أَمشي عَلى خَوفٍ وَطولِ تَلَفُّتٍ

فَإِذا جَلَستُ خَشيتُ شَرَّ المَجلِسِ

I walk in fear and with much apprehension,

Whenever I sit, I dread the evils of the gathering,

وَإِذا ثُويتُ بِمَنزِلي أَلفَيتَني

مَيتَ المَفاصِلِ مُحرَجُ المُتَنَفَّسِ

And when I retire to my abode, I find myself

Dead in my joints, stifled in breath,

يا هَمَّ قَلبي مِن حَياةٍ مُرَّةٍ

جَمَعَ الزَمانُ بِها صُنوفَ الأَبؤُسِ

O sorrow in my heart from a bitter life

In which time has gathered all kinds of misery,

أُزجي طِوالَ هُمومِها بِبَقِيَّةٍ

لِلصَبرِ أَحسَبُها نُفاضَةَ مُفلِسِ

I will bear its concerns for a while

As if bearing the bankruptcy of patience,

وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ وَإِن تَكاءَدَني الأَسى

أنَّ الكَريمَ عَلى الحَوادِثِ يَأتَسي

And I know, though sorrow has tired me,

That the noble one shows grace in adversity.