طال الطريق فمن يقول لسادر

حيران حسبك قد بلغت مناكا

The road has grown long—who will say to a wanderer,

bewildered, 'Enough! You have attained your desire'?

وطرقت أرضا ضاع عمرك كله

من دونها وتمزّقت قدماكا

And you reached a land, your whole life wasted

before reaching it, and both your feet torn to shreds.

فجّرت قلبك جدولاً تسقى به

زهر المنى وجنيتها أشواكا

You made your heart a gushing stream with which to water

the blossoms of hope, yet reaped them as thorns.

وهدمت صرحا للشباب مشيّدا

لتقيم للمجد العظيم سماكا

And you demolished a lofty edifice of youth,

to raise a pinnacle for mighty glory.

وجرى القضاء بحكمه وكعهده

فخسرت هذا في الحساة وذاكا

And fate ran its course, by its own decree, as always;

So you lost this in life, and that as well.

وبقيت وحدك لا تملّ تساؤلا

والحيرة الخرساء رجع صداكا

And you remained alone, never tiring of questioning,

And mute bewilderment is your answering echo.

وطوى غباب الدهر ما أمّلته

يا ليته لمّا طواه طواكا

And the deep of time engulfed all you had hoped for;

Oh, if only, when it engulfed that, it had engulfed you too!

طال الطريق فمن يقول لسادر

حيران حسبك قد بلغت مناكا

The road has grown long—who will say to a wanderer,

bewildered, 'Enough! You have attained your desire'?

أبت الليالي أن تغيّر ثوبها

وظللت تصبغ ثوبها بدماكا

The nights refused to change their robe,

And you kept dyeing their robe with your blood.

رحماك إن الله بالغ أمره

وهو اللطيف فناده رحماكا

Mercy! God will surely accomplish His purpose;

And He is the Gentle One, so call to Him: 'Your mercy!'

رحماك ضاع العمر وانقضت المنى

والأمر أمرك لا إله سواكا

Your mercy! Life is spent, and hopes are gone;

And command is Yours; there is no god but You.

لولا رجائي فيك قل تصبّري

وقطعت حبل شقاوتي لولاكا

But for my hope in You, my patience would have dwindled,

And I would have cut my misery's cord, but for You.

فامنن بعفوك إن أردت ونادني

فالعبد عبدك والقضاء قضاكا

So favor me with Your pardon, if You wish, and call me;

For the servant is Your servant, and the decree is Your decree.