حَللت بيوْمي إذ رَحلتُ عنِ الأمْسِ

وِسِرْتُ ولم أُعمِلْ جوادي ولا عَنْسي

The day I departed was brightened

As I journeyed on, not spurring my steed or companion.

مراحلُ دنْيانا مراحِلنُا الَّتي

ترَاَنا عليها نقطَعُ العَيشَ بِالخمسِ

Our lives are but stages we traverse,

Each portioned out in bits from the whole.

ونَحنُ بِدارٍ يَعْقُبُ الخوفُ أَمنَها

وتذهبُ فيها وحشةُ الأمْنِ بالأُنْسِ

And we dwell in a home where peace follows fear

And where the coziness of company chases away the pangs of loneliness.

ليالٍ وأيامٌ بساعاتها سَعَتْ

لتفريقِها ما بين جِسْمِكَ والنّفْسِ

Nights and days with hours that seemed to crawl

Separating your spirit, mind and flesh.

وإنّي وإنْ أصبحتُ منها مسُلَّماً

لأكْثرُ قوْلي ليتَ شعريَ هل أُمسي

And though I rose up each morn resigned

My refrain remained, "Would that eve might find..."

ومن حلّ في سبعين عاماً كأنَّهُ

عِلاجُ علِيلٍ في مُواصَلَةِ النُّكسِ

One who has lived seventy years, it's as if

He were doctoring the incurable in their steady decline.

فَما فَهمُ الأَشياء بالدرْسِ وَحْدَهُ

ولكنه بدءُ التفهّم والدّرْسِ

So wisdom is not gained by study alone,

Rather it starts with learning then knowing.

وكم حِكَمٍ في خطِّ قوْمٍ كثيرةٍ

وأفْضَلُ منها لَمْعَهٌ من سَنا الحسِّ

And many insights in people's lines there are,

But the best of them are motes from the suns of perception.