إِن أخلَقَت هَذِي اللَّيَالِي خِلقَتِي

فَخَلِيقَتِي جَلَّت عَنِ الإخلاَقِ

If these nights have shaped my character

Then my character has strayed far from virtue

إِن أنظُرِ الزُّلُفَاتِ يَوماً أنثَنِي

لِتَألُّمِي بِتَثَلُّمِي ومِحَاقِيد

If I were to look back one day and bend down

To reminisce and lament over my bygone youth

ولأن بَلَغتُ مِنَ المَشِيبِ عُتِيَّهُ

لَم أنزَجِر وَدَقَاقَةَ الأعنَاقِ

Now that I have reached the zenith of old age

I do not flinch from the trembling of my neck

يَا حَسرَةً ذَهبَت جُفَاءً شِرَّتِى

وعَوَائِقِى وبَوَائِقِى بَوَاقِ

Oh what a pity, my roughness and harshness are gone

Along with my obstacles, solutions, and concord

أفَلَم أكُن قَد آنَ لِىب رُجعَى إِلَى

حَقٍّ يُرَوِّضُ تَشَزُّرِى وإِبَاقِى

Was it not time that I return to

A truth that tames my arrogance, defiance and pretense

وَتشُدقِى وَتَعمُّقِى وَتَفَيهُقِى

وخُشُونَتِى ومُلُوحَتِآ وَزُعَاقِى

My affectation, delusion, absurdity

My recklessness, salinity, and discord

وبِطَالَتِى وإِطَالَتِى في كُلِّ مَا

لاَ يَنبَغِى وتَوَافُقِى وشِقَاقِى

My idleness, procrastination in all that

I should not indulge in, my concord and discord

نَفسٌ تُسَوِّفُ بِالخِلاَفِ خَلِيقَةً

مَا وَافَقَت في الدَّهرِ قَدرَ فُوَاقِ

A soul that defers righteousness

Unlike any other in its destined accord

أخِلاَعَةٌ لاَ تُرتَضَى وبَشَاعَةٌ

وإشَاعَةُ الأَعرَاقِ في الأَعرَاقِ

An abomination that cannot be condoned, an ugliness

That spreads anxiety among all tribes

وإضَاعُةُ الأَعمَالِ وَهَىَ بِضَاعَةٌ

لاَ تُشتَرَى بِكَواسِدِ الأَسوَاقِ

And the squandering of deeds, which are merchandise

That cannot be traded in lavish markets

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِى مَا المَصِيرُ إِذَا عَرَا

عَرَقُ الجَبِينِ لَدَى لُحُوقِ حَلاَقِى

Oh how I wish I knew what fate awaits

When my temple perspires by the barber's blade

أَم كَيفَ حَالِى إِذ اُكُونُ بِحُفرَةٍ

مَهجُورَةٍ بِقَوَاتِمِ الأَعمَاقِ

Or how I will be when in a forgotten

Ditch, at the mercy of the depths

ولقد أَطَارَ القَلبَ عَن سَكَنَاتِهِ

فَرَقاً تَطَايُرُ طَائِرِ الأورَاقِ

My heart has fluttered away from its dwelling

Frightened like a bird with fluttering wings