كتبتُ من صومعةٍ

كتبتُ من صومعةٍ

تسمحُ بالقوت العَسِرْ

تسمحُ بالقوت العَسِرْ

I wrote from a hermitage

I wrote from a monastery

that yields sustenance only with difficulty.

That provides barely enough to live

والدهرُ من جفائِهِ

والدهرُ من جفائِهِ

يلبس لي جلدَ النَّمِرْ

يلبس لي جلدَ النَّمِرْ

And Time, out of its harshness,

And time in its harshness

dons a leopard’s hide against me.

Dresses me in a tiger's skin

فماءُ عيشي كَدِرٌ

فماءُ عيشي كَدِرٌ

ونجمُ حالي مُنْكدِرْ

ونجمُ حالي مُنْكدِرْ

So the water of my life is murky,

So the water of my life is murky

and the star of my fortunes is darkened.

And the star of my state gloomy