بما فيهِ سعدُ الجاهلينَ شقيتُ

بما فيهِ سعدُ الجاهلينَ شقيتُ

وبينَ ربوعِ الماجدينَ رَبيتُ

وبينَ ربوعِ الماجدينَ رَبيتُ

I found misery in what brings the ignorant happiness,

With what the ignorant are happy, I have become miserable,

And among the dwellings of the noble I was raised.

And I was raised among the gardens of the glorious.

سئِمتُ من الدُّنيا ومن أهلِها فكم

سئِمتُ من الدُّنيا ومن أهلِها فكم

يُقاسي الفَتى منها وليسَ يموت

يُقاسي الفَتى منها وليسَ يموت

I grew weary of the world and its people—for how much

I have become weary of this world and its people, so how much

a young man suffers from it, yet does not die!

Does a young man endure from it, and yet not die?

وضيّعتُ قَلبي فلذةً بعدَ فلذةٍ

وضيّعتُ قَلبي فلذةً بعدَ فلذةٍ

ومن كلِّ زيناتِ الشّباب عريت

ومن كلِّ زيناتِ الشّباب عريت

And I squandered my heart, fragment after fragment,

I have wasted my heart, morsel by morsel,

And I was stripped of all the adornments of youth.

And I have stripped myself of all the adornments of youth.

ونثَّرتُ دَمعي في النّوى وقصائدي

ونثَّرتُ دَمعي في النّوى وقصائدي

وبالشعرِ والدّمعِ السخينِ شفيت

وبالشعرِ والدّمعِ السخينِ شفيت

And I scattered my tears in separation and in my poems,

I have scattered my tears upon the palms, and in my poems

And through poetry and hot tears I was healed.

I have found healing through poetry and hot tears.

أُبذِّرُ أيّامي ومالي مُغامِراً

أُبذِّرُ أيّامي ومالي مُغامِراً

وأعجب بعد الموتِ كيفَ حييت

وأعجب بعد الموتِ كيفَ حييت

I squander my days and my wealth, taking risks,

I squander my days and my wealth recklessly,

And after death I marvel at how I lived.

And I wonder, after death, how I lived.