وقد طالَبوني مُرهِقينَ بِرَدِّهِ

وقد طالَبوني مُرهِقينَ بِرَدِّهِ

فقلتُ لدهرٍ لَجَّ في غُلَوائه

فقلتُ لدهرٍ لَجَّ في غُلَوائه

And they demanded that I return it, pressing me hard.

They wearied me with their demand for its restoration

So I said to Time, persisting in its excess:

So I said to time, deep in its perplexities:

بِرَدِّ عطاءِ الصَدرِ ذُلّيَ تَبتغِي

بِرَدِّ عطاءِ الصَدرِ ذُلّيَ تَبتغِي

ألم يَكْفِني ذُلاً بأَخْذِ عَطائه

ألم يَكْفِني ذُلاً بأَخْذِ عَطائه

By having me return the dignitary's gift, you seek my humiliation;

"You seek the return of open-handed giving while in humiliation -

Was accepting his gift not humiliation enough for me?

Does not taking what it gave suffice to humiliate me?"