لَّما أشاعوا بأنِّي

عجزتُ من كبر سنِّي

When they spread that I

Was weakened by my old age,

وما لديَّ حطامٌ

وما بنفسي تمنِّي

And I have nothing left

But shattered dreams,

وفاخروني بمالٍ

والمالُ هيهاتِ يُغني

And they flaunted their wealth at me,

As if wealth could fulfill me!

ضحكتُ منهم ولكن

عليهِمِ زاد حَزني

I laughed at them, but

Their sadness only increased mine.

لو ينظرونَ بعيني

ويسمعون بأُذْني

If only they could see through my eyes

And listen through my ears,

عافوا سُليمى وجاؤا

ليأخذوا الزُّهد عنِّي

They would excuse my simplicity and come

To learn detachment from me.

لكنَّني لستُ منهم

كلَّا ولا همُ منِّي

But I am not one of them,

No, and they are not one of me.

ورحتُ والشعر دأبي

ومنزلُ الوحيِ كنِّي

So I went on, with poetry my habit,

And revelation's abode my bosom friend.

إن جنَّ ليلي أُناجي

أو ذرَّ فجري أُغنِّي

When my night comes alive, I confide in it,

Or when my dawn scatters, I sing to it.

بلى وربَّةِ شعري

كوخي كجنَّةِ عدنِ

By the Lord of my poetry,

My hut is like the garden of Eden!