أَبِى الدَّهْرُ إِلاَّ فَعَالاً خَسِيْسَا
وَصَرْفاً يُبْدِّلُ نُعْمَاهُ بُوسَا
Time has refused to treat me kindly,
Inflicting only base deeds and fickle turns of fortune,
وَكُنْتُ أَرَى وَجْهَهُ ضَاحِكَاً
فَأَبْدَلَنِي مِنْهُ وَجْهَاً عَبُوسَا
Transforming smiles into frowns.
The events of time have turned my hair gray,
وَشَيَّبَنِي حَادِثَاتُ الزَّمَانِ
وَأَحْدَاثُهُنَّ تُشِيْبُ الرُّؤُوسَا
And its occurrences whiten heads.
Time contested my garb of youth,
وَنَازَعَنِي الدَّهْرُ ثَوْبَ الشَّبَابِ
فَنَازَعَنِي مِنْهُ عِلْقَاً نَفِيْسا
Wresting from me a precious shred.
It reproaches me if I sit too long,
يُعَاتِبُنِي إِنْ أَطَلْتُ الجُلُوسَ
وَعَنْ عُذُرٍ مَا أَطَلْتُ الجُلُوسَا
Though I have no excuse for prolonging my sitting.
A sword may rest in its sheath, protected,
وَقَدْ يَمْكُثُ السَّيْفُ فِي غِمْدِهِ
مَصُوناً وَيَسْتَوْطِنُ اللَّيْثُ خَيْسَا
While a lion makes its home in a den.
Shall I serve one who was my servant?
أَأَخْدُمُ مَن كَانَ لِي خَادِمَاً
وَأَتْبَعُ مَنْ قَدْ رَآنِي رَئِيْسَا
Shall I follow one who saw me as a leader?
I have shunned my boon companion and wine -
جَفَوْتُ النَّدِيْمَ إِذَاً والْمُدَامَ
وَأَصْبَحْتُ أُوذِي عَلَيهَا الجَلِيْسَا
I have become a nuisance to my friend.
It is as if I am no longer excellent
كَأَنِّيَ لَمْ أَعْدُ فِي مِقْنَبٍ
أَفُلُّ بِحَدِّ الخَمِيْسِ الخَمِيْسَا
In setting out on a Thursday eve.
I no longer hunt prey in its lair
وَأَقْتَنِصُ الوَحْشَ فِي بِيْدِهَا
بِمُضْمَرَةٍ تَجْتَذِبْنَ المُرُوسَا
With a spear that attracts the timid.
Frightening the gazelles with my form -
تَرُوعُ الظِّبَاءَ بِأَشْخَاصِهَا
فَتَقْبِضُ قَبْلَ الجُسُومِ النُّفُوسَا
Seizing souls before the bodies can flee.
Nor have I passed the cup in my prime
وَلَمْ أَدِرِ الكَأسَ في فِتْيَةٍ
نُبَاكِرُهَا قَهْوَةً خَنْدَرِيْسَا
To the youths, beginning with coffee.
It is as if the cups in their hands
كَأَنَّ الكُؤُوَس بِأَيْدِيهِمُ
نُجُومُ سَمَاءٍ تُلاَقِي شُمُوسَا
Are stars in a sky meeting suns.
Oh Lord, I once enjoyed a day
وَيَا رُبَّ يَوْمٍ تَمَلَّيْتُهُ
سُرُورَاً ببَطْاسَ أو بَانَقُوسَا
With entertainment, whether chess or the lute!
Blessed is the monastery, the monastery of the tower,
وَيَا حَبَّذَا الدَّيْرُ دَيْرَ البَرِيْجِ
تُجِيْبُ النَّوَاقِيْسُ فِيْهِ القُسُوسُا
Where monks answer the call to prayer.
If the staff of the monastery had not been guided
وَهَيْفَاءَ لَوْ لَمْ تَمِسْ ما اهْتَدَى قَضِيْبُ
الرِّيَاضِ إلَى أَنْ يَمِيْسَا
To support it until it took root,
Had Christianity's Jesus appeared
وَلَو بَرَزَتْ لِنَصَارَى المَسِيْ
حِ عِيْسَى لَدَانُوا بِهَا دُونَ عِيْسَى
To the Nazarenes, they would have turned from Jesus to it.
When I wish, I make eloquent speech flow
إِذَا شِئْتُ أُنْطِقُ فِي حِجْرِهَا
لِسَانٌ فَصِيْحٌ يُهِيْجُ الرَّسِيْسَا
From her lap, arousing the apathetic.
Commanding travel through empty quarters -
وَآمِرَةٍ بِرُكُوبِ الفَلاَةِ
وَأنْ أُعْمِلَ الطَّرْفَ وَالعَنْتَرِيْسَا
Activating my eyes and chivalry.
She saw I had sufficed and sought no more
رَأَتْنِي قَنِعْتُ وَلَمْ أَلْتَمِسْ
لِقَاءَ وُجُوهْ تُطِيْلُ العُبُوسَا
The company of faces that prolong frowns.
Let me deal with time's fortunes
دَعِيْنِي أُمَارِسُ صَرْفَ الزَّمَانِ
وَأَلْبَسُ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ لَبُوسَا
And don a new garb in every situation.
For when clothes are worn long
فَإِنَّ الثِّيَابَ إِذَا مَا خَلُقْ
نَ كَانَتْ جُلُودُ الرِّجَالِ اللَّبُوسَا
They become like the skins of seasoned men.
I have seen the branches of the generous
فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فُرُوعَ الكِرَامِ
يَشِبْنَ إِذّا مَا ابْتَذَلْنَ الرُّؤُوسَا
Turn white when their heads are brought low.
