لما تولَّيْتُ الأُمورَ وأظلَمَتْ

لما تولَّيْتُ الأُمورَ وأظلَمَتْ

في ناظِرَيَّ موارِدي ومصادِري

في ناظِرَيَّ موارِدي ومصادِري

When I took charge of affairs, and darkness fell

When I took charge of affairs and it darkened

Before my eyes upon my paths of coming and going,

In my eyes, my resources and sources,

ويَئستُ مِمَّن كنتُ أرجو فضلَهُ

ويَئستُ مِمَّن كنتُ أرجو فضلَهُ

وأُعِدُّهُ عنوانَ صُحفِ ذخائري

وأُعِدُّهُ عنوانَ صُحفِ ذخائري

And I despaired of him whose bounty I had hoped for,

And I despaired of those whose favor I sought

And whom I deemed the heading of the pages of my treasures,

And counted them as headlines of my treasures,

وعلمتُ أنَّي قد أضعْتُ صنائعي

وعلمتُ أنَّي قد أضعْتُ صنائعي

ووضعْتُها في غَيرِ حُرٍّ شاكِرِ

ووضعْتُها في غَيرِ حُرٍّ شاكِرِ

And realized that I had squandered my acts of kindness,

And I knew that I had wasted my talents

And bestowed them on one who was no grateful, noble man.

And placed them in ungrateful hands,