ورُحتُ أشكو للطُّلول الجَوَى

فاعجَبْ لمن يشكو الجوى للجمادْ

I went to complain of passion to the sand dunes,

How strange to complain of passion to inanimate things!

ومن حزينٍ ينقضي عمرُه

من دهره بين العَنا والعِناد

He whose life is spent in grief and contention,

His days pass between humiliation and obstinacy.

ظلمْتَ يا دهرُ وأظلمْتَ لي

فاقدحْ لأبناء الزنا بالزِّناد

O fate, you have wronged me and wronged me greatly!

So pour for the sons of adultery the cups of death!

ولو ملكْنا أمرَنا في الذي

نرَى إذنْ بان طريقُ الرَّشاد

If we controlled what we desire,

The path of right guidance would become clear.

فآهِ لو أجدَتْ على رحلةٍ

أفرِّقُ السّرجَ لها والبداد

Alas, would that I were travelling

To scatter the saddle-bags and the luggage!

إلى حمى الفِسطاطِ لو صحَّ لي

نزلْتُ كلواذَ على كيقباد

To pitch my tent as a guest ,

At the protected borderland fortress,

ضيفًا على الراغبِ في حمدِه

محمدٍ المحمودِ ربِّ الأياد

A guest of the Eager One (God) whose praise is glorious,

Muhammad the Praised One, the Lord of open hands.

أقصى الأماني بايزيدُ الغِنى

ولم أُرِدْ بعد لِقاهُ مُراد

The utmost of my hopes, with Yazid's wealth,

Was but to attain the goal of my desire in seeing him.

نابغةُ الإحسانِ بل نفحةُ الرْ

رَحمنِ بل غيثُ السنين الشداد

He is the protector of beneficence, nay but a breath of the Merciful's own,

Nay, but a torrent of the years of grim misfortune.