إذا أَعْوزَ الْمَرْءَ الصُّعودُ إلى الّتي

إلَيْها تَنَاهَى كُلُّ أَرْوعَ أَصْيَدِ

If a man lacks the means to ascend

To where all noble game come to an end,

فمِنْ دُونِ تَحْلِيقِ النُّسورِ مَنَازلٌ

تَروحُ بِها رُقْشُ الْبُزاةِ وتَغْتَدي

There are, below the hovering of hawks, abodes

Wherein the bustard's chick freely struts and feeds.

وَدَعْ عَنْكَ اَدْنَى مَسْرَحِ الْعِزِّ إِنَّهُ

مَطارُ بُغاثِ الطَّيْرِ عِنْدَ التَّبَلُّدِ

Leave off the lower stage of glory; verily

It is a mere splash for fledglings trying out their wings.

فَهَمُّ الْفَتَى كُلِّ الْفَتَى غَيْرُ واقِفٍ

عَلَى الدُّونِ إنّ الدُونَ غَيْرُ مُحَمَّدِ

A youth whose ambition encompasses all of youth but falls

Short of the heights is not praiseworthy; heights are for the elect.

وفي الْغَايَةِ الْوُسْطَى تَعَلُّلُ مُغْرَمٍ

عَنِ الْغَايَةِ الْقُصْوَى مَقَامِ التَّفَرُّدِ

And so one who aspires to the middle way remains

Cut off from the ultimate station of peerless eminence;

أيا مَنْزلاً مِنْ دُونه مَضْربُ السُّها

ويا مَقْعَداً منْ دُونه كُلُّ مَقْعَد

Would that, below it, there were no homes, dwelling places

Where people congregate-only places to alight and move on!

أَرَى دُون مَرْقَى الْمَوْتِ سَلْوَكَ واقِفاً

لِكُلّ الذي يَهْوى لِقَاكَ بمَرْصَدِ

I see that, short of death's steep path, you stand still,

At every allure that calls you to wait in ambush.