مَتَى أَنْتَ عَنْ أُحْمُوقَةِ الْغَيِّ نَازِعُ
وَفِي الشَّيْبِ لِلنَّفْسِ الأَبِيَّةِ وَازِعُ
When will you resist foolish passions,
And oppose the rebellious soul in old age?
أَلا إِنَّ فِي تِسْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ حِجَّةً
لِكُلِّ أَخِي لَهْوٍ عَنِ اللَّهْوِ رَادِعُ
Surely in youth there are twenty-nine excuses
For every fool to turn away from vanity.
فَحَتَّامَ تُصِيْبُكَ الْغَوَانِي بِدَلِّهَا
وتَهْفُو بِلِيتَيْكَ الْحَمامُ السَّوَاجِعُ
So wine will gradually overcome you in return,
And doves will moan for your nights.
أَمَا لَكَ فِي الْمَاضِينَ قَبْلَكَ زَاجِرٌ
يَكُفُّكَ عَنْ هَذَا بَلَى أَنْتَ طَامِعُ
Is there no warner from the past generations before you
To stop you from this? Yes, but you are still greedy.
وَهَلْ يَسْتَفِيقُ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ سَكْرَةِ الصِّبَا
إِذَا لَمْ تُهَذِّبْ جَانِبَيهِ الْوَقَائِعُ
Can a man recover from the intoxication of youth
If calamities do not educate him on both sides?
يَرَى الْمَرْءُ عُنْوَانَ الْمَنُونِ بِرَأْسِهِ
وَيَذْهَبُ يُلْهِي نَفْسَهُ وَيُصَانِعُ
A man sees the omens of death around him
Yet he goes to amuse himself and flirt.
أَلا إِنَّمَا هَذِي اللَّيَالِي عَقَارِبٌ
تَدِبُّ وَهَذَا الدَّهْرُ ذِئْبٌ مُخَادِعُ
Beware, these nights creep like scorpions,
And time is a deceitful wolf.
فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّ الدَّهْرَ لُعْبَةَ هَازِلٍ
فَمَا هُوَ إِلا صَرْفُهُ وَالْفَجَائِعُ
Do not assume time is a jesting companion,
It only turns and brings catastrophes.
فَيَا رُبَّمَا بَاتَ الْفَتَى وَهْوَ آمِنٌ
وَأَصْبَحَ قَدْ سُدَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمَطَالِعُ
Sometimes a lad sleeps feeling safe
Then wakes to find opportunities closed.
فَفِيمَ اقْتِنَاءُ الدِّرْعِ وَالسَّهْمُ نَافِذٌ
وَفِيمَ ادِّخَارُ الْمَالِ وَالْعُمْرُ ضَائِعُ
Of what use is hoarding armor and sharp arrows,
While life is wasted and time misspent?
يَوَدُّ الْفَتَى أَنْ يَجْمَعَ الأَرْضَ كُلَّهَا
إِلَيْهِ وَلَمَّا يَدْرِ مَا اللهُ صَانِعُ
A lad wishes to gather all wealth to himself
Not knowing what God will decree.
فَقَدْ يَسْتَحِيلُ الْمَالُ حَتْفاً لِرَبِّهِ
وَتَأْتِي عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِنَّ الْمَطَامِعُ
Wealth may become one's ruin for his Lord's sake,
And afterward, ambitions come to him.
أَلا إِنَّمَا الأَيَّامُ تَجْرِي بِحُكْمِهَا
فَيُحْرَمُ ذُو كَدٍّ وَيُرْزَقُ وَادِعُ
Days pass according to their destiny,
Denying the toiler while sustaining the calm.
فَلا تَقْعُدَنْ لِلدَّهْرِ تَنْظُرُ غِبَّهُ
عَلَى حَسْرَةٍ فَاللَّهُ مُعْطٍ وَمَانِعُ
Do not sit watching how time tricks you
With regret, for God both gives and denies.
فَلَوْ أَنَّ ما يُعْطَى الْفَتَى قَدْرُ نَفْسِهِ
لَمَا بَاتَ رِئْبَالُ الشَّرَى وَهْوَ جَائِعُ
If a lad received only as much as he deserves,
No seeker of evil would sleep hungry.
وَدَعْ كُلَّ ذِي عَقْلٍ يَسِيرُ بِعَقْلِهِ
يُنَازِعُ مِنْ أَهْوَائِهِ مَا يُنَازِعُ
Leave everyone to walk in their own way,
Resisting passions as much as he can resist.
فَمَا النَّاسُ إِلَّا كَالَّذِي أَنَا عَالِمٌ
قَدِيماً وَعِلْمُ الْمَرْءِ بِالشَّيءِ نَافِعُ
I know people only as I know myself,
And knowing a thing benefits one beforehand.
وَلَسْتُ بِعَلَّامِ الْغُيُوبِ وَإِنَّما
أَرَى بِلِحَاظِ الرَّأْيِ مَا هُوَ وَاقِعُ
I am no knower of mysteries; rather,
I see with reason's eye what will happen.
وَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا إِنَّمَا هِيَ فِتْنَةٌ
لَهُمْ بَيْنَهَا عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ مَصَارِعُ
Leave them to their sedition; it is but a trial
Among which, after a little, there are fallen ones.
فَلَوْ عَلِمَ الإِنْسَانُ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ
لَمَا نَامَ سُمَّارٌ وَلا هَبَّ هَاجِعُ
If man knew what will come to pass,
No reveler would sleep nor stirrer awake.
وَمَا هَذِهِ الأَجْسَامُ إِلَّا هَيَاكِلٌ
مُصَوَّرَةٌ فِيهَا النُّفُوسُ وَدَائِعُ
These bodies are only animated forms
Within which the souls reside.
فَأَيْنَ الْمُلُوكُ الأَقْدَمُونَ تَسَنَّمُوا
قِلالَ الْعُلا فَالأَرْضُ مِنْهُمْ بَلاقِعُ
Where are the ancient kings who ascended
The heights of glory? Earth now wears their ruins.
مَضَوْا وَأَقَامَ الدَّهْرُ وَانْتَابَ بَعْدَهُمْ
مُلُوكٌ وَبَادُوا وَاسْتَهَلَّتْ طَلائِعُ
They passed away; time continued and afterward
Kings took their place, perished, and vanguards came.
أَرَى كُلَّ حَيٍّ ذَاهِبَاً بِيَدِ الرَّدى
فَهَلْ أَحَدٌ مِمَّنْ تَرَحَّلَ رَاجِعُ
I see every living creature going by the hand of fate.
Will any of those who migrated return?
أُنَادِي بِأَعْلَى الصَّوْتِ أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُمُ
فَهَلْ أَنْتَ يَا دَهْرَ الأَعَاجِيبِ سَامِعُ
I cry loudly asking about them -
Do you hear, O time of wonders? Are you listening?
فَإِنْ كُنْتَ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ نِدَاءً وَلَمْ تُحِرْ
جَوَاباً فَأَيُّ الشَّيءِ أَنْتَ أُنَازِعُ
If you have not heard a call or roused
Any reply, what is it I dispute with you?
خَيَالٌ لَعَمْرِي لَيْسَ يُجْدِي طِلابُهُ
وَمَأْسَفَةٌ تُدْمَى عَلَيْهَا الأَصَابِعُ
An illusion, by my life! Its seeker profits naught,
And it is a regret over which fingers are pressed.
فَمَنْ لِي وَرَوْعَاتُ الْمُنَى طَيْفُ حَالِمٍ
بِذِي خُلَّةٍ تَزْكُو لَدَيْهِ الصَّنَائِعُ
Who can I turn to when death's specters are
The phantom of a visionary with whom crafts prosper?
أُشَاطِرُهُ وُدِّي وَأُفْضِي لِسَمْعِهِ
بِسِرِّي وَأُمْلِيهِ الْمُنَى وَهْوَ رَابِعُ
I share my love with him and confide my secret to his hearing,
Suggest to him my wishes while he is unperturbed.
لَعَلِّي إِذَا صَادَفْتُ فِي الْقَوْلِ رَاحَةً
نَضَحْتُ غَلِيلاً مَا رَوَتْهُ الْمَشَارِعُ
Perhaps if I find comfort in speech
I may pour out bitterness community streets have watered.
لَعَمْرُ أَبِي وَهْوَ الَّذِي لَوْ ذَكَرْتُهُ
لَما اخْتَالَ فَخَّارٌ وَلا احْتَالَ خَادِعُ
By the life of my father - and he is the one whom if I recall
No pot will crack nor swindler scheme.
لَمَا نَازَعَتْنِي النَّفْسُ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهَا
وَلا ذَلَّلَتْنِي لِلرِّجَالِ المَطَامِعُ
My soul would not have disputed its rights with me
Or debased me to greedy men.
وَمَا أَنَا وَالدُّنْيَا نَعِيمٌ وَلَذَّةٌ
بِذِي تَرَفٍ تَحْنُو عَلَيْهِ الْمَضَاجِعُ
As for me and the world - it is luxury and pleasure
For one with leisure upon whom beds wait.
فَلا السَّيْفُ مَفْلُولٌ وَلا الرَّأْيُ عَازِبٌ
وَلا الزَّنْدُ مَغْلُولٌ وَلا السَّاقُ ظَالِعُ
No sword lies useless, no opinion unconsulted,
No flint idle, nor stallion stalled.
وَلَكِنَّنِي فِي مَعْشَرٍ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِهِمْ
كَرِيمٌ وَلَمْ يَرْكَبْ شَبَا السَّيْفِ خَالِعُ
Rather, I live amongst a people no noble one arose amongst
Nor did one noble of sword mount its stirrup.
لَوَاعِبُ بِالأَسْمَاءِ يَبْتَدِرُونَهَا
سَفَاهاً وَبِالأَلْقَابِ فَهْيَ بَضَائِعُ
They flirt with names foolishly
And peddle titles - those are their wares.
وَهَلْ فِي التَّحَلِّي بِالْكُنَى مِنْ فَصِيلَةٍ
إِذَا لَمْ تُزَيَّنْ بِالْفَعَالِ الطَّبائِعُ
What lineage is there in titles if traits
Are not adorned with deeds?
أُعَاشِرُهُم رَغْمَاً وَوُدَّي لَوْ انَّ لِي
بِهِمْ نَعَماً أَدْعُو بِهِ فَيُسَارِعُ
I socialize with them resentfully. I wish
I had some boon through them I could call and they would hasten.
فَيَا قَوْمُ هُبُّوا إِنَّمَا الْعُمْرُ فُرْصَةٌ
وَفِي الدَّهْرِ طُرْقٌ جَمَّةٌ وَمَنافِعُ
O people, life is but an opportunity
And time has many blocked, perilous roads.
أَصَبْرَاً عَلَى مَسِّ الْهَوَانِ وَأَنْتُمُ
عَدِيدُ الْحَصَى إِنِّي إِلَى اللَّهِ رَاجِعُ
Be patient with the touch of humiliation while you
Are many pebbles. I will return to God.
وَكَيْفَ تَرَوْنَ الذُّلَّ دَارَ إِقَامَةٍ
وَذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ فِي الأَرْضِ وَاسِعُ
How do you see humiliation as any place to stay
When God's grace on earth is vast?
أَرَى أَرْؤُسَاً قَدْ أَيْنَعَتْ لِحَصَادِهَا
فَأَيْنَ وَلا أَيْنَ السُّيُوفُ الْقَوَاطِعُ
I see heads that have ripened for their reaping.
Where, O where are the cutting swords?
فَكُونُوا حَصِيداً خَامِدِينَ أَوِ افْزَعُوا
إِلَى الْحَرْبِ حَتَّى يَدْفَعَ الضَّيْمَ دَافِعُ
Be harvested, lying vanquished, or take fright
And flee to war until an avenger drives away oppression.
أَهَبْتُ فَعَادَ الصَّوْتُ لَمْ يَقْضِ حَاجَةً
إِلَيَّ وَلَبَّانِي الصَّدَى وَهْوَ طَائِعُ
I roused only for the voice to return, fulfilling no need.
Echo answered me while complying.
فَلَمْ أَدْرِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ صَوَّرَ قَبْلَكُمْ
تَمَاثِيلَ لَمْ يُخْلَقْ لَهُنَّ مَسَامِعُ
I did not know that God formed before you
Statues with no hearing created for them.
فَلا تَدَعُوا هَذِي الْقُلُوبَ فَإِنَّهَا
قَوَارِيرُ مَحْنِيّ عَلَيْهَا الأَضَالِعُ
Do not call these hearts for they are
Jugs with ribs bent over them.
وَدُونَكُمُوهَا صَعْدَةً مَنْطِقِيَّةً
تَفُلُّ شَبَا الأَرْمَاحِ وَهْيَ شَوَارِعُ
Set them upright with rational ascent
Where zeal for spears burst and they are deserted.
تَسِيرُ بِهَا الرُّكْبَانُ فِي كُلِّ مَنْزِلٍ
وَتَلْتَفُّ مِنْ شَوْقٍ إِلَيْهَا الْمَجَامِعُ
Travellers move by them in every abode
And communities yearn for them in passion.
فَمِنْهَا لِقَوْمٍ أَوْشُحٌ وَقَلائِدٌ
وَمِنْهَا لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ جَوَامِعُ
Among them some have night shelters and necklaces
While others have mosques.
أَلا إِنَّها تِلْكَ الَّتِي لَوْ تَنَزَّلَتْ
عَلَى جَبَلٍ أَهْوَتْ بِهِ فَهْوَ خَاشِعُ
Beware - those are the same that if they descended
Upon a mountain, it would tumble down humbled.
