1. كلَّفْتِني ما لَمْ أُطِقْ في الصِبَّا

    فَكَيفَ والشَّيبُ بِفُودِي نَزِيلْ

    You burdened me with what I could not bear in youth;

    how, then, when gray hair is a guest at my temple?

  2. والشِّعْرُ لا بَيْعٌ وَلا حَلَّةٌ

    وَلا سِراجٌ منهُ يَسْوَى فَتِيلْ

    And poetry brings neither a sale nor a robe,

    nor does it make Siraj worth a wick.

  3. والنَّاسُ في أوسعِ عِيدٍ وَقَد

    يَشكُو الطَّبِيبُ اليومَ شَكْوَ العَلِيلْ

    And people celebrate Eid in the greatest plenty, yet

    today the physician complains as the sick man does.

  4. وَهِرَّتي قَدْ هَوِيَتْ هِجرَتي

    إذْ نارُنا في العِيد نَارُ الخَلِيلْ

    And my cat has grown fond of forsaking me,

    since our fire at Eid is Abraham's fire.

  5. فَمُرْ تَقيَّ الدِّينِ في طَبْخِنا

    نَسْعَى فَقَصْدُ الصُّلْحِ قَصْدٌ جَمِيلْ

    So give the word, Taqi al-Din, about our cooking;

    we will strive, for seeking reconciliation is a worthy aim.

  6. وَنِعْمَ مَن وَكَّلَهُ هَيّناً

    وَحَسْبُنا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الوَكِيلْ

    And blessed is he who readily makes him his trustee;

    and God suffices us—what an excellent trustee!