أَيَا صَاحِ دَعْ عَنْكَ مَا كَدَّرَكْ
O my friend, leave aside what distresses you.
وَخُذْ نُصْحَ مَنْ بِالْهُدَى ذَكَّرَكْ
And take the counsel of one who reminded you with guidance.
إِذَا كُنْتَ لِلنُّصْحِ مُسْتَنْبِهًا
If you are attentive to advice,
فَرَبُّكَ نَحْوَ الْهُدَى يَسِّرَكْ
Then your Lord will make the path of guidance easy for you.
فَإِيَّاكَ وَالْخَوْضَ فِي فِتْنَةٍ
So beware of plunging into temptation or discord,
وَكُنْ كَالْبَعِيرِ إِذَا مَا بَرَكْ
And be like the camel when it kneels — calm and patient.
وَحَاذِرْ قَذَاةً تُصَابُ بِهَا
Beware of a speck that might harm your eye,
وَكُنْ كَالَّذِي إِنْ رَآهَا فَرَكْ
And be like one who rubs it away when he sees it.
وَلَا تَرْكَنَنَّ لِلْمُسْتَكْبِرِ
Do not lean toward the arrogant,
إِذَا مَا ضَعُفْتَ لَهُ اسْتَصْغَرَكْ
For if you show weakness, he will belittle you.
فَصُنْ نَفْسَكَ الْيَوْمَ عَنْ ذِلَّةٍ
So protect yourself today from humiliation,
فَإِنَّ الذَّلِيلَ عَدِيمُ الدَّرَكْ
For the humiliated one attains no dignity.
وَلَازِمْ صَدُوقًا إِذَا مَا رَأَى
Keep company with a truthful man who, when he sees you,
لَدَيْكَ هَوًى بِالْهُدَى نَوَّرَكْ
Finds desire for good in you and enlightens your path.
وَلَا تَكُ ذَا بَاطِنٍ فِي الْوَرَى
Do not be one whose inner self among people
يُخَالِفُ فِي طَبْعِهِ مَظْهَرَكْ
Contradicts the nature of your outward appearance.
وَصَاحِبْ نَصُوحًا تُسَرُّ بِهِ
Befriend a sincere person who pleases your heart,
فَفِيهِ الْوُضُوحُ إِذَا بَصَّرَكْ
For in his clarity, he will enlighten your sight.
وَإِنْ حَلَّ خَطْبٌ تُضِيقُ بِهِ
And if a calamity befalls you and constrains you,
أَعَانَكَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا صَبَّرَكْ
He will aid you after urging you to patience.
وَدَعْ عَنْكَ مَنْ كَانَ مُسْتَنْفِعًا
Leave aside those who seek benefit from you,
إِذَا فَاتَهُ نَفْعُهُ حَسَرَكْ
For when their gain ends, they leave you in regret.
يُرِيدُكَ لِلنَّفْعِ مَهْمَا يَكُنْ
They seek you only for profit, whatever it may be,
وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ إِذَا خَسَرَكْ
And care not when they lose you.
فَيَنْهَلُ مِنْكَ كَمَا يَشْتَهِي
They draw from you as they wish,
وَمَا كَفَّ يَوْمًا وَمَا وَفَّرَكْ
Never restraining themselves nor sparing you.
يَرَاكَ كَسِيرًا وَقَدْ يَنْتَشِي
They see you broken yet rejoice,
لِكَسْرِكَ يَشْرَبْ شَايَ الْكَرَكْ
Sipping tea over your brokenness.
وَكَمْ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ أَدْنَيْتَ لَهُ
How many distant ones you have brought close,
بِفَضْلٍ وَكَمْ مِنْ أَخٍ أَنْكَرَكْ
Out of kindness — yet how many brothers denied you.
وَكَمْ مِنْ لَبِيبٍ أَدَرْتَ لَهُ
How many wise ones you turned away from,
قَفَاكَ وَلَوْ صُنْتَهُ عَطَّرَكْ
Turning your back, though his company could have honored you.
وَكَمْ مِنْ جَلِيسٍ خَدَعْتَ بِهِ
How many companions deceived you,
وَأَنْتَ تُجَاهِلُ مَنْ حَذَّرَكْ
While you ignored the one who warned you.
وَثِقْتَ بِهِ دُونَمَا فِطْنَةٍ
You trusted him without discernment,
فَأَبْكَاكَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَعْثَرَكْ
And he made you weep after causing your fall.
وَكَمْ مِنْ لَئِيمٍ أَلَنْتَ لَهُ
How many vile ones you softened yourself toward,
جَنَابَكَ وَهُوَ الَّذِي حَقَّرَكْ
Humbled yourself before him — yet he despised you.
ظَنَنْتَ بِأَنَّ الصَّفَا نَهْجُهُ
You thought purity was his way,
وَقَدْ خَابَ ظَنُّكَ إِذْ غَبَرَكْ
But your expectation failed when he betrayed you.
وَإِنْ رُمْتَ خَيْرًا أَدَارَ لَكَ
If you sought goodness, he turned his back,
قَفَاهُ وَعَنْ نَيْلِهِ كَرْكَرَكْ
And mocked your effort from afar.
وَكَمْ مِنْ صَدِيقٍ أَبَحْتَ لَهُ
How many friends you confided in,
بِسِرٍّ وَحِينَ انْكِفَا عَيَّرَكْ
Yet when he left, he mocked and shamed you.
لُدِغْتَ كَثِيرًا فَمَا تَرْعَوِي
You’ve been bitten many times, yet you never learn,
وَشَوَّهْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَلَا مَنْظَرَكْ
And among people, your image is defaced.
يَمُرُّ الزَّمَانُ وَلَمْ تَتَّعِظْ
Time passes, and you still do not take heed,
وَكَمْ مِنْ بَلَاءٍ بِهِ عَبَّرَكْ
Though many trials have carried lessons for you.
تَبِيتُ وَتُصْبِحُ فِي غَفْلَةٍ
You sleep and wake in heedlessness,
فَأَرْخَيْتَ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا مِئْزَرَكْ
And have loosened your belt of restraint.
وَتَخْلُو بِمَعْصِيَةٍ آمِنًا
You sin in secret, feeling safe,
وَتَحْسَبُ رَبَّ الْوَرَى لَمْ يَرَكْ
Thinking the Lord of creation does not see you.
تَصُولُ وَتَلْهُو وَأَنْتَ الَّذِي
You act arrogantly and play — yet you,
إِلَى خَالِقِ الْخَلْقِ مَا أَفْقَرَكْ
Are in utmost need of your Creator.
وَمَا زِلْتَ مُسْتَرْسِلًا لَاهِيًا
Still you persist in heedlessness,
وَهَذَا الصَّنِيعُ الَّذِي أَخَّرَكْ
And such behavior is what delayed your success.
هَجَرْتَ كِتَابَ الْعَزِيزِ الَّذِي
You abandoned the Noble Book which,
هَدَاكَ فَلِلَّهِ مَا أَهْجَرَكْ
Guided you — how greatly you have forsaken it!
أَلَا أَيُّهَا الْغِرُّ مَاذَا جَرَى
O naive one, what has happened to you?
بِدُنْيَاكَ هَلْ مَا بِهَا أَسْكَرَكْ
Has the world so intoxicated you?
أَلَسْتَ تَرَى مَا بِهَا مِنْ بَلَا
Do you not see the afflictions within it?
أَمَا هَزَّ هَذَا الْبَلَا مُخْبِرَكْ
Has no calamity yet shaken your awareness?
فَإِنَّ الْحَيَاةَ لَنَا عِبْرَةٌ
For life is a lesson for us,
يُمَيِّزُ عَوَاقِبَهَا الْمُعْتَرَكْ
Whose consequences are revealed in struggle.
تَوَاضَعْ لِرَبِّكَ فَهْوَ الَّذِي
Be humble before your Lord — for He,
إِذَا مَا اتَّصَفْتَ بِهِ كَبَّرَكْ
When you show humility — He elevates you.
وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْكِبْرَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ
Beware of arrogance — you were just a drop,
خُلِقْتَ فَحَسْبُكَ مَا أَحْقَرَكْ
Created — how insignificant you are!
وَأَصْبَحْتَ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا مُضْغَةً
Then you became a clot,
وَمِنْ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ لَهُ قَدَّرَكْ
And after formation, He determined your fate.
وَسَوَّاكَ سُبْحَانَهُ خِلْقَةً
And He fashioned you — glory be to Him —
بِأَحْسَنِ مَا شَاءَ قَدْ صَوَّرَكْ
In the most beautiful form as He willed.
فَتَحْيَا حَيَاةً إِلَى غَايَةٍ
You live a life until its appointed end,
فَإِنْ مِتَّ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا أَقْبَرَكْ
And when you die, He will bury you.
هُوَ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُقْتَدِرُ
He is the Creator, the Maker, the All-Powerful,
إِذَا شَاءَ بَعْدَ الْبِلَا أَنْشَرَكْ
If He wills, after decay, He will resurrect you.
وَمَا دَامَ حَالٌ لِأَصْحَابِهِ
No state lasts for those who possess it,
فَمَا سَرَّ يَوْمًا غَدًا كَدَّرَكْ
For joy today may turn to sorrow tomorrow.
وَإِنَّ الْبَقَاءَ لِرَبِّ الْوَرَى
Indeed, eternity belongs to the Lord of creation,
وَإِنَّ الْفَنَاءَ لَنَا مُشْتَرَكْ
And mortality is our shared destiny.
تَيَقَّظْ وَبَادِرْ وَدَعْ غَفْلَةً
Awaken, hasten, and leave heedlessness,
فَأَنْتَ بِذَلِكَ مَا أَجْدَرَكْ
For how worthy you are of doing so!
نَصَحْتُكَ يَا صَاحِ لَا تَسْتَهِنْ
I have advised you, my friend — do not take it lightly,
فَقَدْ أَعْذَرَ الْيَوْمَ مَنْ أَنْذَرَكْ
For he who warns you today has done his duty.
فَإِنْ تُبْتَ فَابْشِرْ بِفَوْزٍ وَإِنْ
If you repent, rejoice in success;
أَبَيْتَ فَلِلَّهِ مَا أَخْسَرَكْ
But if you refuse — how great your loss before God!
The poem “You Have Been Bitten a lot” (Ludighta Katheeran) is written by Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim, a renowned Islamic scholar, Qur’an reciter, and former Imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque in Mecca (Al-Masjid Al-Haram). He was born in Riyadh in 1966, and pursued his Islamic education until he obtained a PhD. He held prominent positions at Umm Al-Qura University and in the field of Islamic judiciary. Sheikh Al-Shuraim is well-known for his melodious voice in Qur’anic recitation and for his deeply moving sermons.
The poem speaks about heedlessness, repentance, and preparation for the Hereafter. In it, the poet urges his friend to wake up from negligence and return to awareness. It is a powerful, moralistic poem that carries warnings, sincere advice, and reminders of Allah Almighty.
قَصِيدَةُ “لُدِغْتَ كَثِيرًا” هِيَ لِـلشَّيْخِ سُعُودِ الشَّرِيمِ، وَهُوَ عَالِمٌ إِسْلَامِيٌّ، وَقَارِئُ قُرْآنٍ مَشْهُورٌ، وَإِمَامٌ وَخَطِيبٌ سَابِقٌ لِلْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ. وُلِدَ فِي الرِّيَاضِ عَامَ ٦٦٩١م، وَتَلَقَّى تَعْلِيمَهُ الشَّرْعِيَّ حَتَّى نَالَ الدُّكْتُورَاة، وَشَغَلَ مَنَاصِبَ رَفِيعَةً فِي جَامِعَةِ أُمِّ الْقُرَى وَفِي الْقَضَاءِ الشَّرْعِيِّ. وَاشْتُهِرَ بِصَوْتِهِ الْعَذْبِ فِي تِلَاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ الْكَرِيمِ وَخُطَبِهِ الْمُؤَثِّرَةِ.
تَتَحَدَّثُ الْقَصِيدَةُ عَنِ الْغَفْلَةِ وَالتَّوْبَةِ وَالِاسْتِعْدَادِ لِلْآخِرَةِ، وَيَحُثُّ الشَّاعِرُ صَدِيقَهُ عَلَى الْيَقَظَةِ وَتَرْكِ الْغَفْلَةِ. وَهِيَ قَصِيدَةٌ مَوْعِظَةٌ مُؤَثِّرَةٌ تَتَضَمَّنُ التَّحْذِيرَ وَالنَّصِيحَةَ وَالتَّذْكِيرَ بِاللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.