وليلة حسبت فيها نفسي

وليلة حسبت فيها نفسي

من ظلمة كأنّني في رمس

من ظلمة كأنّني في رمس

And a night in which I thought myself,

One night when I thought myself

because of its darkness, as though inside a grave—

In darkness, as though I were in Remus

أطول من تاريخ ملك الفرس

أطول من تاريخ ملك الفرس

كأنها بعض ليالي الحبس

كأنها بعض ليالي الحبس

longer than the history of Persian rule,

Longer than the history of the king of Persia

as though it were one of the nights of imprisonment.

As though it were some of the nights of imprisonment

صادفني قبل مسا الممَسّي

صادفني قبل مسا الممَسّي

ذو أيد في الظهر يحدو نحسي

ذو أيد في الظهر يحدو نحسي

Before the evening hour, I was beset

I was met before the reddening of the evening

by a mighty force at noon, driving on my ill fortune.

By one with hands on my back, increasing my misfortune

كأنّما آثارُه في الحسّ

كأنّما آثارُه في الحسّ

وخز الأشافي اختلفت في عرس

وخز الأشافي اختلفت في عرس

As though its effects upon the senses

As though his traces were in feeling

were pricks of awls moving to and fro at a wedding,

And the stings of scandals were different in celebration

في ليلة ذابت بهجر الشمس

في ليلة ذابت بهجر الشمس

فكلّ هذا ما جنى لي ضرسي

فكلّ هذا ما جنى لي ضرسي

on a night that melted from the sun's abandonment.

On a night when the joy of sunrise melted away

So all this is what my molar brought upon me,

So all this is what my foolishness reaped for me

من أكل ما لاح بغير مكس

من أكل ما لاح بغير مكس

من جورنج قد قلي ومحشي

من جورنج قد قلي ومحشي

from eating whatever appeared, free of charge:

From eating what was offered without reservation

juranj, fried and stuffed,

Of stewed chicken and stuffed zucchini

وباقلي مطيّب وخسّ

وباقلي مطيّب وخسّ

وكامخ من نوع كل جنس

وكامخ من نوع كل جنس

and seasoned broad beans, and lettuce,

And seasoned okra and lettuce

and kāmikh relish of every kind and sort.

And truffles of every kind

أدسّه في البندق كل دسي

أدسّه في البندق كل دسي

لسا وفي اللس فناء النفس

لسا وفي اللس فناء النفس

I kept stuffing it into nut-sized morsels,

I stuffed into chickpeas all my coveting

devouring—and in devouring lies the soul's destruction.

Still, in craving is the annihilation of the soul

ولم أقل في وقت شبعي بسّي

ولم أقل في وقت شبعي بسّي

هذا هو الجهل وعين الوكس

هذا هو الجهل وعين الوكس

And when I was full, I did not say, 'Enough for me!'

And I did not say in my time of satiation, "Enough!"

This is ignorance, and the very essence of loss.

This is ignorance and the essence of stupidity

ولم أجد لي مشتكى في الإنس

ولم أجد لي مشتكى في الإنس

غير أبي بشر الطبيب القس

غير أبي بشر الطبيب القس

And among humankind I found no one to hear my complaint

And I could not find anyone among mankind to complain to

except Abū Bishr, the physician-priest,

Other than my father Bishr the doctor, the priest

أحذق خلق الله بالمجس

أحذق خلق الله بالمجس

وبالصفات في دقيق الحدس

وبالصفات في دقيق الحدس

the most skilled of God's creatures at taking the pulse,

Most skilled of God's creations in examination

and at prescriptions, with subtle intuition.

And in qualities of precise discernment

ينطق عن تجربة ودرسِ

ينطق عن تجربة ودرسِ

وحكمةٍ مسطورةٍ في طرش

وحكمةٍ مسطورةٍ في طرش

He speaks from experience and study,

Who speaks from experience and study

and wisdom inscribed on parchment [probable reading].

And recorded wisdom in composition