نَظَمْتُ هَذه الفِكَرْ

ذاتَ شُؤُونٍ وَعِبَرْ

I have composed these thoughts

With profound lessons and morals

وَلا أَقُولُ إِنَّني

قَدْ صُغْتُهَا صَوغَ الدُّرَرْ

And I won't claim that

I have molded them like pearls

أَرْسَلْتُهَا كَمَا أَتتْ

بَيْنَ غُيَابٍ وَحَضَرْ

I have sent them as they came

Between absence and presence

أَوَابِداً لَمْ يكُ لِي

مِنْهَا بِتَأْبِيدٍ وَطرْ

Ruins that were not for me

With permanence or dwelling

وَلَمْ أَخَلْنِي إِنْ أَمُتْ

يَسْتَحْيِنِي هَذَا الأَثَرْ

And I won't be ashamed if I die

Embarrassed by this effect

كَظَنِّ كلِّ مَنْ بَدَا

لَهُ خَيَالٌ فَشَعَرْ

Like the assumption of all those

Whose imagination composed poetry

وَظنِّ كلِّ مَنْ رَأَى

مَوْضِعَ نَثْرٍ فَنَثَرْ

And the assumption of those who saw

A place of prose so they dispersed

يَحْسَبُ تِيهاً أَنَّهُ

غَزَا الخُلُودَ فَانْتَصَرْ

Thinking they have conquered immortality

And attained victory

وَهْمٌ قَديمٌ سِيرَتِي

فِيه عَلى غَيْرِ السِّيرْ

An old delusion my manner

In it other than proper

مَا أَكْلَفَ الإِنْسَانَ

بِالبَقَاءِ حَتَّى فِي خَبَرْ

How heavily man burdens

Himself with survival even in news

وَمَا أَشَدَّ وُدَّهُ

لَوُ يُسْتَدَامُ فِي حَجَرْ

And how intense is his love

If only it would last in a rock

كمْ خاطِرٍ دَوَّنَهُ

كَاتِبُهُ حِينَ خَطَرْ

How many ideas its writer

Penned when they occurred

وَقالَ هَذَا مُكْسِبِي

لا شكَّ إِعْجَابَ البَشَرْ

And said this is my gain

Without doubt, people's admiration

إِذْ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّني

صَاحِبُ هَذَا المُبْتَكَرْ

When they know I

Am the owner of this innovation

حَتَّى البُكَاءُ وَالسُّرُو

رُ حِينَ يَبْكِي أَوْ يُسُرْ

Even tears and pleasure

When one cries or is happy

يَخُطُّه كَأَنَّهُ

جَوْعَانُ يَسْتَجْدِي النَّظَرْ

He notes it down as if

A beggar seeking attention

لَكِنَّني وَأَنْتَ تَدْ

رِي أَيُّها الأَخُ الأَبَرّ

But I, and you know

O kind brother

لَمْ أَتَمَنَّ مَرَّةً

هَذِي الأَمَانِيَّ الكُبَرْ

Have never once

Wished for such grand wishes

وَلَمْ أُبالِ مُصْحَفاً

لِيَ انْطَوَى أَوِ انْتشَرْ

And have not cared for a book

To fold or spread

وَلمْ أُبَالِ اسْمِيَ إِنْ

لَمْ يُشْتَهَرْ أَوِ اشْتُهِرْ

And I don't care if my name

Doesn't become famous or well known

أَلاَ وَقدْ عَلَّمْتَنِي

بِمَشْهَدٍ وَمُخْتَبَرْ

But you have taught me

With insight and experience

كَيْفَ يَكُونُ أَحْكَمَ

السفَّارِ وَالعُمْرُ سَفَرْ

How wisdom is the best

For travelers and life is a journey

يَأْخُذُ فِي مَسِيرِهِ

مَا يُجْتَنَى مِنَ الثمَرْ

That takes from fruits

Along its path

وَيَجْتَلِي حُسْنَ السُّهى

إِنْ فَاتَهُ حُسْنُ القَمَرْ

And senses the beauty of wanderings

If the beauty of the moon escapes it

وَيَصْطَفِي رِفَاقَهُ

لِلاِئْتِنَاسِ وَالسَّمرْ

And chooses its companions

For sociability and night talk

مُجَامِلاً أَمْثَالَهُ

عَلَى الرَّخَاءِ وَالغِيَرْ

Agreeing with its equals

In prosperity and otherwise

مُجْتَنِباً زَلاَّتِهِمْ

مُغْتَفِراً مَا يُغْتَفَرْ

Avoiding their mistakes

Forgiving what can be forgiven

مُنْتَبِذَ السُّبلِ الَّتِي

تُعْلِقُ بِالثَّوْبِ الوَضَرْ

Renouncing ways that

Stain the garment

مُسْتَنْصِفاً وَمُنْصِفاً

فِي الوُدِّ أَوْ فِي المُتَّجَرْ

Being fair and just

In love or business

مُسْتَمْسِكاً بِالحَقِّ لاَ

يَغُرُّهُ وَهْمٌ أَغَرّ

Holding onto truth not

Tempted by delusions

يَجْرِي عَلَى حُكْمِ النهَى

وَلاَ يُغَالِبُ القَدَرْ

Following the rule of prohibition

And not challenging fate

فِي الدِّينِ وَالدنْيَا لَهُ

حِكْمَةُ وِرْدٍ وَصَدَرْ

In religion and life having

The wisdom of lesson and chest

إِنْ يُؤْتَ فَضْلاً بَثَّهُ

فِي النَّاسِ فِعْلَ مَنْ شَكَرْ

If given virtue spreads it

Among people, the action of one thankful

يَشْرَكهُمْ فِيهِ وَلَوْ

إِشْرَاكَ سَمْعٍ وَبَصَرْ

Sharing it even if

Sharing of hearing and sight

وَلمْ يَصُنْهُ عَنْهُمُ

صَوْنَ بَخِيلٍ مَا ادَّخَرْ

And doesn't prevent it from them

Like a miser hoarding

وَلمْ يُبَددْهُ سُدىً

بِمَا تَباهَى وَافْتَخَرْ

And doesn't waste it frivolously

With what he boasts and prides

ذلِكَ مَا أَفَدْتَنِي

وَهْوَ عُيُونٌ وَغُرَرْ

That is what you have taught me

Precious pearls

فَلْسَفةٌ خِلْقِيَّةٌ

أَلِفْتَهَا مِنَ الصِّغرْ

A natural philosophy

You've made familiar since childhood

عَنْ فِطْرَةٍ سَامَى بِهَا

نقَاؤُهَا أَسْمَى الفِطرْ

From a pure nature

The cleanest of instincts

أَخذْتُ عَنْكَ آيَهَا

وَلمْ تُفَصَّل فِي سُوَرْ

I took its signs from you

Though not detailed in chapters

حَضَرتُها كقَارِيءٍ

مَغْزَى النُّهَى فِي مُخْتَصَرْ

I attended to it like a reciter

The essence of guidance concisely

أَرَتْنِيَ الدنْيَا وَبِي

عَنْهَا جَلاَلٌ وَكِبَرْ

It showed me the world and in it

Sublimity and grandeur

وَأَزْهدَتْنِي فِي المَدِيحِ

وَالأَبَاطِيلِ الأُخَرْ

And made me uninterested in praise

And other vanities

يَوْمَ أَبِيتُ هَامِداً

مَثْوَايَ فِي إِحْدَى الحُفَرْ

The day I took refuge

My dwelling in one of the graves

لَكِنَّ مِنْهَا دَاعِياً

أَجَبْتهُ وَقَدْ أَمَرْ

But calling me from it

I responded when commanded

قَالَ دَعِ الآتِيَ لِلغَيْبِ

وَخُذْ بِمَا حَضَرْ

Saying leave what's to come to the unseen

And take what is present

صِفْ لِلرِّفَاقِ مَا تَرَى

مِنْ زُهُرٍ وَمِنْ زَهَرْ

Describe to friends what you see

Of flowers and blossoms

أَنْشِدْهُمُ مَا يَجْلِبُ

الصَّفاءَ أَوْ يَنْفِي الكَدَرْ

Recite to them what brings

Serenity or dispels sorrow

حَذِّرْهُمُ مَا فِي الطَّرِيقِ

مِنْ بَلاَءٍ وَخَطَرْ

Warn them of perils

On the path and dangers

سَكِّن حَشَى مَرُوعِهِمْ

وَلاَ تُؤَازِرْ مَنْ وَزرْ

Comfort their troubled hearts

And don't help those burdened

أَرْشِدْ بِرِفْقٍ تَارَة

وَتَارَةً بِمُزْدَجَرْ

Guide gently at times

And at times with deterrents

يَا مَنْ دَعَانِي أَنَا مَنْ

إِنْ يُدْعَ لِلخَيْرِ ابْتَدَرْ

O you who called me, I am one

If called to good, readily responds

أَلنَّاسُ بِالنَّاس وَكُلٌّ

وَاهِبٌ عَلَى قَدَرْ

People vary, each

Granting to the extent able

وَشَرُّهُمْ مَنِ اسْتَطَا

عَ أَنْ يُفِيدَ فَاعْتَذَرْ

The worst are those capable

Of benefiting but made excuses

لَوْ لمْ تَكُنْ مُجَرِّئِي

هَذَا الكِتَابُ مَا ظَهَرْ

Had this book not

Emboldened me, it wouldn't have appeared

وَليْسَ إِلاَّ قِصَصاً

إِلى شُُونٍ وَذِكَرْ

And is only tales

Of affairs and remembrance

وَنفحَاتٍ بَاقِيَا

تٍ مِنْ شبَابٍ قَدْ عَبَرْ

And lingering scents

Of youth now passed

وسَانِحَاتٍ سَنَحَتْ

بَيْنَ غُرُوبٍ وَسَحَرْ

And spontaneity that came

Between sunset and dawn

فِي مُسْتَضَاءِ الخَمْرِ أَوْ

فِي مُتَفَيَّإ الخمَرْ

In candlelight or

Moonshine from wine

تَحْتَ مَرَائِي الشُّهبِ أَوْ

بَيْنَ مَلاَحِظِ الشَّجرْ

Under shooting stars or

Among tree shadows

خَوَاطِرٌ وَضَّاءَةٌ

بِهَا مَلاَمِحُ السَّهرْ

Thoughts illuminated

With them the marks of night vigil

أَلْبَسْتها مِنْ أَدْمُعِي

وَمِنْ دَمِي هَذِي الحِبَرْ

I dressed them in my tears

And in my blood, this ink

قَشِيبَةً غَرِيبَةً

عَصْرِيةً نَسْجَ مُضَرْ

Mature, strange, modern

Fabric of extinct Mudar

ذلِكَ دِيوَانِي وَمَا

أُزْجِيهِ إِزْجَاءَ الغَرَرْ

That is my diwan and what

I flaunt flaunting pearls

فَإِنْ أَفَادَ رَاحَةً

أَوْ سَلوَةً مِنَ الضَّجرْ

If it brings comfort

Or respite from boredom

أَوْ حِكْمَةً تُؤْخَذُ عَنْ

مُتَّعظٍ وَمُعْتَبِرْ

Or wisdom taken from

One who heeds and reflects

فَهْوَ الذِي نَشَرْتُهُ

لأَجْلِهِ بِلاَ حَذَرْ

That is what I spread

For that without caution

وَبَعْدَ ذَاكَ لاَ يَكُنْ

لِيَ افْتِخَارٌ أَوْ خَطَرْ

And after that I have

No pride or pretense