هانت عليه الحياه

وأرهقته الخطوب

Life burdened him,

And troubles overwhelmed him,

وأذهلته رؤاه

فلم يعُد كالقلوب

And his visions confounded him,

So he was no longer like hearts,

ولم يعد غير ما

تحكيه عنه الليال

And he was nothing but

What the nights related of him.

شُهد شأى علقما

في طعمه فاستحال

He witnessed the glory of the eminent,

And so his taste changed.

عوّذته بالقران

وبالحديث الشريف

I protected him with the Quran,

And with the noble Hadith,

من الأسى والهوان

ومن دنوِّ الخريف

From sorrow and disgrace,

And from the approach of autumn.

عوّذته فانقضى

في الوهم عمر العذاب

I protected him and so

The torment of illusion passed,

وزاد عمّا مضى

في الحق عمر الرغاب

And he gained from the past

A lifetime of desire in truth.

قلبٌ بنى عمره

على تمنّى الأجل

A heart built its life

On wishing for death,

فلم يكل أمره

إلى هوى أو أمل

So its affair did not end

With passion or hope.

ولم يكل أمره

إلّا إلى منتهاه

And it did not leave its affair

Except to its end,

فباركت طهره

بالحزن كفُّ الإله

So its purity blessed it

With the sadness of God's grasp.

سألتهُ عن مناه

فقال لي بعتُها

I asked it about its dwelling,

And it told me it had sold it

لمُشتر لو تراه

تقول أُنسيتُها

To a buyer - if only you could see him!

You would say I forgot it.

عجبتُ للمشتري

ما حاله يا ترى

I wondered at the buyer -

What is his state, I wonder?

والبائعُ العبقري

يقول لي أو ترى

And the brilliant seller

Says to me, "Or do you see?"

وطاف بي كالخيال

شيخ برته الخطوب

And an old man circled me like an apparition,

His clarity clouded by troubles,

وفي يديه صِلال

طعامها من قلوب

His food from hearts.

I asked him his name,

سألته ما اسمه

فقال هذا الزمن

And he said, "This is the age."

And his appearance astonished me -

وهالني رسمُه

فكلّه من محن

All of it from affliction.

And my heart said to him,

وقال قلبي له

أيّان فقدُ المُنى

"When did you lose purpose?"

His state answered him,

أجابه حاله

فقد الأماني الضّنى

"I lost comforting wishes."

"O heart, purpose

يا قلب إن المنى

ورثتُها عن أبي

I inherited from my father.

Is lack of comfort

فهل يكون الضنى

بعد المنى مطلبي

My pursuit after purpose?"

"My Lord, what do I need

ربّاه ما حاجتي

إلى امتِداد الأجل

With lengthening of my term?

And in the soil is my comfort

وفي الثرى راحتي

بعد انتهاء الأمل

After the end of hope."