Shafi's Oasis

For scholars, if poetry did not degrade,
finer than Labid's I would have said

Were not for my fear of my Lord only,

I would see men as my slaves simply.

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We blame our time though we are to blame.
No fault has time but only us.

We scold the time for all the shame.
Did it have tongue, it would scold us.

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The Poetry by: Al-Shafi'i (an Islamic scholar, 820 AD)

Translated by: Salma Al-Helali