لَعَمرُكَ ما العَجَبُ العاجِبُ

لَعَمرُكَ ما العَجَبُ العاجِبُ

سِوى غَنَوِيٍّ لَهُ حاجِبُ

سِوى غَنَوِيٍّ لَهُ حاجِبُ

By your life, the astonishing marvel is nothing

By your life, there is no wonder of wonders

but a Ghanawī with a doorkeeper,

But a crooner who has an eyebrow

وَمَوتِ الحُقوقِ فَلا يائِسٌ

وَمَوتِ الحُقوقِ فَلا يائِسٌ

يَرُدُّ غُلامىً وَلا راغِبُ

يَرُدُّ غُلامىً وَلا راغِبُ

and the death of rights: neither a despairing man

And the death of rights, yet no one despairs

sends my servant back, nor a hopeful one.

To claim my youth or ask

وَلَولا اِبنُ عَمروٍ وَتَسويفُهُ

وَلَولا اِبنُ عَمروٍ وَتَسويفُهُ

لَما غَرَّني الأَمَلُ الكاذِبُ

لَما غَرَّني الأَمَلُ الكاذِبُ

And were it not for Ibn ʿAmr and his procrastination,

And if not for Ibn 'Amr and his procrastination

false hope would not have deceived me.

Hope's lies would not have deluded me