حَمَّلتُ ثِقْليَ بعد ما شِبْتُ العَصا

حَمَّلتُ ثِقْليَ بعد ما شِبْتُ العَصا

فَتَحَمَّلَتْهُ تَحمُّلَ المُتَكَارِهِ

فَتَحَمَّلَتْهُ تَحمُّلَ المُتَكَارِهِ

I made the staff bear my burden after I had grown gray;

After I grew gray, I made the staff bear my weight.

so it bore it with the endurance of one unwilling.

So it bore it as one who bears unwillingly.

ومَشَت به مَشي الحَسيرِ بِوقْرِه

ومَشَت به مَشي الحَسيرِ بِوقْرِه

لاَ يَستقِلُّ مقيَّداً بِعثارِهِ

لاَ يَستقِلُّ مقيَّداً بِعثارِهِ

It trudged beneath it like a weary beast beneath its load,

And it walked with it like one exhausted beneath his load,

unable to rise, fettered by its stumbling.

unable to rise, fettered by his stumbling.

ما آدَها ثِقْلِي ولكن ثِقلُ ما

ما آدَها ثِقْلِي ولكن ثِقلُ ما

أبقَى الشّبابُ عَليَّ من أوزَارِهِ

أبقَى الشّبابُ عَليَّ من أوزَارِهِ

It was not my weight that bowed it, but the weight of what

It was not my weight that burdened it, but the weight of what

my youth left upon me of its burdens—its sins.

youth had left upon me of its sins.

ورجايَ معقودٌ بمن أعطَى أخَا السْ

ورجايَ معقودٌ بمن أعطَى أخَا السْ

سَبعينَ عُهدةَ عِتقهِ من نَارِهِ

سَبعينَ عُهدةَ عِتقهِ من نَارِهِ

My hope is bound to Him who granted the man of seven—

And my hope is bound to Him who granted a man of

—ty years a pledge of deliverance from His Fire.

seventy a pledge of his release from His fire.