ومِنْ نَكَدِ الدُّنْيا إِذا ما تَعَذَّرتْ

ومِنْ نَكَدِ الدُّنْيا إِذا ما تَعَذَّرتْ

أُمورٌ وإِنْ عُدَّتْ صِغاراً عَظائِمُ

أُمورٌ وإِنْ عُدَّتْ صِغاراً عَظائِمُ

Among life's vexations, when things prove difficult,

And among this world's vexations, when they prove difficult,

are matters which, though reckoned small, are grave:

Are matters that, though deemed small, are great.

إِذا رمتُ بِالمِنْقاشِ نَتْفَ أَشاهِبي

إِذا رمتُ بِالمِنْقاشِ نَتْفَ أَشاهِبي

أُتيح لَها مِنْ بَيْنِهن الأَداهِمُ

أُتيح لَها مِنْ بَيْنِهن الأَداهِمُ

when with tweezers I try to pluck my grey hairs,

When I try with tweezers to pluck my gray hairs,

the black hairs among them are the ones exposed to their grasp.

The black ones among them come within reach instead.

فَأَنْتُفُ ما أَهْوى بِغَيْرِ إِرادَتي

فَأَنْتُفُ ما أَهْوى بِغَيْرِ إِرادَتي

وأَتْركُ ما أَقْلي وأَنْفِيَ راغِمُ

وأَتْركُ ما أَقْلي وأَنْفِيَ راغِمُ

So, against my will, I pluck out what I cherish

So I pluck what I love against my will,

and leave what I loathe, my nose rubbed in the dust.

And leave what I hate, my nose rubbed in the dust.