لله في ذا الخلق أح

كام تجل عن الغلط

God has decrees concerning this creation,

exalted above error.

فاقت مداركنا فمن

يزري بها ركب الشطط

They surpass our understanding; so whoever

disparages them has gone to extremes.

ولقد يرى فيها الخطا

من في الغواية قد سقط

Yet error in them may be seen

by one who has fallen into misguidance.

ويقول كيف يسود من

في الناس عد من السقط

And he says: How can one hold sway

who among people was counted with the dregs?

وغد تقيأه الزما

ن الرذل لما أن مخط

A wretch spewed out by ignoble Time

when it blew its nose.

ركب المحارم كلها

ومع الأبالسة ارتبط

He committed every forbidden act,

and bound himself to devils.

قد شب بين المنكرا

ت وبالكبائر قد شمط

He grew up amid evil deeds,

and has gone gray through grave sins.

وجرى وبين ذوي الرئا

سة قد تسمى وانخرط

He ran on, and among those in authority

assumed a title and joined their ranks.

قيحا لوجه الدهر قد

رقى الاسافل للخطط

Pus upon the face of Time, which has

raised the basest to high office!

كم ماكر كابن الفلا

ن بدا بثوب يغتبط

How many a schemer, like the son of So-and-so,

has appeared in a robe that wins envy,

ومشى وفي يده عصا ال

راعي وبالتقوى لغط

and walked with a staff in his hand—

a shepherd’s—while clamoring about piety.

ودعا لطاعة ربنا

وعصى ونعمته غمط

And called for obedience to our Lord,

yet disobeyed and spurned His blessing.

يغري بظاهر ثوبه

ونفاقه القوم الوسط

With his robe’s outward show he beguiles,

and with his hypocrisy, the ordinary folk;

ويرى الصلاح مخادعا

من كان من ذاك النمط

and, duped, one sees righteousness in him—

anyone who belongs to that sort.

وبصدره كمنت نيو

ب الصل تنهش ان قنط

And in his breast lie hidden the fangs

of a viper, biting if he despairs.

وصل الخبائث بالفوا

حش والفضائح وانبسط

He joined vile deeds to obscenities

and scandals, and gave himself free rein.

وإلى التفاسد بين خل

ق الله طرا قد نشط

And to spreading corruption among

all God’s creatures he eagerly applied himself.

وعلى الخبيثة نفسه

بغض الفضائل قد شرط

And upon his wicked soul

he enjoined hatred of virtues.

وجميع ما في الأرض من

لؤم وغدر قد ضبط

And all that is on earth

of baseness and treachery he mastered.

وإلى الدنايا قد سمى

وبكل نجس قد خبط

And toward baseness he rose,

and floundered in every kind of filth.

واشتط في اطماعه

وغروره حتى هبط

He went to extremes in his greedy ambitions

and his conceit, until he fell.

فتقطعت آماله

وبذلك المسعى حبط

Then his hopes were shattered,

and in that pursuit he came to grief.

وسمعت أولاد الازق

ة قد تغنوا بالغلط

And I heard the alley children

singing of the blunder:

ما قام عمرو بالولا

ية ساعة حتى ضرط

“Amr had not been in office

an hour before he farted!”

مهلا فداك ذووك يا

ذا السيد البادي السخط

Gently—may your kin ransom you—O

you sir, whose anger shows!

واصبر فسوف ترى الذي

كسبت يداك من اللقط

And be patient: soon you will see what

your hands have earned from the gleanings;

وتعضّ من ندم يدي

ك وتبكين لما فرط

and bite your hands in remorse,

and surely weep for what has passed.