أَخشى مُرَبِّيَتي إِذا

طَلَعَ النَهارُ وَأَفزَعُ

I fear my teacher when

dawn breaks and I am startled,

وَأَظَلُّ بَينَ صَواحِبي

لِعِقابِها أَتَوَقَّعُ

and I cower among my friends,

anticipating her punishment.

لا الدَمعُ يَشفَعُ لي وَلا

طولُ التَضَرُّعِ يَنفَعُ

Neither tears intercede for me, nor

does long beseeching benefit me.

وَأَخافُ والِدَتي إِذا

جَنَّ الظَلامُ وَأَجزَعُ

And I fear my mother when

night falls and I am anxious,

وَأَبيتُ أَرتَقِبُ الجَزا

ءَ وَأَعيُني لا تَهجَعُ

and I stay up dreading the punishment

while my eyes will not sleep.

ما ضَرَّني لَو كُنتُ أَسـ

ـتَمِعُ الكَلامَ وَأَخضَعُ

It would not have harmed me had I

listened quietly and been humble.

ما ضَرَّني لَو صُنتُ أَثـ

ـوابي فَلا تَتَقَطَّعُ

It would not have harmed me had I

protected my papers so they would not be torn.

وَحَفِظتُ أَوراقي بِمَحـ

ـفَظَتي فَلا تَتَوَزَّعُ

And had I kept my pages safe

in my notebook so they would not be scattered.

فَأَعيشُ آمِنَةً وَأَمـ

ـرَعُ في الهَناءِ وَأَرتَعُ

Then I would have lived secure and

frolicked in bliss and luxuriated.