أَوصَيتُ نَفسي وَعَن وُدٍّ نَصَحتُ لَها

أَوصَيتُ نَفسي وَعَن وُدٍّ نَصَحتُ لَها

فَما أَجابَت إِلى نُصحي وَإِيصائي

فَما أَجابَت إِلى نُصحي وَإِيصائي

I admonished my soul and, out of affection, counseled her;

I admonished my soul and, out of affection, counseled it;

yet she paid no heed to my counsel and explanation.

Yet it did not heed my counsel and admonition.

وَالرَملُ يُشبِهُ في أَعدادِهِ خَطَئي

وَالرَملُ يُشبِهُ في أَعدادِهِ خَطَئي

فَما أَهُمُّ لَهُ يَوماً بِإِحصاءِ

فَما أَهُمُّ لَهُ يَوماً بِإِحصاءِ

The grains of sand, in their number, resemble my errors,

And the sand is like my errors in number;

so never do I undertake to count them.

So I never think of counting it.

وَالرِزقُ يَأتي وَلَم تُبسَط إِلَيهِ يَدي

وَالرِزقُ يَأتي وَلَم تُبسَط إِلَيهِ يَدي

سِيّانِ في ذاكَ إِدنائي وَإِقصائي

سِيّانِ في ذاكَ إِدنائي وَإِقصائي

Provision comes though my hand has never reached out for it;

And sustenance comes, though my hand has not been stretched toward it;

in that, my drawing near and my staying far away are alike.

In that, my bringing it near and keeping it far are alike.

لَو أَنَّهُ في الثُرَيّا وَالسِماكِ أَو الشِع

لَو أَنَّهُ في الثُرَيّا وَالسِماكِ أَو الشِع

رى العَبورِ أَو الشِعرى الغَميصاءِ

رى العَبورِ أَو الشِعرى الغَميصاءِ

Even were it in the Pleiades, al-Simāk, or al-Shiʿ—

Even if it were in the Pleiades and al-Simak, or al-Shiʿ—

—rā al-ʿAbūr, or al-Shiʿrā al-Ghumayṣāʾ.

—ra al-ʿAbur, or al-Shiʿra al-Ghumaysa.