وقد طالَبوني مُرهِقينَ بِرَدِّهِ

فقلتُ لدهرٍ لَجَّ في غُلَوائه

They wearied me with their demand for its restoration

So I said to time, deep in its perplexities:

بِرَدِّ عطاءِ الصَدرِ ذُلّيَ تَبتغِي

ألم يَكْفِني ذُلاً بأَخْذِ عَطائه

"You seek the return of open-handed giving while in humiliation -

Does not taking what it gave suffice to humiliate me?"