesses

غيرَ أني في زمانٍ مَنْ يكنْ

فيهِ ذا مالٍ هوَ المولى الأجلْ

Wealth is the revered master.

And it is a duty among people to honor him,

واجبٌ عندَ الورى إكرامُهُ

وقليلُ المالِ فيهمْ يُستقلْ

While the poor among them are deemed insignificant.

All the people of this age are immersed, and I

كلُّ أهلِ العصرِ غمرٌ وأنا

منهمُ فاتركْ تفاصيلَ الجملْ

Am one of them, so leave the details of perfection.