لِأَيِّ خَلِيلٍ فِي الزَّمَانِ أُرَافِقُ

وَأَكْثَرُ مَنْ لاقَيْتُ خِبٌّ مُنَافِقُ

For which companion of present times shall I keep company,

When most I meet are false and hypocritical?

بَلَوْتُ بَنِي الدُّنْيَا فَلَمْ أَرَ صَادِقَاً

فَأَيْنَ لَعَمْرِي الأَكْرَمُونَ الأَصَادِقُ

I tested the sons of this world and found no one truthful,

So where are the noble and truthful?

أُحَاوِلُ أَمْرَاً قَصَّرَتْ دُونَهُ النُّهَى

وَشَابَتْ وَلَمْ تَبْلُغْ مَدَاهُ الْمَفَارِقُ

I strive for a matter beyond the grasp of advice,

And persist though departures fell short of reaching its extent.

وَأَعْظَمُ مَا تَرْجُوهُ مَا لا تَنَالُهُ

وَأَكْثَرُ مَنْ تَلْقَاهُ مَنْ لا يُوَافِقُ

The greatest of what you hope for is what you cannot attain,

And most of those you meet do not agree.

وَمَا كُلُّ مَنْ حَدَّ الرَّوِيَّةَ حَازِمٌ

وَلا كُلُّ مَنْ رَامَ السَّوِيَّةَ فَارِقُ

Not everyone who tells tales is wise,

Nor is everyone who claims integrity, upright.

أَضَعْتُ زَمَانِي بَيْنَ قَوْمٍ لَوَ انَّ لِي

بِهِمْ غَيْرَهُمْ مَا أَرْهَقَتْنِي الْبَوائِقُ

A cheerful face hiding rage underneath,

A melody of love masking betrayal between.

فَإِنْ أَكُ مُلْقَى الرَّحْلِ فِيهِمْ فَإِنَّنِي

لَهُمْ بِالْخِلالِ الصَّالِحَاتِ مُفَارِقُ

The morals of youth - when tested -

Reveal ignorance spreads among people.

مَعَاشِرُ سَادُوا بِالنِّفَاقِ وَمَا لَهُمْ

أُصُولٌ أَظَلَّتْهَا فُرُوعٌ بَوَاسِقُ

I learned to swallow my rage among them though

It is forbearance, but destructive to the restrained one.

فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ عِنْدَ الْخُصُومَةِ جَاهِلٌ

وَأَتْقَاهُمُ عِنْدَ الْعَفَافَةِ فَاسِقُ

They called me to distraction so I raced forth,

And I always race to the like of that.

طَلاقَةُ وَجْهٍ تَحْتَهَا الْغَيْظُ كَاشِرٌ

وَنَغْمَةُ وُدٍّ بَيْنَهَا الْغَدْرُ نَاعِقُ

But when hardship dragged on they led their camels

To where neither guide nor driver reached.

وَأَخْلاقُ صِبْيَانٍ إِذَا ما بَلَوْتَهُمْ

عَلِمْتَ بِأَنَّ الْجَهْلَ فِي النَّاسِ نَافِقُ

May Allah not have mercy on one who sells his religion

For a world other than it, while aspiring for truth.

تَعَلَّمْتُ كَظْمَ الْغَيظِ فِيهِمْ وَإِنَّهُ

لَحِلْمٌ وَلَكِنْ لِلْحَفِيظَةِ مَاحِقُ

I warned them of the obscured state of their affairs,

And cautioned them, had one with insight comprehended.

دَعَوْنِي إِلَى الْجُلَّى فَقُمْتُ مُبَادِراً

وَإِنِّي إِلَى أَمْثَالِ تِلْكَ لَسَابِقُ

And I said: Cease evil and you will profit,

For evil will have a day of inevitable destruction.

فَلَمَّا اسْتَمَرَّ الْجِدُّ سَاقُوا حُمُولَهُمْ

إِلَى حَيْثُ لَمْ يَبْلُغْهُ حَادٍ وَسَائِقُ

But they thought my words were other than my beliefs,

Despite my being truthful in all I said.

فَلا رَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً بَاعَ دِينَهُ

بِدُنْيَا سِوَاهُ وَهْوَ لِلْحَقِّ رَامِقُ

Did they know I was candid with my argument,

And truths emerged after being hidden?

عَلَى أَنَّنِي حَذَّرْتُهُمْ غِبَّ أَمْرِهِمْ

وَأَنْذَرْتُهُمْ لَوْ كَانَ يَفْقَهُ مَائِقُ

Away with a people among whom is no wise person,

Nor a sincere friend among them.

وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا عَنِ الشَّرِّ تَغْنَمُوا

فَلِلشَّرِّ يَوْمٌ لا مَحَالَةَ مَاحِقُ

I thought good of them, so I was struck with sorrow,

That clings between bosoms, adhered.

فَظَنُّوا بِقَوْلِي غَيْرَ مَا فِي يَقِينِهِ

عَلَى أَنَّنِي فِي كُلِّ مَا قُلْتُ صَادِقُ

Oh how I wish I had curbed my forbearance and had not been

A leader, as obstacles befell me for that reason.

فَهَلْ عَلِمُوا أَنِّي صَدَعْتُ بِحُجَّتِي

وَقَدْ ظَهَرَتْ بَعْدَ الْخَفَاءِ الْحَقَائِقُ

Oh how I wish I had awakened atop a towering peak,

And not seen what became of agreements.

فَتَبَّاً لَهُمْ مِنْ مَعْشَرٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِمُ

رَشِيدٌ وَلا مِنْهُمْ خَلِيلٌ مُصَادِقُ

They exposed me to spears then hastily turned away,

With not a knocker knocking from harm.

ظَنَنْتُ بِهِمْ خَيْرَاً فَأُبْتُ بِحَسْرَةٍ

لَهَا شَجَنٌ بَيْنَ الْجَوَانِحِ لاصِقُ

They swore an oath not to waver, but no sooner

Did dawn's light emerge except their women were divorced.

فَيَا لَيْتَنِي رَاجَعْتُ حِلْمِي وَلَمْ أَكُنْ

زَعِيمَاً وَعَاقَتْنِي لِذَاكَ الْعَوائِقُ

They left without excuse, no camel bags visible,

No egg white in the palms of dove handlers dripping.

وَيَا لَيْتَنِي أَصْبَحْتُ فِي رَأْسِ شَاهِقٍ

وَلَمْ أَرَ مَا آلَتْ إِلَيهِ الْوَثَائِقُ

But a rumor called them so they scattered,

As a flock of birds bolts with a loud cry.

هُمْ عَرَّضُونِي لِلْقَنَا ثُمَّ أَعْرَضُوا

سِرَاعاً وَلَمْ يَطْرُقْ مِنَ الشَّرِّ طَارِقُ

How many escapees has he met without a pursuer,

And how many deserters has he met though the mind escapes?

وَقَدْ أَقْسَمُوا أَلَّا يَزُولُوا فَمَا بَدَا

سَنَا الْفَجْرِ إِلَّا وَالنِّسَاءُ طَوَالِقُ

When they see a person they say "a rabble,"

Yet the cowardice of the youth is a shining sword to his eyes.

مَضَوا غَيْرَ مَعْذُورِينَ لا النَّقْعُ سَاطِعٌ

وَلا الْبِيضُ فِي أَيْدِي الْكُمَاةِ دَوَالِقُ

Lions near the tents among their women,

But near fervor they are mewing old cats.

وَلَكِنْ دَعَتْهُمْ نَبْأَةٌ فَتَفَرَّقُوا

كَمَا انْقَضَّ في سِرْبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ بَاشِقُ

When a man does not rise with his upright sword,

My, how can truths be protected?

فَكَمْ آبِقٍ تَلْقَاهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ طَارِدٍ

وَكَمْ واقِفٍ تَلْقَاهُ وَالْعَقْلُ آبِقُ

إِذَا أَبْصَرُوا شَخْصَاً يَقُولُونَ جَحْفَلٌ

وَجُبْنُ الْفَتَى سَيْفٌ لِعَيْنَيْهِ بَارِقُ

أُسُودٌ لَدَى الأَبْيَاتِ بَيْنَ نسَائِهِمْ

وَلَكِنَّهُمْ عِنْدَ الْهيَاجِ نَقَانِقُ

إِذَا الْمَرْءُ لَمْ يَنْهَضْ بِقَائِمِ سَيْفِهِ

فَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي كَيْفَ تُحْمَى الْحَقَائِقُ