أحمل نفسي فوق ما لا تطيقه

وأرتكب الأمر الضنوك طريقه

I bear myself above what I cannot endure

And tread the path of grievous matters

وأعنق للحسنى امرأ غير محسن

ومن سوء تدبيري كأني عتيقه

And bestow kindness on one who does not repay good with good

And from my poor judgement it's as if I'm a slave

وأعقد ميثاقاً إلى غير واثق

لعهد ولم أبرح بعهدي وثيثقه

And make a pact with one who is not faithful

To a covenant - though I have not been firm in my oath or certain of it

وأنحس من في الأرض من ضاق ذرعه

بأسباب من لا قط يعناه ضيقه

And I am more unfortunate than anyone on earth whose means are straitened

By reasons he who never cares for me has made narrow

فيا رب حالٍ لا هموماً ولا أذى

فيركب أمراً منه يغتص ريقه

So oh Lord, a state without worries or harm

In which he embarks on a matter that chokes his throat

إذا الجد لم ينهض بسعدٍ فقاعد

بك الجد لو في النص نص عتيقه

If seriousness does not set out with happiness, then one who sits

Weeping, seriousness, even half, is like an old slave

فيا عجباً مني أحاول جاهداً

من الدهر بيضاً أخبأته أنوقه

So oh how strange I am that I struggle hard

To get from fate white that has been hidden very carefully

وأعجب من ذا كيف أطلب مطلباً

من الدهر لما استعبدتني رقيقه

And stranger still is how I seek something

From fate when I have been enslaved by it while still a child

إذا المرء لم يحلم قديراً على الجزا

تحيلم ذلاً حيث سيق وسيقه

When a man cannot restrain himself and is not capable of patience

He restrains his humiliation wherever he is led and pulled along

وفاء الليالي بالليالي لمن وفى

يدوم مدى بالخد دام خلوقه

The loyalty of nights to nights is for him who is loyal

Lasting as long as he lives if his nature remains constant