# Al Faswlu th-Thaanii · الفصل الثاني

From [Qasida Al Burda · قصيدة البردة](https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/qasaaid/691c712ac9a45b73e98077a8) by [Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Busiri](https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/authors/691c70fac9a45b73e980779f)

**1.** فَإِنَّ أَمَّارَتيِ بِالسُّوءِ مَا اتَّعَظَتْ / مِنْ جَهْلِهَا بِنَذِيرِ الشَّيْبِ وَالهَرَمِ

_Fa inna ammāratī bis sūʾi mat taʿaẓat / Min jahlihā bi nadhīrish shaybi wal harami_

Because of its ignorance, my ill-commanding ego has paid no heed
To the warner of grey hair and approaching old age;

**2.** وَلاَ أَعَدَّتْ مِنَ الفِعْلِ الجَمِيلِ قِرَى / ضَيْفٍ أَلَمَّ بِرَأْسِي غَيْرَ مُحْتَشِمِ

_Wa lā aʿaddat minal fiʿlil jamīli qirā / Ḍayfin alamma bi raʾsī ghayra muḥtashimi_

Nor has it prepared good deeds in welcome
For an unannounced guest who has settled on my head.

**3.** لَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي مَا أُوَقِّرُهُ / كَتَمْتُ سِرًّا بَدَاليِ مَنْهُ بِالكَتَمِ

_Law kuntu aʿlamu annī mā uwaqqiruhu / Katamtu sirran badālī minhu bil katami_

Had I realised, I would not have honoured it;
I would have used [black] katam-dye to hide what it showed

**4.** مَنْ لِي بِرَدِّ جِمَاحٍ مِنْ غَوَايَتِهَا / كَمَا يُرَدُّ جِمَاحُ الخَيْلِ بِاللُّجُمِ

_Man lī biraddi jimāḥin min ghiwāyatihā / Kamā yuraddu jimāḥul khayli bil lujumi_

Who will help me restrain my bolting ego from its wilfulness
As a rebellious horse may be restrained with reins?

**5.** فَلاَ تَرُمْ بِالمَعَاصِي كَسْرَ شَهْوَتِهَا / إِنَّ الطَّعَامَ يُقَوِّي شَهْوَةَ النَّهِمِ

_Falā tarum bil maʿāṣī kasra shahwatihā / Innaṭ ṭaʿāma yuqawwī shahwatan nahimi_

Do not try to thwart unlawful desires by satisfying them,
For food only increases a glutton’s desires.

**6.** وَالنَّفْسُ كَالطِّفِلِ إِنْ تُهْمِلْهُ شَبَّ عَلَى / حُبِّ الرَّضَاعِ وَإِنْ تَفْطِمْهُ يَنْفَطِمِ

_Wan nafsu kaṭṭifli in tuhmilhu shabba ʿalā / Ḥubbir raḍāʿi wa in tafṭimhu yanfaṭimi_

The ego is like a child: neglect it and it will grow up loving
To suckle; but if you wean it, it will be weaned.

**7.** فَاصْرِفْ هَوَاهَا وَحَاذِرْ أَنْ تُوَلِّيَهُ / إِنَّ الهَوَى مَا تَوَلَّى يُصْمِ أَوْ يَصِمِ

_Faṣrif hawāhā wa ḥādhir an tuwalliyahu / Innal hawā mā tawallā yuṣmi aw yaṣimi_

Divert its vain desires and beware of giving it power,
For vain desires pollute or destroy whatever they control.

**8.** وَرَاعِهَا وَهِيَ فِي الأَعْمَالِ سَائِمَةٌ / وَإِنْ هِيَ اسْتَحْلَتِ المَرْعَى فَلاَ تُسِمِ

_Wa rāʿihā wa hiya fīl aʿmāli sāʾimatun / Wa in hiyastaḥlatil marʿā falā tusimi_

Guard it as it grazes in the field of actions;
And should it find the grazing sweet, do not let it roam.

**9.** كَمْ حَسَّنَتْ لَذَّةً لِلْمَرْءِ قَاتِلَةً / مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَدْرِ أَنَّ السُّمَّ فِي الدَّسَمِ

_Kam ḥassanat ladhdhatan lil marʾi qātilatan / Min ḥaythu lam yadri annas summa fid dasami_

How often it has found delight in something fatal,
For [one] cannot tell that there is poison in the fat!

**10.** وَاخْشَ الدَّسَائِسَ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَمِنْ شِبَعٍ / فَرُبَّ مَخْمَصَةٍ شَرُّ مِنَ التُّخَمِ

_Wakhshad dasāʾisa min jūʿin wa min shibaʿin / Farubba makhmaṣatin sharrun minat tukhami_

Beware of the snares of hunger and of satiety,
being hungry at times can be worse than gorging oneself!

**11.** وَاسْتَفْرِغِ الدَّمْعَ مِنْ عَيْنٍ قَدِ امْتَلَأَتْ / مِنَ المَحَارِمِ وَالْزَمْ حِمْيَةَ النَّدَمِ

_Wastafrighid damʿa min ʿaynin qadimtalaʾat / Minal maḥārimi walzam ḥimyatan nadami_

Empty out the tears from an eye that has filled itself up
with forbidden sights. Maintain a strict diet of remorse.

**12.** وَخَالِفِ النَّفْسَ وَالشَّيْطَانَ وَاعْصِهِمَا / وَإِنْ هُمَا مَحَضَاكَ النُّصْحَ فَاتَّهِمِ

_Wa khālifin nafsa wash shayṭāna waʿṣihimā / Wa in humā maḥaḍākan nuṣḥa fat tahimi_

Oppose the self and Satan and disobey them;
If they offer you advice, be suspicious of them.

**13.** وَلاَ تُطِعْ مِنْهُمَا خَصْمًا وَلاَ حَكَمًا / فَأَنْتَ تَعْرِفُ كَيْدَ الخَصْمِ وَالحَكَمِ

_Wa lā tuṭiʿ minhumā khaṣman walā ḥakaman / Fa anta taʿrifu kaydal khaṣmi wal ḥakami_

Obey neither of them, whether they oppose or give judgment,
For you know the wiles of opponent and judge.

**14.** أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ مِنْ قَوْلٍ بِلاَ عَمَلٍ / لَقَدْ نَسَبْتُ بِهِ نَسْلاً لِذِي عُقُمِ

_AstaghfiruLlāha min qawlin bilā ʿamalin / Laqad nasbtu bihi naslan lidhī ʿuqumi_

I seek Allah’s forgiveness for words bereft of deeds,
As by them I attributed progeny to a sterile man.

**15.** أَمَرْتُكَ الخَيْرَ لَكِنْ مَا ائْتَمَرْتُ بِهِ / وَمَا اسْتَقَمْتُ فَمَا قَوْليِ لَكَ اسْتَقِمِ

_Amartukal khayra lākin māʾtamartu bihi / Wa māstaqamtu famā qawlī lakastaqimi_

I enjoined goodness upon you while failing to heed the same.
I was not upright, so what use is my enjoining uprightness?

**16.** وَلاَ تَزَوَّدْتُ قَبْلَ المَوْتِ نَافِلَةً / وَلَمْ أُصَلِّ سِوَى فَرْضٍ وَلَمْ أَصُمِ

_Wa lā tazawwadtu qablal mawti nāfīlatan / Wa lam uṣalli siwā farḍin wa lam aṣumi_

I have not gathered provisions of voluntary prayers before death,
or prayed and fasted beyond what is obligatory.

Source: https://qasaaid.zayfir.app/app/qasaaid/691c712ac9a45b73e98077a8/book/691c7161c9a45b73e98077db/chapter/691c71efc9a45b73e98077e8