1. أَيُّ عَيشٍ لِشُيَيخٍ

    هُوَ حَيٌّ مثلُ مَيت

    What life is there for a little old man?

    He is alive, yet like a dead man,

  2. عادِم الأُنسِ غَريب

    مُفرَد مِن أَهلِ بَيت

    bereft of companionship, a stranger,

    alone, apart from his household.

  3. وَلَهُ نَفسٌ تُنادي

    لِلمَنايا هَيتَ هَيت

    And he has a soul that calls

    to death, “Come, come!”

  4. تَتَرَجّى وَتُمنّي

    بِلعلِّي وَبِلَيت

    It hopes and holds out hope,

    with “perhaps I...” and “if only...”

  5. وَسَراجي لَيسَ فيهِ

    لِلبَقا نُقطَةُ زَيت

    And in my lamp there is not

    a drop of oil to sustain it.

  6. سَوفَ يُكنى عَن حَديثي

    كانَ مِنهُ ذَيت ذيت

    Soon my story will be alluded to:

    “He once did such and such.”