1. أَلَم تَرَني رُبِطتُ بِشَرِّ أَرضٍ

    فَهَل أَنا واجِدٌ مِنها اِنفِلاتا

    Have you not seen me bound to the worst of lands?

    Will I, then, find an escape from it?

  2. إِذا ما المَرءُ أَصبَحَ سائِلوهُ

    وَقالوا كَيفَ بِتَّ وَكَيفَ باتا

    When a man reaches morning, they question him,

    and say, "How did you pass the night, and how did he?"

  3. يُخَلّيهِ المُجاوِزُ وَهوَ دانٍ

    وَيَأتيهِ إِذا ما اللِصُّ فاتا

    The passerby leaves him alone while nearby,

    and comes to him once the thief has escaped.

  4. وَتُمطِرُنا لَياليها بَعوضاً

    يَذُبُّ النَومَ عَنّا وَالسُباتا

    Its nights rain mosquitoes upon us,

    driving sleep and slumber away from us.

  5. وَتَلقانا الذِئابُ إِذا غَدَونا

    فَتَفري الجَونَ وَثباً وَاِلتِفاتا

    And wolves meet us when we set out in the morning,

    then cleave the darkness, leaping and turning.

  6. وَتَسلُكُ في شَوارِعَ خالِياتٍ

    أَحَلَّ اللَهُ فيهِنَّ الشَتاتا

    And you walk through deserted streets,

    where God has made dispersal dwell,

  7. وَحيطانٍ كَشِطرَنجٍ صُفوفٍ

    فَما تَنَفَكُّ تَضرِبُ شاهَ ماتا

    and walls arrayed in rows like a chessboard—

    so they never cease delivering checkmate.