أَشاقك صَوت غنا الأَورَق

عَلى البان أَم بارقُ الأبرقِ

The voice of your singing enchanted the meadows

Was it the lightning flashing or timber groaning?

فَأَصبَح دَمعك هتّانه

يَسحُّ كَسحّ الحَيا المغدقَ

So your tears flowed copiously at dawn

Spreading like the slithering of a huge serpent

أَم الدَهر أَحكم أحكامه

فَجار فجوراً وَلَم يَرفقِ

Or did time make its judgement absolute

Turning tyrannical, showing you no mercy?

فَصَبراً هديتَ عَلى ما قَضى

بِهِ اللَهُ صَبرَ حَليمٍ تَقي

So, wisely, you exercised patience

With the resignation of a pious, calm sage

هُوَ الدَهر يَأتي بِيسر كَما

يَروح بِعسرٍ فَلا تَفرقِ

For time brings ease and takes hardship away

So do not separate the two, have no regrets

وَما بَين يُسرٍ وَعُسرٍ سِوى

إِشارة لمحٍ مِن المُحدقِ

Between ease and hardship just a subtle sign

From the blink of an eye in a moment fleeting

بِهَذا قَضى اللَه في خَلقه

وَباب العِناية لَم يغلقِ

Thus Allah judged in His creation

And the door of Divine care remains open

فَثق بِالكَريم فَعاداتهُ

إِجابة دَعوة مُستَوثقِ

So trust in the Bountiful One whose ways

Are to answer prayers, never to disappoint

وَهاك وَصيّة مُستنصحٍ

يُواسيك بِالنُصح كَالمُشفقِ

Who consoles you with care, feels your affliction

One knowledgeable of his people and their ways

خَبير بِحال بَني عَصرهِ

بِبَحر الغِواية لم يغرقِ

Who by the sea of error was not drowned

Shun the company of the base and lowly

تَجنَّب مُعاشرَة الأَدنيا

عَساكَ إِلى المَجد أَن تَرتَقي

That you may yet rise to glory and renown

Accompany none but the man of knowledge

وَلا تَصحَبنَّ سِوى عالم

وَغَيرَ أَخي الحلم لا تَعشَقِ

And none but the reasonable as companions

And those detached, and men of noble deeds

وَغَير أَخي الزَهد أَو ماجد

كَريم بِقَلبك لا يَعلقِ

Whose hearts are unsullied by bonds enchaining

And if some rude foolish men should one day

وَإِن يَبغِ يَوماً علَيك الجَهولُ

وَيسفَه بِخلقٍ لَه ضيّقِ

Insult you in their boorish vulgar accosting

Restrain your tongue from answering their abuse

فَقيّد لِسانك عَن شَتمه

فَلَيسَ المقيَّد كالمُطلقِ

For the restrained is not like the unrestrained

And do not speak without considered thought

وَلا تَنطقنَّ بِلا حكمَةٍ

فَإِنّ البَلاء مِن المَنطقِ

For trials result from unrestrained talking

And if you pardon, pardoning is a part of piety

وَإِن تَعفُ فَالعَفو بَعض التُقى

وَناهيك مَنزلة المُتَّقي

And you know the rank of the God-fearing

Do not harm your gentle soul, its essence

وَما ضَرّ نَفسك ياقوتها

بِنار التَجلُّد لَم يحرقِ

With the fire of anger that's apt to destroy

For in people the state of a man is known

وَفي الناس يُعلم حال الفَتى

وَلَيسَ السَعيد بِها كَالشَقي

Though fortune does not bless all equally

Do not give your affection to a fool

فَلا تُصفِ ودّكَ مِن أَحمَق

فَفَتق الحَماقة لَم يُرتقِ

For the rift of folly cannot be repaired

Indeed, the sorest trial for the wise

وَإِن أَشدَّ بِلاءِ الحَليم

مُعاشرة الجاهلِ الأَحمَقِ

Is to keep company with the foolish lout