1. إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو طَوعَ نَفسِيَ لِلهَوى

    وَإِسرافَها في غَيِّها وَعُيوبها

    To God I complain of my soul's submission to desire,

    and its excesses in its waywardness, and its faults.

  2. دَعَتني إِلى ما تَشتَهي فَأَجَبتُها

    فَضاعَ نَصيبي في طِلابي نَصيبها

    It called me to what it desires, so I answered it.

    So my share was lost as I pursued its share.

  3. إِذا سُقتُها لِلصالِحاتِ تَقَعَّسَت

    وَدَبَّت عَلى كُرهٍ إِلَيها دَبيبَها

    When I drive it toward good deeds, it hangs back,

    and creeps reluctantly toward them at its crawling pace.

  4. وَتَشتَدُّ نَحوَ الموبِقاتِ نَشيطَةً

    إِذا فاوَقَتها الريحُ فاقَت هُبوبَها

    And it races eagerly toward ruinous sins:

    were the wind to race it, it would outstrip its gusts.

  5. وَما هِيَ إِلّا كَالفَراشَةِ إِنَّها

    تَرى الناسَ ناراً ثُمَّ تُصلى لَهيبَها

    And it is just like a moth; indeed, it

    sees people as fire, then is scorched by its blaze.