نشَأْتُ بما عانَيْتُ من نُوبِ الدَّه

نشَأْتُ بما عانَيْتُ من نُوبِ الدَّه

رِ وَعَّودْتُ نَفسي حَمْلَ فاقِرَةَ الفَقْرِ

رِ وَعَّودْتُ نَفسي حَمْلَ فاقِرَةَ الفَقْرِ

I matured through the vicissitudes of time I endured,

I was raised bearing the woes of fortune's blows,

and accustomed myself to bearing poverty’s back-breaking calamity.

And trained myself to bear stark poverty's load.

إذا ما بدَتْ للنَاس سوءُ معيشَتي

إذا ما بدَتْ للنَاس سوءُ معيشَتي

خَصَفْتُ عَلَيها قانِعاً وَرَقَ الصَّبرِ

خَصَفْتُ عَلَيها قانِعاً وَرَقَ الصَّبرِ

When the wretchedness of my livelihood became apparent to people,

When my hard life seemed evil in people's eyes,

I patched it over, content, with the leaves of patience.

I met it with patience, peaceful and resigned.