أَصبَحتُ أَقذِفُ أَهدافَ المَنونِ كَما

يَرمي الدَريئَةَ أَدنى فَوقَهُ الوَتَرِ

I now cast the targets of fate

As the young maiden casts stones with her sling

في مَنصَفٍ مِن مَدى تِسعينَ مِن مِئَةٍ

كَرَميَةِ الكاعِبِ العَذراءِ بِالحَجَرِ

At halfway point of a ninety yard range

Like a virgin’s shot with a stone from her sling

في مَنزِلٍ نازِحٍ مِنَ الحَيَّ مُنتَبَذٍ

كَمَربَطِ العيرِ لا أُدعى إِلى خَبَرِ

In an abode remote from kith and kin

Like a camel fold none call a neighbor

كَأَنَّني خَرَبٌ جُزَّت قَوادِمُهُ

أَو جُثَّةٌ مِن بُغاثٍ في يَدَي هَصِرِ

As if I were ruins whose walls were razed

Or a corpse in the talons of a vulture

يُمضونَ أَمرَهُمُ دوني وَما فَقَدوا

مِنّي عَزيمَةَ أَمرٍ ما خَلا كِبَري

They attend to their will; I am nothing to them

Save an aged man, feeble, with no power

وَنَومَةٍ لَستُ أَقضيها وَإِن مَتُعَت

وَما مَضى قَبلُ مِن شَأوي وَمِن عُمُري

A nap I take not though to rest I’m inclined

Gone my past days, and my lifetime’s prime

وَإِنَّني رابَني قَيدٌ حُبِستُ بِهِ

وَقَد أَكونُ وَما يُمشى عَلى أَثري

Though shackled I be, I’m resigned to my plight

Little remains of my trace behind

إِنَّ السِنينَ إِذا قارَبنَ مِن مِئَةٍ

لَوَينَ مِرَّةَ أَحوالي عَلى مِرَرِ

When the years close in upon a century

Life spills my fortunes in bitter brine