وَقَفتُ فَلا أَدري إِلى أَينَ أَذهَبُ

وَأَيَّ أُموري بِالعَزيمَةِ أَركَبُ

I stood still, not knowing where to go,

Or which of my affairs I should embark upon.

عَجِبتُ لِأَقدارٍ عَلَيَّ تَتابَعَت

بِنَحسٍ فَأَفنى طولَ عُمري التَعَجُّبُ

I'm amazed at the succession of misfortunes that have befallen me,

My whole life wasted in wonder.

وَلَمّا التَمَستُ الرِزقَ فَاِنجَذَّ حَبلُهُ

وَلَم يَصفُ لي مِن بَحرِهِ العَذبِ مَشرَبُ

When I sought sustenance, its rope slipped away,

And its sweet water would not quench my thirst.

خَطَبتُ إِلى الإِعدامِ إِحدى بَناتِهِ

لِرَفعِ الغِنى إِيّايَ إِذ جِئتُ أَخطُبُ

I asked for the hand of one of Misery's daughters in marriage

To lift me out of poverty since I came seeking a bride.

فَزَوَّجَنيها ثُمَّ جاءَ جِهازُها

وَفيهِ مِنَ الحِرمانِ تَختٌ وَمِشجَبُ

He married me to her, then her dowry arrived,

With only a mattress and pillows inside.

فَأَولَدتُها الحُرفَ النَقِيَّ فَما لَهُ

عَلى الأَرضِ غَيري وَالِدٌ حينَ يُنسَبُ

I fathered the pure letters, yet none but I

Can claim to be their parent when genealogy is traced.

فَلَو تِهتُ في البَيداءِ وَاللَيلُ مُسبِلٌ

عَلَيَّ جَناحيهِ لَما لاحَ كَوكَبُ

If I were to get lost in the desert at night,

With darkness spreading its wings over me, no stars would appear.

وَلَو خِفتُ شَرّاً فَاِستَترِتُ بِظُلمَةٍ

لَأَقبَلَ ضوءُ الشَمسِ مِن حَيثُ تَغرُبُ

If I feared evil so took refuge in darkness,

The sun's light would shine on me from where it sets.

وَلَو جادَ إِنسانٌ عَلَيَّ بِدَرهِم

لَرُحتُ إِلى رَحلي وَفي الكَفِّ عَقرَبُ

If a man were generous to me with a single coin,

I'd head home with a scorpion clutched in my palm.

وَلَو يُمطَرُ الناسُ الدَنانيرَ لَم يَكُن

بِشَيءٍ سِوى الحَصباءِ رَأسِيَ يُحصَبُ

If it rained gold on people, naught but pebbles

Would pelt my head.

وَلَو لَمَسَت كَفّايَ عِقداً مُنَظَّماً

مِنَ الدُرِّ أَضحي وَهُوَ وَدعٌ مُثَقَّبُ

If a string of pearls touched my hand,

I'd throw it away, pierced and broken.

وَإِن يَقتَرِف ذَنباً بِبُرقَةَ مُذنِبٌ

فَإِنَّ بِرَأسي ذلِكَ الذَنبَ يُعصَبُ

If a star commits a sin in the blink of an eye,

That sin would be tied round my head.

وَإِن أَرَ خَيراً في المَنامِ فَنازِحٌ

وَإِن أَرَ شَرّاً فَهُوَ مِنّي مُقَرَّبُ

If I see something good in a dream, it will be false;

If I see evil, it will draw near.

وَلَم أَغدُ في أَمرٍ أُريدُ نَجاحَهُ

فَقابَلَني إِلّا غُرابٌ وَأَرنَبُ

Never have I set out to succeed in a matter

Except I was met by crows and rabbits.

أَمامي مِنَ الحِرمانِ جَيشٌ عَرَمرَمُ

وَمِنهُ وَرائي جَحفَلٌ حينَ أَركَبُ

Before me, Failure's fully equipped army;

Behind me, more troops when I mount my steed.