سبْعٌ مضَتْ منْ زَمانِ اللّيْلِ وا أسَفي

هلْ لي من العُمرِ المَسروقِ منْ خلَفِ

Seven have passed of the night's time, and woe to me,

Is there any of my stolen life left behind?

كمْ صُنْتُ جوْهرَهُ بالجَهْدِ فانتُهِبَتْ

وكيفَ والأمرُ حقٌّ إنْ نظَرْتَ وَفِي

How much did I protect its essence with effort, yet it was plundered,

And how could it not be true, if you look closely and consider?

تُغالِبُ الحقَّ منّي والتَّوى حُمَّ لا

أدْري بهِ وا خَسارِي أيْنَ مُنصَرَفي

Truth and desire overcome me, bearing grief I cannot comprehend,

And of my loss, where is it heading?

ضِدّانِ ما شِئْتَ منْ داعٍ الى سرَفٍ

في الغَيّ هَذا وذا داعٍ الى شَرَفِ

Two opposites, whichever you want of a caller to indulgence,

In this confusion, one calls to nobility, another to disgrace,

حالٌ مُشتَّتَةٌ فالعقْلُ في طرَفٍ

والجِسْمُ في طرَفٍ والنّفْسُ في طرَفِ

A scattered state, so the mind is in disarray,

The body in disarray, the soul in disarray,

والعيْنُ في سرين ليسَ تسْرَحُ بي

والقلبُ منْ ذِكْرِ ما قدْ فاتَ في أسَفِ

The eye looking in two directions, not roaming with me,

The heart in sorrow for what has passed,

إنّا الى اللهِ منْها أنْفُساً عرَفَتْ

مآلَها ثمّ لجّتْ بعْدَ مُعْتَرَفِ

We knew ourselves heading to God,

Then plunged after confessing,

خانَتْ مَواثيقَ أعْطَتْها مؤكَّدةً

أخْسِرْ بعَهْدٍ قَريبِ العَهْدِ غيْرَ وَفِي

Breaking covenants it had firmly made,

Lose a compact whose time is not yet up!

واللّهِ إنْ لمْ يُدارِكْها وقَدْ وصَلَتْ

بلَمْحَةٍ أو بلُطْفٍ منْ لَدُنْهُ خَفِي

By God, if He does not save it, for it has arrived,

With a subtle gesture or kindness from Him hidden,

ولمْ يجُدْ بتَلافِيها علَى عجَلٍ

ما أمْرُها صائِرٌ إلا الى تلَفِ

And does not find in mending it hastily,

Its affair will only end in ruin.