جَهِلتُ وَما أَلقى عَليماً وَإِنَّما

جَهِلتُ وَما أَلقى عَليماً وَإِنَّما

مَرِهتُ وَأَعيا أَن أَمُرَّ بِكاحِلِ

مَرِهتُ وَأَعيا أَن أَمُرَّ بِكاحِلِ

I have grown ignorant and find no learned man; rather,

I was ignorant, though I met no teacher, and I recoiled,

my eyes have grown sore, and finding a kohl-applier is beyond me.

Finding it hard to pass my days daubed in kohl.

فَسِرتُ وَقَد أَجدَبتُ أَرتادُ مَرتَعاً

فَسِرتُ وَقَد أَجدَبتُ أَرتادُ مَرتَعاً

فَلَم تَطَإِ الوَجناءُ بي ظَهرَ ماحِلِ

فَلَم تَطَإِ الوَجناءُ بي ظَهرَ ماحِلِ

So I journeyed, stricken by drought, seeking pasture,

So I set out, my pastures now all barren wastes;

yet the sturdy she-camel, bearing me, trod no barren ground.

No resting place afforded shade to my camel's back.

وَخُيِّلَ لي أَنّي أُقيمُ وَإِنَّما

وَخُيِّلَ لي أَنّي أُقيمُ وَإِنَّما

أَسيرُ وَإِن لَم أَحتَقِب زادَ راحِلِ

أَسيرُ وَإِن لَم أَحتَقِب زادَ راحِلِ

It seemed to me that I was staying still, yet in truth

I fancied that I stayed, while all the time

I travel, though I have packed no traveler's provisions.

I journeyed on, unmindful that my camel strode ahead.

فَقُلتُ وَقَد خَلَّفتُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

فَقُلتُ وَقَد خَلَّفتُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

وَرائي لَقَد أَعجَلتُ طَيَّ المَراحِلِ

وَرائي لَقَد أَعجَلتُ طَيَّ المَراحِلِ

So I said, having left fifty years

I said, when fifty-three pilgrimages had passed,

behind me: I have indeed hastened through the journey's stages.

"How soon this camel's pace has brought me to my stage's end."

أَبوءُ بِعِبءِ السُقمِ بَينَ حُشاشَةٍ

أَبوءُ بِعِبءِ السُقمِ بَينَ حُشاشَةٍ

تَجودُ وَجِسمٍ قَد تَفَرَّقَ ناحِلِ

تَجودُ وَجِسمٍ قَد تَفَرَّقَ ناحِلِ

I bear the burden of illness, between a last flicker of life

I suffer from disease's weary load

that yields itself up and an emaciated body already broken down.

While bounty flows from one whose body is a swarm of bees dispersed.

وَأَسبَحُ في بَحرِ الشَكاةِ لَعَلَّني

وَأَسبَحُ في بَحرِ الشَكاةِ لَعَلَّني

سَأَعلَقُ يَوماً مِن نَجاةٍ بِساحِلِ

سَأَعلَقُ يَوماً مِن نَجاةٍ بِساحِلِ

And I swim in the sea of suffering, hoping I

I swim in seas of shrouded gloom, and maybe I

will one day cling to a shore of deliverance.

Shall one day clutch and cling to safety's shore.