أحمل نفسي فوق ما لا تطيقه

أحمل نفسي فوق ما لا تطيقه

وأرتكب الأمر الضنوك طريقه

وأرتكب الأمر الضنوك طريقه

I burden my soul beyond what it can bear,

I bear myself above what I cannot endure

and undertake a matter whose path is narrow.

And tread the path of grievous matters

وأعنق للحسنى امرأ غير محسن

وأعنق للحسنى امرأ غير محسن

ومن سوء تدبيري كأني عتيقه

ومن سوء تدبيري كأني عتيقه

I hasten to a man who does no good, seeking kindness,

And bestow kindness on one who does not repay good with good

and through my poor judgment, seem to be his freedman.

And from my poor judgement it's as if I'm a slave

وأعقد ميثاقاً إلى غير واثق

وأعقد ميثاقاً إلى غير واثق

لعهد ولم أبرح بعهدي وثيثقه

لعهد ولم أبرح بعهدي وثيثقه

I make a covenant with one not trustworthy

And make a pact with one who is not faithful

in a pledge, though by my own I remain [his faithful ally?—word unclear].

To a covenant - though I have not been firm in my oath or certain of it

وأنحس من في الأرض من ضاق ذرعه

وأنحس من في الأرض من ضاق ذرعه

بأسباب من لا قط يعناه ضيقه

بأسباب من لا قط يعناه ضيقه

The unluckiest on earth is one whose endurance fails

And I am more unfortunate than anyone on earth whose means are straitened

over the dealings of someone never troubled by his distress.

By reasons he who never cares for me has made narrow

فيا رب حالٍ لا هموماً ولا أذى

فيا رب حالٍ لا هموماً ولا أذى

فيركب أمراً منه يغتص ريقه

فيركب أمراً منه يغتص ريقه

How often one has neither cares nor harm,

So oh Lord, a state without worries or harm

then undertakes a matter that makes him choke on his saliva.

In which he embarks on a matter that chokes his throat

إذا الجد لم ينهض بسعدٍ فقاعد

إذا الجد لم ينهض بسعدٍ فقاعد

بك الجد لو في النص نص عتيقه

بك الجد لو في النص نص عتيقه

If fortune does not rise with good luck, then idle

If seriousness does not set out with happiness, then one who sits

beside you sits fortune, even if its thoroughbred gallops at full speed.

Weeping, seriousness, even half, is like an old slave

فيا عجباً مني أحاول جاهداً

فيا عجباً مني أحاول جاهداً

من الدهر بيضاً أخبأته أنوقه

من الدهر بيضاً أخبأته أنوقه

How strange I am, striving with all my might

So oh how strange I am that I struggle hard

for eggs from Time that its vulture has hidden!

To get from fate white that has been hidden very carefully

وأعجب من ذا كيف أطلب مطلباً

وأعجب من ذا كيف أطلب مطلباً

من الدهر لما استعبدتني رقيقه

من الدهر لما استعبدتني رقيقه

Stranger still is how I seek something

And stranger still is how I seek something

from Time, when its slaves have enslaved me!

From fate when I have been enslaved by it while still a child

إذا المرء لم يحلم قديراً على الجزا

إذا المرء لم يحلم قديراً على الجزا

تحيلم ذلاً حيث سيق وسيقه

تحيلم ذلاً حيث سيق وسيقه

If a man is not forbearing when able to retaliate,

When a man cannot restrain himself and is not capable of patience

he feigns forbearance in humiliation where his [captive herd?] is driven off.

He restrains his humiliation wherever he is led and pulled along

وفاء الليالي بالليالي لمن وفى

وفاء الليالي بالليالي لمن وفى

يدوم مدى بالخد دام خلوقه

يدوم مدى بالخد دام خلوقه

The nights' fidelity to whoever kept faith with the nights

The loyalty of nights to nights is for him who is loyal

lasts as long as his saffron perfume remains upon the cheek.

Lasting as long as he lives if his nature remains constant