أَجارِحي الَّذي أَدمى أَساني

أَجارِحي الَّذي أَدمى أَساني

وَسالِبُ حُلَّتي عَنّي كَساني

وَسالِبُ حُلَّتي عَنّي كَساني

Has my wounder, who made me bleed, healed me?

My limbs that have rendered my tongue speechless,

And has the one who took my robe from me clothed me?

And stripped me of my garments unceasingly,

فَما لي لا أَقولُ وَلي لِسانٌ

فَما لي لا أَقولُ وَلي لِسانٌ

وَقَد نَطَقَ الزَمانُ بِلا لِسانِ

وَقَد نَطَقَ الزَمانُ بِلا لِسانِ

So why do I not speak, when I have a tongue,

Why can't I speak though my tongue is able,

though Time has spoken without a tongue?

When time itself speaks without a tongue?

عَسى عَمرٌ عَنِ الطَوقِ المُعَرّي

عَسى عَمرٌ عَنِ الطَوقِ المُعَرّي

فَقد جانَبتُ عَلِيَّ أَو عَساني

فَقد جانَبتُ عَلِيَّ أَو عَساني

‘Amr, who casts off the collar, has grown old;

Perhaps an age will come to unshackle me,

for I have shunned 'perhaps I' or 'maybe I.'

Since I have erred or been led astray.

وَبيعَت بِالفُلوسِ لِكُلِّ خَزيٍ

وَبيعَت بِالفُلوسِ لِكُلِّ خَزيٍ

وُجوهٌ كَالدَنانيرِ الحِسانِ

وُجوهٌ كَالدَنانيرِ الحِسانِ

And for copper coins, into every disgrace, were sold

And faces like beautiful coins were sold,

faces like beautiful gold dinars.

For every disgrace, in full view of buyers.

وَلَو أَنّي أُعَدُّ بِأَلفِ بَحرٍ

وَلَو أَنّي أُعَدُّ بِأَلفِ بَحرٍ

لَمَرَّ عَلَّيَّ مَوتٌ فَاِحتَساني

لَمَرَّ عَلَّيَّ مَوتٌ فَاِحتَساني

And even if I were reckoned as a thousand seas,

Had I been given a thousand oceans,

death would surely pass over me and sip me up.

Death would have passed me by with gratification.

ظَلامي وَالنَهارُ قَدِ اِستَمَرّا

ظَلامي وَالنَهارُ قَدِ اِستَمَرّا

عَلَيَّ كَما تَتابَعَ فارِسانِ

عَلَيَّ كَما تَتابَعَ فارِسانِ

My darkness and the day have kept passing

My darkness and daylight go on forever,

over me, like two horsemen following one another.

Following each other like two riders.