Zuheir ibn Abi Sulma’s Poem

سَئِمْـتُ تَكَالِيْفَ الحَيَاةِ وَمَنْ يَعِـشُ *** ثَمَانِيـنَ حَـوْلاً لا أَبَا لَكَ يَسْـأَمِ
وأَعْلـَمُ مَا فِي الْيَوْمِ وَالأَمْسِ قَبْلَـهُ *** وَلكِنَّنِـي عَنْ عِلْمِ مَا فِي غَدٍ عَـمِ
رأَيْتُ المَنَايَا خَبْطَ عَشْوَاءَ مَنْ *** تُصِبْ تُمِـتْهُ وَمَنْ تُخْطِىء يُعَمَّـرْ فَيَهْـرَمِ
وَمَنْ لَمْ يُصَـانِعْ فِي أُمُـورٍ كَثِيـرَةٍ *** يُضَـرَّسْ بِأَنْيَـابٍ وَيُوْطَأ بِمَنْسِـمِ
وَمَنْ يَجْعَلِ المَعْروفَ مِنْ دُونِ عِرْضِهِ *** يَفِـرْهُ وَمَنْ لا يَتَّقِ الشَّتْـمَ يُشْتَـمِ
وَمَنْ يَكُ ذَا فَضْـلٍ فَيَبْخَلْ بِفَضْلِـهِ *** عَلَى قَوْمِهِ يُسْتَغْـنَ عَنْـهُ وَيُذْمَـمِ
وَمَنْ يُوْفِ لا يُذْمَمْ وَمَنْ يُهْدَ قَلْبُـهُ *** إِلَـى مُطْمَئِـنِّ البِرِّ لا يَتَجَمْجَـمِ
وَمَنْ هَابَ أَسْـبَابَ المَنَايَا يَنَلْنَـهُ *** وَإِنْ يَرْقَ أَسْـبَابَ السَّمَاءِ بِسُلَّـمِ
وَمَنْ يَجْعَلِ المَعْرُوفَ فِي غَيْرِ أَهْلِـهِ *** يَكُـنْ حَمْـدُهُ ذَماً عَلَيْهِ وَيَنْـدَمِ
وَمَنْ يَعْصِ أَطْـرَافَ الزُّجَاجِ فَإِنَّـهُ *** يُطِيـعُ العَوَالِي رُكِّبَتْ كُلَّ لَهْـذَمِ
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَذُدْ عَنْ حَوْضِهِ بِسِلاحِـهِ *** يُهَـدَّمْ وَمَنْ لا يَظْلِمْ النَّاسَ يُظْلَـمِ
وَمَنْ يَغْتَرِبْ يَحْسَبْ عَدُواً صَدِيقَـهُ *** وَمَنْ لَم يُكَـرِّمْ نَفْسَـهُ لَم يُكَـرَّمِ
وَمَهْمَا تَكُنْ عِنْدَ امْرِئٍ مَنْ خَلِيقَـةٍ *** وَإِنْ خَالَهَا تَخْفَى عَلَى النَّاسِ تُعْلَـمِ
وَكَاءٍ تَرَى مِنْ صَامِتٍ لَكَ مُعْجِـبٍ *** زِيَـادَتُهُ أَو نَقْصُـهُ فِـي التَّكَلُّـمِ
لِسَانُ الفَتَى نِصْفٌ وَنِصْفٌ فُـؤَادُهُ *** فَلَمْ يَبْـقَ إَلا صُورَةُ اللَّحْمِ وَالـدَّمِ
وَإَنَّ سَفَاهَ الشَّـيْخِ لا حِلْمَ بَعْـدَهُ *** وَإِنَّ الفَتَـى بَعْدَ السَّفَاهَةِ يَحْلُـمِ
سَألْنَـا فَأَعْطَيْتُـمْ وَعُدنَا فَعُدْتُـمُ *** وَمَنْ أَكْـثَرَ التّسْآلَ يَوْماً سَيُحْـرَمِ

I’m going to translate Zuheir ibn Abi Sulma’s poem into English:

I grew weary of the burdens of life, yet he who lives
Eighty years with no end in sight does not weary you

I know what yesterday and today hold in store
But as for tomorrow, I am ignorant

I’ve seen fate striking at the same person she hits
Ending him, while the one she misses lives on and thrives

And whoever does not craft many things
Will be sharpened with fangs and trodden upon with disdain

Whoever chooses to do good without being respected
Will flee, and whoever does not fear slander will be slandered

And whoever possesses grace yet withholds it
His people will grow self-sufficient without him and reproach him

Whoever fulfills will not be reproached, and whoever guides his heart
To the tranquility of righteousness will not grumble

And whoever fears the causes of death will attain them
Even if he climbs the ladder of heaven with a ladder

Whoever places virtue in those who do not deserve it
Will earn criticism for himself and regret

And whoever disobeys the edges of glass
Will obey the high places, all mounted on disgrace

And whoever does not defend his pool with his weapon
Will be destroyed, and whoever does not oppress people will be oppressed

And whoever alienates himself will consider his friend an enemy
And whoever does not honor himself will not be honored

Whatever traits a person possesses
If they’re true, they’re known to people even if concealed

And like the coffee grinder, you see a mute person
His increase or decrease is in his silence

The tongue of a youth is half, and half is his heart
So nothing remains except the form of flesh and blood

And indeed, after foolishness, there is no patience
And indeed, after foolishness, a youth dreams

We asked, and you gave, and we promised, and you returned
And whoever asks excessively one day will be deprived