أَلَم تَرَني رُبِطتُ بِشَرِّ أَرضٍ

فَهَل أَنا واجِدٌ مِنها اِنفِلاتا

Did you not see me bound to the evil of earth

So how can I find escape from it?

إِذا ما المَرءُ أَصبَحَ سائِلوهُ

وَقالوا كَيفَ بِتَّ وَكَيفَ باتا

When people ask someone in the morning

How was your night and how did you sleep?

يُخَلّيهِ المُجاوِزُ وَهوَ دانٍ

وَيَأتيهِ إِذا ما اللِصُّ فاتا

Passersby ignore him while he is miserable

And come to him when the thief is gone.

وَتُمطِرُنا لَياليها بَعوضاً

يَذُبُّ النَومَ عَنّا وَالسُباتا

Its nights rain mosquitoes on us

Dissolving sleep and slumber from us.

وَتَلقانا الذِئابُ إِذا غَدَونا

فَتَفري الجَونَ وَثباً وَاِلتِفاتا

Wolves confront us when we go out

So the heart jumps, startled and wary.

وَتَسلُكُ في شَوارِعَ خالِياتٍ

أَحَلَّ اللَهُ فيهِنَّ الشَتاتا

And we walk in the streets of empty ruins

Wherein God has scattered separation.

وَحيطانٍ كَشِطرَنجٍ صُفوفٍ

فَما تَنَفَكُّ تَضرِبُ شاهَ ماتا

And walls like chessboards in rows

You do not stop checkmating the king.