8 – He went on: al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān recited to me:
(in the hazaj metre)

If ever you must darken
what of your hair has turned white,
and whiten once again
teeth that the years have stained,
then school your soul to accept decay
and yield to the sharp edge of time;
with steadfast patience win the love
of hearts that panic and bolt—
for only patience tames the wild.