أراني في اِنتِقاص كُلّ يَوم

وَلا يَبقى مَعَ النُقصانِ شَيُّ

I see myself diminishing day after day

And nothing remains with diminishment alive

طَوى العَصرانِ ما نَشَراهُ مِنّي

فَأَخلَقَ جِدَّتي نَشرٌ وَطَيُّ

Time has folded what it unfolded of me

So my liveliness is folding and unfolding

فَإِن أَكُ قَد فَنيتُ وَماتَ بَعضي

فَإِنَّ الحِرصَ باقٍ فِيَّ حَيُّ

If I am gone, expired, and some of me died

Desire remains alive in me, lively

عَصيتُ الرُشدَ إِذ أُدعى إِلَيهِ

وَمُلِّكَ طاعَتي ضَعفٌ وَعَيُّ

I disobeyed what’s right when I was called to it

And weakness and distress made me obey