عرفت حظي فما لي فوقهُ أمل

عرفت حظي فما لي فوقهُ أمل

ويوم موتي فما لي بعده أجل

ويوم موتي فما لي بعده أجل

I know my lot; I have no hope beyond it.

I have known my fortune, so I have no hope beyond it

And beyond the day of my death, I have no further span of life.

And the day I die, I have no respite after it

ناهيت في طلب الدنيا فما سمحت

ناهيت في طلب الدنيا فما سمحت

فصرت يملكني التعليل والكسلُ

فصرت يملكني التعليل والكسلُ

I strove to the utmost in pursuit of the world, but it was not generous.

I struggled in seeking the world but it would not allow

So self-consolation and sloth came to possess me.

So I fell to rationalization and laziness

حفظت ماء حيائي فاغتذيت به

حفظت ماء حيائي فاغتذيت به

جرّاء يملكني الأحرار لا السفل

جرّاء يملكني الأحرار لا السفل

I preserved the water of my modesty and nourished myself with it.

I preserved my dignity's water and was nourished by it

For the noble hold sway over me, not the base.

The honorable rule me, not the lowly

عفت المطامع إلا ما عرفت لهُ

عفت المطامع إلا ما عرفت لهُ

وجها وجاءت له الأقدار والدول

وجها وجاءت له الأقدار والدول

I shunned covetous hopes, save those for which I knew

I am modest in my ambitions except for what I know

A way, and which fate and the turns of fortune favored.

Has virtue, and destiny and cycles come to it

إذا سَلمت وجاء القوتُ في كرم

إذا سَلمت وجاء القوتُ في كرم

فما أبالي عَلي من راحتِ الإبل

فما أبالي عَلي من راحتِ الإبل

If I am safe and sustenance comes with dignity,

If I make do and sustenance comes through generosity

Then I care not to whom the camels return at dusk.

Then I do not care for the comfort of camels