سَطَّرَهَا المَمْلُوكُ وَهُوَ أضرْمَدُ

يَخالُ أَنَّ الصُّبْحَ لَيلٌ أَسْوَدُ

Penned by a slave while still young

Who thinks dawn is the blackest night

يُمسِي بِلَيْلِ العَاشِقِينَ دَمْعَةً

لا تَنْتهِى وَمُقلَةً لا تَرْقُدُ

His tears at the lovers' evening never end

Nor do his sleepless eyes find rest

كُلٌّ علَى إنسانٍ عَيْني عَطَفَتْ

كَأَنَّ إنْسَاني لَدَيْها وَلَدُ

My eyes fell on everyone with sympathy

As though each was my own child

وَقوْعِدُ البِرِّ فِطَامُ نَاظِرِي

مِنها فَهَلْ يُنْجَزُ ذَاكَ المَوْعِدُ

When will my promise of virtue be fulfilled

Now that my watcher has weaned her gaze?

وَهَلُ لِطبّ المِصْرِ مِنّي رَاحَةٌ

فَكُلُّهُمْ في تَعَبٍ مُنَكَّدُ

Is there any relief for Egypt's pain through me

When all her people are steeped in misery?

مَلُّوا إليَّ البَرَّ والبَحرَ مَعاً

ذا مُزْبِلُ الطُّرْق وَهذا مُزْبِدُ

They spurned both land and sea because of me-

One a dunghill, the other a cesspool.

بَلْ سَئِمُوا السُّخْرَةَ لا كاغِدَةٌ

فِيها من الوَرّاقِ مَا يُنْتَقَدُ

Yet they wearied of mocking me, their quiver

Empty of verses ripe for stealing.

وَلَوْ أتَى فِيهِمْ حُنينٌ لم يَرُحْ

إلا بِخُفَّيْهِ وَذا مُطّرِدُ

Had they felt pity, it would not have eased

Save by my slipper or some similar thing.

سَعِيدُهُمْ بالمَدْحِ مَوْعودٌ مَعي

وَذُو الشَّقَاءِ بالهِجَا مُهَدَّدُ

Those I praise can expect reward.

Those I dispraise get only threats.

وَعُوَّدِى مَلُّوا وَشَرُّ الدَّاءِ أَنْ

تَعْيَا الأُسَاةُ وَتَملَّ العُوَّدُ

They made me loathe life, and it is worst

When suffering becomes all you know

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مَطْلُ الطَّبِيبِ عَادَتي

وَإنَّما العَزِيزُ مَالا يُوجَدُ

It was never my habit to tarry with doctors,

For one finds not what is precious.