1. أَستَغفِرُ اللَّهَ مِن تَركي وَإِخلالي

    وَهَفوَةٍ خَطَرَت مِنّي عَلى بالي

    I ask God's forgiveness for my neglect and shortcomings,

    And for a lapse of mine that crossed my mind.

  2. قَضَيتُ عُمري بِدَرسٍ ما حَظيتُ بِهِ

    وَكَيفَ يَنفَعُ عِلمٌ بَينَ جُهّالِ

    I spent my life in study, yet gained no favor through it;

    And how can knowledge be useful among the ignorant?

  3. وَزادَ زُهدِيَ في أَنّي عَرَفتَهُمُ

    فَما أَسَيتُ عَلى جاهٍ وَلا مالِ

    Knowing them increased my detachment,

    So I grieved neither for rank nor wealth.

  4. قَيَّدتُ بِاليَأسِ عَزمي عَن مُطالَبَةٍ

    فَلتَحمَدِ اللَّهَ أَفراسي وَأَجمالي

    With despair I restrained my resolve from seeking favors;

    So let my horses and camels praise God.

  5. أَعُدُّ أَصدَقَ آمالي مُخادَعَةً

    إِذا تَعَلَّقَ أَقوامٌ بآمالي

    I count my truest hopes as deception,

    When people attach themselves to my hopes.

  6. وَلِلقَناعَةِ عِندي مِنَّةٌ شَكَرَت

    وَالشُّكرُ أَحسَنُ إِعظامٍ وَإِجلالِ

    Contentment has done me a favor I have thanked it for;

    And gratitude is the finest veneration and respect.

  7. قَرَنتُها بِثَراءٍ غَير مُكتَسَبٍ

    وَعِفَّةٍ بَينَ إِكثارٍ وَإِقلالِ

    I paired it with wealth I had not earned,

    And with self-restraint amid abundance and scarcity.

  8. مِيراثُ قَومٍ كَفاني بَعدَ عَهدِهِم

    فَتوى الظُّنونِ بِإِحرامٍ وَإِحلالِ

    An inheritance from people spared me, after their time,

    Conjecture's verdict on what is forbidden and permitted.

  9. سَقى الرَّبيعَ رَبيعٌ جادَ هاطِلُهُ

    بِكُلِّ أَسحَمَ صافي الذَّيلِ هَطّالِ

    May a spring whose rain pours generously water al-Rabi‘,

    With every dark cloud, clear-skirted and pouring rain.

  10. وَخَصَّ رِمسَ سِنانٍ مِن مَواهِبِهِ

    بِبارِدٍ كَسُلافِ الخَمرِ سَلسالِ

    And may it single out Sinan's grave among its gifts

    With cool, freely flowing water like the first-run wine.

  11. فَقَد أَعانا عَلى زُهدٍ بميسَرَةٍ

    وَأَغنَياني عَن شَدٍّ وَتَرحالِ

    For the two helped me renounce the world through ample means,

    And spared me saddling up and traveling.

  12. أَرَحتُ جِسمي فَلَم تَنصب جَوارِحُهُ

    وَقَد أَضَرَّ بِها في الحِرصِ أَمثالي

    I rested my body, and its limbs did not grow weary,

    Though men like me have harmed theirs through greed.

  13. وَما جَعَلتُ اغتِرابي لِلغِنَى سَبَباً

    إِذا تَفَرَّغَ أَقوامٌ لأَشغالِ

    I did not make living abroad my means to riches,

    When others devoted themselves to occupations.

  14. قالوا جَميلاً وَلَكِن قَلَّما فَعَلوا

    مِنهُ وَصَدَّقتُ أَقوالي بِأَفعالي

    They spoke fine words, but rarely did

    Any of it; I confirmed my words with my deeds.

  15. وَقَد أَجَدَّ ابنُ عَمّي في مُخالَفَتي

    رَأياً فَصادَفَ عِندي غَيرَ إِجفالي

    My paternal cousin earnestly opposed me

    In opinion, yet found no flinching in me.

  16. كُن كَيفَ شِئتَ جَفاءً أَو مُواصلَةً

    فَقَد خُلِقتَ بِلا عَمٍّ وَلا خالِ

    Be as you wish, estranged or maintaining ties;

    For you were created with neither paternal nor maternal uncle.

  17. وَخَلِّ عَنكَ جِدالي أَو مُعاتَبَتي

    فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ فَضلَ القيلِ وَالقالِ

    And leave off disputing with me or reproaching me,

    For that is needless hearsay and gossip.

  18. وَعُصبَةٍ أَلَّفَ الأَحرارُ جمعهم

    عَلى تَقَلُّبِ أَوقاتٍ وَأَحوالِ

    And a band whose ranks noble men brought together,

    Through changing times and circumstances,

  19. مِن كُلِّ مُعتَرفٍ بِالشَّرِّ مُضطَغِنٍ

    وَقاصِدٍ بِلَئيمِ الطَّبعِ مُختالِ

    Of every embittered man who admits to evil,

    And one pursuing his aim, arrogant and base of nature.

  20. بَيتُ المَكائِدِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ طالٌ

    وَمَوضِعُ السُّوءِ إِلّا أَنَّهُ خالي

    A house of plots—except that it stands tall;

    And a haunt of evil—except that it is empty.

  21. عَوَوا عَليَّ وَهَرَّتني كِلابُهُم

    فَما عَبِئتُ بِرَسمِ الدِّمنَةِ البالي

    They howled at me, and their dogs snarled at me;

    But I paid no heed to the faded outline of the dung-stained campsite.

  22. الحَقُّ أَبلَجُ فاعرِف مَن تُنازِعُهُ

    وَدَع وَساوِسَ أَفكارٍ وَأَقوالِ

    The truth is clear: know whom you contend with,

    And leave aside the whisperings of thoughts and words.

  23. وَلِلعَداوَةِ أَسبابٌ وَأَظهَرُها

    فيها تَباينُ أَغراضٍ وَأَشكالِ

    Enmity has causes, and the most apparent

    Is the divergence of purposes and kinds.

  24. والنّاسُ شَتّى وَإِن عَمَّتهُمُ صوَرٌ

    هِيَ التَّناسُبُ بَينَ الماءِ والآلِ

    People are diverse, though shared forms encompass them;

    The likeness is that between water and a mirage.

  25. تَبارَكَ اللَّهُ هَل لِلخَيرِ مِن أَثَرٍ

    يُقفى فَيَتبَعُ فيهِ سابِقاً تالي

    Blessed be God! Is there any trace of goodness

    To be followed, so a successor follows a predecessor in it?

  26. وَهَل تَبَيَّنَ سَيفٌ أَنَّ مَنزِلَهُ

    في رَأسِ غَمدانَ دارٌ غَيرُ مِحلالِ

    And did Sayf realize that his dwelling

    Atop Ghumdan was no lasting home?

  27. أَم هَل لِسابورَ عِلمٌ مِن مَدائِنِهِ

    فَيَستَهِلُّ لآثارٍ وَأَطلالِ

    Or does Shapur know anything of his cities,

    That he might weep over their traces and ruins?

  28. يا شائِداً رَفَعَ الإِيوانَ مُجتَهِداً

    خَفِّض عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّ الحادِرَ العالي

    O builder who labored to raise the Iwan,

    Ease your efforts: it is the lofty that comes down.

  29. وَقَد عَجِبتُ مِنَ الرُّهبانِ إِذ صَدَقوا

    لِلنُّسكِ عَن ذَبحِ خِلانٍ وَأَطفالِ

    I have marveled at the monks, when they were sincere

    In devotion, abstaining from slaughtering friends and children.

  30. يَكفيكَ قوتك مِمّا أَنتَ تذخره

    وما يَصونك من بيت وَسربال

    Enough for you, of what you hoard, is your sustenance,

    And what shelters you—a house and a garment.

  31. لم يولِموا حَيوانَ البَرِّ واقتَصَروا

    عَلى كَوامِنَ في الأَفواهِ أغفالِ

    They did not hurt land animals, and confined themselves

    To unnoticed beings concealed within their mouths.

  32. فَحَرَّموا الصَّيدَ جُهداً وَهوَ أَيسَرُ في ال

    عُقولِ لَو عَلِموا مِن صَيدِ مُغتالِ

    So they zealously forbade hunting, though it is easier for the

    Minds, if they knew, than a stealthy killer's hunt.

  33. وَمُديَةُ الذَّبحِ أَوحى مِن عَذابِهِمُ

    لِلسّانِحاتِ عَلى رِفقٍ وَإِمهالِ

    The slaughtering knife is swifter than their torment

    Of creatures crossing their path, with gentleness and delay.

  34. أَم عِندَهُم أَن حَيّاً لا يُحِسُّ إِذاً

    هَيهاتَ ما ذاكَ إِلّا خَبطُ جُهّالِ

    Or do they hold that a living being feels nothing, then?

    Far from it! That is nothing but ignorant blundering.

  35. ما أَكثَرَ الجَهلَ في فُسقٍ وَفي نُسُكٍ

    وَالمُضحكين بِأَقوالٍ وَأَعمالِ

    How plentiful ignorance is, in wickedness and devotion,

    And how many cause laughter with their words and deeds!

  36. أَنَختُ عَنسي وَسارَت في الوَرى حِكمي

    فَجالَ فِكري وَشَخصي غَيرُ جَوّالِ

    I made my sturdy she-camel kneel, while my maxims traveled among humankind.

    So my thought roamed, while my body did not.

  37. وَلَستُ مِن وُدِّ إِخواني عَلى ثِقَةٍ

    فَكَيفَ آمَنُ حُسّادي وَأَقيالي

    I am not sure of my friends' affection;

    How, then, can I trust my enviers and my peers?

  38. فَاسمَع كَلامِيَ وافهَم ما أُريدُ بِهِ

    وَاستَوصِ خَيراً بِأَغراضٍ وَأَمثالِ

    So hear my words and understand what I mean by them,

    And take good care of the aims and parables.

  39. وَاجعَل عِظاتِيَ نُوراً تَستَضيء بِهِ

    فَهيَ المَصابيحُ ما شُبَّت لِقُفّالِ

    And make my admonitions a light by which you see;

    For they are lamps not kindled for homeward travelers.

  40. وَخَلِّ مَدحي إِذا ما ضَمَّني جَدَثي

    فَلا انتِفاعٌ لِتُربٍ فيهِ مِنهالِ

    And leave off praising me once my grave enfolds me;

    For the crumbling dust within it gains nothing.