1. O son of war, you have clothed me in a worn-out garment,
Filled with the company of time and turned rigid.
١. يا اِبنَ حَربٍ كَسَوتَني طَيلَساناً
مَلَّ مِن صُحبَةِ الزَمانِ وَصَدّا
2. It would suffice that the spider's web were woven
To the weakness of your worn-out garment as a patch.
٢. فَحَسبِنا نَسجَ العَناكِبِ لَو قي
سَ إِلى ضُعفِ طَيلَسانِكَ سُدّا
3. If I breathe in it, it splits into pieces,
Or if I sneeze in it, it falls apart in shreds.
٣. إِن تَنَفَّستُ فيهِ يَنشَقُّ شَقّا
أَو تَنَحنَحتُ فيهِ يَنقَدُّ قَدّا
4. Its swaying back and forth to patching has been so prolonged
That if we sent it alone, it would collapse.
٤. طالَ تَردادُهُ إِلى الرَفوِ حَتّى
لَو بَعَثناهُ وَحدَهُ لَتَهَدّى