رَمَيتُ بِها عَلى هَذا التَبابِ

وَما أَورَدتُها غَيرَ السَرابِ

I aimed it at this band

And brought it nothing but mirage

وَما حَمَّلتُها إِلّا شَقاءً

تُقاضيني بِهِ يَومَ الحِسابِ

And loaded it with nothing but misery

With which it takes me to task on Judgment Day

جَنَيتُ عَلَيكِ يا نَفسي وَقَبلي

عَلَيكِ جَنى أَبي فَدَعي عِتابي

I picked you, my soul, before you picked me

My father picked you, so cease your blame

فَلَولا أَنَّهُم وَأَدوا بَياني

بَلَغتُ بِكِ المُنى وَشَفَيتُ ما بي

If they had not suppressed my eloquence

I would have reached my goal and healed my ailment

سَعَيتُ وَكَم سَعى قَبلي أَديبٌ

فَآبَ بِخَيبَةٍ بَعدَ اِغتِرابِ

How much I strove, and how much a literatus strove before me

Only to return in disappointment after estrangement

وَما أَعذَرتُ حَتّى كانَ نَعلي

دَماً وَوِسادَتي وَجهَ التُرابِ

I made no excuses until my sandals

Were blood, my pillow the dirt's face

وَحَتّى صَيَّرَتني الشَمسُ عَبداً

صَبيغاً بَعدَ ما دَبَغَت إِهابي

Until the sun made me a slave

Dyeing me after tanning my brows

وَحَتّى قَلَّمَ الإِملاقُ ظُفري

وَحَتّى حَطَّمَ المِقدارُ نابي

Until the file wore away my nails

Until fate smashed my incisors

مَتى أَنا بالِغٌ يا مِصرُ أَرضاً

أَشُمُّ بِتُربِها ريحَ المَلابِ

When will I attain the land of Egypt

And smell the scent of its dust?

رَأَيتُ اِبنَ البُخارِ عَلى رُباها

يَمُرُّ كَأَنَّهُ شَرخُ الشَبابِ

I saw the son of Bukhara on her back

Passing as though the prime of youth

كَأَنَّ بِجَوفِهِ أَحشاءَ صَبٍّ

يُؤَجِّجُ نارَها شَوقُ الإِيابِ

As if his insides were a fiery youth's

Whose ardour the return ignites

إِذا ما لاحَ ساءَلنا الدَياجي

أَبَرقُ الأَرضِ أَم بَرقُ السَحابِ

If the darkness asks, does the earth

Or the clouds flash lightning?