وسَّعَ صبري عن عتيقِ الإِسى

وسَّعَ صبري عن عتيقِ الإِسى

من بَعدِ ما ضاقَ بيَ المَسلَكُ

من بَعدِ ما ضاقَ بيَ المَسلَكُ

My patience rose above deep-rooted grief,

Consolation broadened my patience at the loss of Atiq,

after the way had narrowed around me.

after the path had grown narrow for me.

أسلمتُهُ إذ لم أجد لي يداً

أسلمتُهُ إذ لم أجد لي يداً

بدفعِ من يَطلبُ ما يَملِكُ

بدفعِ من يَطلبُ ما يَملِكُ

I surrendered him when I found no power

I surrendered him, for I found I had no power

to repel the One who claims what He owns.

to resist the one who claims what he owns.

عارِيَّةً كان وما كُلُّ ما

عارِيَّةً كان وما كُلُّ ما

يُعارُ يُسْتَقْنَى ويُسْتَمْلَكُ

يُعارُ يُسْتَقْنَى ويُسْتَمْلَكُ

A loan he was—and not everything that

He was a loan, and not all that

is lent is kept and made one’s own.

is lent can be kept and made one's own.

أعارَهُ مُشترِطاً ردَّهُ

أعارَهُ مُشترِطاً ردَّهُ

والشرطُ ما بينَ الوَرى أملَكُ

والشرطُ ما بينَ الوَرى أملَكُ

He lent him, stipulating his return;

He lent him on condition of his return,

and among humankind, a condition has the strongest claim.

and among mortals, that condition is most binding.