كانَت قَناتي لا تَلينُ لِغامِزٍ

كانَت قَناتي لا تَلينُ لِغامِزٍ

فَأَلانَها الإِصباحُ وَالإِمساءُ

فَأَلانَها الإِصباحُ وَالإِمساءُ

My spear-shaft would not yield to one who pressed it,

My bow would not bend to any teaser

but morning and evening made it bend.

But dawn and dusk have softened it

وَدَعَوتُ رَبّي في السَلامَةِ جاهِداً

وَدَعَوتُ رَبّي في السَلامَةِ جاهِداً

لِيَصِحَّني فَإِذا السَلامَةُ داءُ

لِيَصِحَّني فَإِذا السَلامَةُ داءُ

And I prayed earnestly to my Lord for well-being,

And I called upon my Lord in good health striving

that He might keep me sound—yet behold, well-being is a disease.

That He may heal me, but behold! good health itself is the disease