وخِلٍّ كخِلْم السوء أنكرتُ ودَّهُ

وخُلَّته أنْ نال من وجهيَ الكُبْرُ

Like an evil friend who denied his love,

His friendship, when arrogance took hold of him.

يظل يُراعيني بعينَيْ شَناءةٍ

يدل على بَغْضائها النظر الشَّزرُ

He keeps watching me with hostile eyes,

His glances reveal his hatred.

رأى الدهر قد أودى بماء شبيبتي

فأنكر مني الشيبَ إنكارهُ النُّكرُ

Time has seen my youth flow away,

So it denied my greyness in denial.

كأنا تعاقدْنا الخلالة بيننا

على أنني بَسْلٌ على الدهر أو حِجْرُ

As if we had agreed to estrangement between us,

That I am an easy prey or a stone for time.

ضمنتُ له أن لا أخون فظنني

ضمنتُ له أن لا يخوننيَ الدهرُ

I promised not to betray him, so he thought

I promised him that time would not betray me.

تجاهل أحداث الزمان وإنه

ليعلم حقاً أن قصري له قصرُ

He disregarded the events of time, and he

Knows for sure that my shortcoming is his own.