رَجَعتُ إِلى نَفسي بِفِكري لَعَلَّها

تُفارِقُ ما قَد غَرَّها وَأَذَلَّها

I returned to myself with my thoughts, hoping

It would leave what had deceived and humiliated it

فَقُلتُ لَها يا نَفسِ ما كُنتُ آخِذاً

مِنَ الأَرضِ لَو أَصبَحتُ أَملِكُ كُلَّها

So I said: Oh self, what would I have taken

From the earth if I owned all of it

فَهَل هِيَ إِلّا شَبعَةٌ بَعدَ جَوعَةٍ

وَإِلّا مُناً قَد حانَ لي أَن أَمَلَّها

Is it not just satiety after hunger

Or a gift that is my time to fulfill it

وَمُدَّةُ وَقتٍ لَم يَدَع مُرُّ ما مَضى

عَلِيَّ مِنَ الأَيّامِ إِلّا أَقَلَّها

And a period of time that does not let go the bitterness of what has passed

Upon me from the days except diminishing them

أَرى لَكَ نَفساً تَبتَغي أَن تُعِزَّها

وَلَستَ تُعِزُّ النَفسَ حَتّى تُذِلَّها

I see you have a self that seeks to dignify it

And you do not dignify the self until you humiliate it