1. أفِرَاقاً حَسِبتها أم لِقاءَ

    وَقْفةٌ بالأُبَيرِقَينِ مساءَ

    Did I take it for a parting or a meeting—

    a halt at al-Ubayriqayn in the evening?

  2. كُنتُ منها على رَجاءٍ فَلمَّا

    حَضَرتْني قَطَعتُ ذاكَ الرَّجاءَ

    I had hopes of it, but when

    it came to me, I gave up that hope.

  3. طالما كُنتُ واثقاً بِصفاءٍ

    فأنا اليومَ لستُ أرجو صفاءَ

    Long had I trusted in serenity;

    so today I no longer hope for serenity.

  4. لا يَظُنُّ الصحيحُ فجأةَ سُقمٍ

    وإذا اعتَلَّ لا يَظُنُّ شِفاءَ

    The healthy person does not expect sudden illness,

    and when he falls ill, he does not expect recovery.

  5. يا بني عَمِّنا رُوَيداً علينا

    أوَلَسْنا جميعُنا غُرَباءَ

    O sons of our uncle, be gentle with us;

    and are we not all strangers?

  6. إن نكُ اليومَ في البِلادِ افترقنا

    فقريباً نُفارِقُ الدَنْياءَ

    If today we find ourselves parted in these lands,

    then soon we shall part from the world.

  7. يَرِدُ البُؤْسُ والنعيمُ على المَرْ

    ءِ وكلٌّ يروحُ من حيثُ جاءَ

    Misery and bliss come upon a person,

    and each departs from where it came.

  8. عاشَ قومٌ رَغْداً وقومٌ وَبالاً

    ثم ماتوا طُرّاً فراحوا سَواءَ

    Some people lived in ease, others in misery;

    then all died and departed as equals.

  9. أيها العائفُ الكفَافَ تَمنَّى

    لو دامَ الزمانُ خُبزاً وماءَ

    O you who scorn mere sufficiency, wish

    that time would always yield bread and water.

  10. وإذا أحسَنَ الزمانُ فلا تَغْ

    ترَّ واعلَمْ بأنهُ قد اساءَ

    And if time treats you kindly, do not be

    deceived; know that it has done ill.

  11. والذي يَعلمُ الحقيقةَ لا يُبْ

    لَى بداءٍ ولا يُعالِجُ دَاءَ

    And whoever knows the truth is not

    afflicted with illness, nor does he treat illness.

  12. كَأَبيها وشيخنا ابن الشرابيْ

    يِ الذي صحَّ أنَّ فيهِ الشِفاءَ

    Like its father and our elder, Ibn al-Sharābī,

    who assuredly has healing within him.

  13. صاحبُ القولِ والفَعالِ رشيداً

    باطنُ الرأْيِ حَسْبَما يَتَراءَى

    Master of word and deed, sound in judgment,

    his inward counsel matching his outward appearance.

  14. سَلِمَتْ عينُهُ ولا شكَّ فيها

    فَهْيَ ممَّا يُسِلّمُ الأعضاءَ

    May his eye remain sound, with no doubt about it,

    for it is among what keeps the limbs safe.

  15. أيُّها اللابسُ السَوادَ ولا بدْ

    عَ إذا كُنتَ تقتفي الخُلفاءَ

    O wearer of black, there is no

    wonder when you follow the successors.

  16. أنتَ في أرضنا خليفةُ عيسى

    ولكَ المُلكُ يومَ تأتي السماءَ

    You are Jesus's successor on our earth,

    and yours is the kingdom the day you come to heaven.

  17. خلقَ اللهُ فيكَ روحاً من اللُطْ

    فِ وجِسماً منَ البَها حيثُ شاءَ

    God created in you a spirit of gentleness,

    and a body of splendor, where He willed.

  18. فإذا قُلتَ أوْ فعلتَ فذاكَ ال

    جوهرُ الفردُ يفتِنُ الحُكمَاءَ

    So when you speak or act, that is the

    indivisible substance that enthralls the sages.

  19. لا تَسْلني حقَّ الثَّناءِ وتأتي

    كلَّ يومٍ بما يُطِيلُ الثَّناء

    Do not ask of me your full due of praise, while you bring

    each day something that prolongs praise.

  20. ليسَ عندي الا سَوادُ مِدادٍ

    هل يكافي تلك اليدَ البيضاءَ

    I have nothing but the blackness of ink;

    can it repay that white hand?

  21. ما مَدَحْناكَ بل صَدَقناكَ إذ قُلْ

    نا بكَ الحَقَّ واكتفَيْنا الخَطاءَ

    We did not praise you; we were truthful with you when we

    spoke the truth about you and avoided error.

  22. وبماذا الفتَى يَمُنُّ على البدْ

    رِ إذا قالَ إنَّهُ قد أضاءَ

    And what favor does a young man bestow on the full

    moon when he says that it has shone?