أَلِفتُ العُقابَ حِذارَ العِقابِ

وَعِفتُ المَوارِدَ خَوفَ الذِئابِ

I have grown accustomed to falconry, wary of the falcon's claws,

And kept away from watering holes, fearing the wolves.

وَأَبغَضتُ نَفسي لِعِصيانِها

وَعاتَبتُها بِأَشَدِّ العِتابِ

I have hated my soul for disobeying Him,

And reproached her with the harshest reproach.

وَقُلتُ لَها بانَ عَنكِ الصَبا

وَجَرَّدَكِ الشَيبُ ثَوبَ الشَبابِ

I said to her, "Your youth has departed,

And old age has stripped you of the garb of youth."

وَما بَعدَ ذَلِكَ إِلّا البِلى

وَسُكنى القُبورِ وَهَولُ الحِسابِ

After that, there is nothing left but ruin,

The stillness of graves and the terror of Judgement.

فَأَيقَظَها العَتبُ مِن نَومِها

وَلِكَنَّها جَمَّةُ الإِضطِرابِ

Reproach awakened her from her slumber,

But she is confused and disturbed.

فَكَم أَنشَأَت مُزنَةً لِلتُقى

وَعادَت وَشيكاً كَلَمعِ السَرابِ

How often she would act devoutly and righteously,

Only to relapse as a mirage recedes.

وَكَم وَعَدتِني بِتَوبٍ وَكَم

وَما أَنجَزَت وَعدَها في المَتابِ

How often she promised me repentance, but never

Fulfilled her promise in practice!

وَكَم خَدَعتِني عَلى أَنَّني

بَصيرٌ بِطُرقِ الخَطا وَالصَوابِ

How often she deceived me into thinking

That I was discerning of sin and righteousness!

فَلَستُ عَلى الأَمنِ مِن غَدرِها

وَلَو حَلَفَت لي بِآيِ الكِتابِ

So I cannot trust her not to betray me,

Even if she swore to me by the verses of Scripture.