سَمّى اِبنَهُ أَسَداً وَلَيسَ بِآمِنٍ

سَمّى اِبنَهُ أَسَداً وَلَيسَ بِآمِنٍ

ذيباً عَلَيهِ إِذا أَطَلَّ الذيبُ

ذيباً عَلَيهِ إِذا أَطَلَّ الذيبُ

He named his son Asad—“Lion”—yet fears

He named his son Lion, yet lives without security

a wolf for him whenever the wolf appears.

A wolf for him when the wolves prowled

وَاللَهُ حَقٌّ وَاِبنُ آدَمَ جاهِلٌ

وَاللَهُ حَقٌّ وَاِبنُ آدَمَ جاهِلٌ

مِن شَأنِهِ التَفريطُ وَالتَكذيبُ

مِن شَأنِهِ التَفريطُ وَالتَكذيبُ

And God is truth, and Adam's son is ignorant;

God is true, and man is ignorant

negligence and denial are among his ways.

Prone to dereliction and denial he is

وَاللُبُّ حاوَلَ أَن يُهَذِّبَ أَهلَهُ

وَاللُبُّ حاوَلَ أَن يُهَذِّبَ أَهلَهُ

فَإِذا البَرِيَّةُ ما لَها تَهذيبُ

فَإِذا البَرِيَّةُ ما لَها تَهذيبُ

And reason tried to refine its people,

The mind tried to cultivate its people

yet behold, humankind is beyond refinement.

But the wilderness is not to be cultivated

مَن رامَ إِنقاءَ الغُرابِ لِكَي يَرى

مَن رامَ إِنقاءَ الغُرابِ لِكَي يَرى

وَضَحَ الجَناحِ أَصابَهُ تَعذيبُ

وَضَحَ الجَناحِ أَصابَهُ تَعذيبُ

Whoever sought to cleanse the raven so as to see

He who wished to clean the raven to see

whiteness in its wing was afflicted with torment.

The wing unsoiled was racked with torment

وَالدَهرُ يَقدُمُ وَالمَليكُ مُخالِفٌ

وَالدَهرُ يَقدُمُ وَالمَليكُ مُخالِفٌ

دُوَلاً فَمِنها مُجمِدٌ وَمُذيبُ

دُوَلاً فَمِنها مُجمِدٌ وَمُذيبُ

And time advances, while the Sovereign alternates

Time goes on, and the King acts adversely

turns of fortune: some freeze, and others melt.

His states so frozen, and others molten