لَم يَعطف النُصح قَلبي لِلرَشاد فَما

لَم يَعطف النُصح قَلبي لِلرَشاد فَما

أَقساهُ مِن قَلب وَأَجفاني

أَقساهُ مِن قَلب وَأَجفاني

Counsel did not turn my heart toward righteousness—so how

My heart was not inclined to heed good counsel, so what

hard a heart it is, and how callous I am!

A harder heart than mine, and less heedful eyes!

قَضيت أَحسَن أَيامي وَأَجملها

قَضيت أَحسَن أَيامي وَأَجملها

بِاللَهو ما اِنتَبهت لِلخَير أَجفاني

بِاللَهو ما اِنتَبهت لِلخَير أَجفاني

I spent the best and most beautiful of my days

I spent my finest days and their beauty too

in idle pleasure; my eyelids never awoke to goodness.

In frivolity - my heedless eyes did not awake to good.