أَلا إِنَّ لي يَوماً أُدانُ كَما دِنتُ

سَيُحصي كِتابي ما أَسَأتُ وَأَحسَنتُ

Alas! I have a day when I will be judged as I have judged

My record will tally what I did right and wrong

أَما وَالَّذي أَرجوهُ لِلعَفوِ إِنَّهُ

لَيَعلَمُ ما أَسرَرتُ مِنّي وَأَعلَنتُ

By Him I hope for pardon, He knows

What I have concealed and what I have made known

كَفى حَزَناً أَنّي أُحَسِّنُ وَالبِلى

يُقَبِّحُ ما زَيَّنتُ مِنّي وَحَسَّنتُ

It is sorrow enough that I do good yet decay

Makes ugly what I have adorned and made fair

وَأَعجَبُ مِن هَذا هَناتٌ تَغُرُّني

تَيَقَّنتُ مِنهُنَّ الَّذي قَد تَيَقَّنتُ

More wondrous still, desires entice me

And I am certain of that which I have made certain

تَصَعَّدتُ مُغتَرّاً وَصَوَّبتُ في المُنى

وَحَرَّكتُ مِن نَفسي إِلَيها وَسَكَّنتُ

I climbed aspiring and aimed at wishes

And stirred in myself hopes towards them and calmed them

وَكَم قَد دَعَتني هِمَّتي فَأَجَبتُها

وَكَم لَوَّثَتني هِمَّتي فَتَلَوَّثتُ

And how often my ambitions called me and I responded

And how often my ambitions soiled me and I was soiled

مُعاشَرَةُ الإِنسانِ عِندي أَمانَةٌ

فَإِن خُنتُ إِنساناً فَنَفسي الَّذي خُنتُ

A man's company seems to me a trust

So if I betray a man, it is myself whom I betray

وَلي ساعَةٌ لا شَكَّ فيها وَشيكَةٌ

كَأَنِّيَ قَد حُنِّطتُ فيها وَكُفِّنتُ

And I have an hour, of that there is no doubt, it is imminent

As if I will already have been embalmed and shrouded in it

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ الأَرضَ مَنزِلُ قُلعَةٍ

وَإِن طالَ تَعميري عَلَيها وَأَزمَنتُ

Do you not see that the earth is a place of temporary lodging

However long I last and take up residence in it?

وَإِنّي لَرَهنٌ بِالخُطوبِ مُصَرَّفٌ

وَمُنتَظِرٌ كَأسَ الرَدى حَيثُما كُنتُ

I am hostage to misfortunes, transferred about

Waiting for the cup of departure wherever I may be