وَقَفتُ فَلا أَدري إِلى أَينَ أَذهَبُ

وَقَفتُ فَلا أَدري إِلى أَينَ أَذهَبُ

وَأَيَّ أُموري بِالعَزيمَةِ أَركَبُ

وَأَيَّ أُموري بِالعَزيمَةِ أَركَبُ

I have stopped, and do not know where to go,

I stood still, not knowing where to go,

and which of my affairs to undertake with resolve.

Or which of my affairs I should embark upon.

عَجِبتُ لِأَقدارٍ عَلَيَّ تَتابَعَت

عَجِبتُ لِأَقدارٍ عَلَيَّ تَتابَعَت

بِنَحسٍ فَأَفنى طولَ عُمري التَعَجُّبُ

بِنَحسٍ فَأَفنى طولَ عُمري التَعَجُّبُ

I marveled at decrees of fate that befell me in succession

I'm amazed at the succession of misfortunes that have befallen me,

with ill luck, so wonder consumed my whole life.

My whole life wasted in wonder.

وَلَمّا التَمَستُ الرِزقَ فَاِنجَذَّ حَبلُهُ

وَلَمّا التَمَستُ الرِزقَ فَاِنجَذَّ حَبلُهُ

وَلَم يَصفُ لي مِن بَحرِهِ العَذبِ مَشرَبُ

وَلَم يَصفُ لي مِن بَحرِهِ العَذبِ مَشرَبُ

And when I sought sustenance, its rope snapped,

When I sought sustenance, its rope slipped away,

and no clear draught from its sweet sea was mine.

And its sweet water would not quench my thirst.

خَطَبتُ إِلى الإِعدامِ إِحدى بَناتِهِ

خَطَبتُ إِلى الإِعدامِ إِحدى بَناتِهِ

لِرَفعِ الغِنى إِيّايَ إِذ جِئتُ أَخطُبُ

لِرَفعِ الغِنى إِيّايَ إِذ جِئتُ أَخطُبُ

I asked Destitution for one of his daughters in marriage,

I asked for the hand of one of Misery's daughters in marriage

because Wealth had turned me away when I came courting.

To lift me out of poverty since I came seeking a bride.

فَزَوَّجَنيها ثُمَّ جاءَ جِهازُها

فَزَوَّجَنيها ثُمَّ جاءَ جِهازُها

وَفيهِ مِنَ الحِرمانِ تَختٌ وَمِشجَبُ

وَفيهِ مِنَ الحِرمانِ تَختٌ وَمِشجَبُ

So he married her to me; then her trousseau arrived,

He married me to her, then her dowry arrived,

and in it were a bed and a clothes rack of deprivation.

With only a mattress and pillows inside.

فَأَولَدتُها الحُرفَ النَقِيَّ فَما لَهُ

فَأَولَدتُها الحُرفَ النَقِيَّ فَما لَهُ

عَلى الأَرضِ غَيري وَالِدٌ حينَ يُنسَبُ

عَلى الأَرضِ غَيري وَالِدٌ حينَ يُنسَبُ

So I begot pure Ill Fortune by her; he has no

I fathered the pure letters, yet none but I

father on earth but me when his lineage is traced.

Can claim to be their parent when genealogy is traced.

فَلَو تِهتُ في البَيداءِ وَاللَيلُ مُسبِلٌ

فَلَو تِهتُ في البَيداءِ وَاللَيلُ مُسبِلٌ

عَلَيَّ جَناحيهِ لَما لاحَ كَوكَبُ

عَلَيَّ جَناحيهِ لَما لاحَ كَوكَبُ

So, were I to lose my way in the desert, with night letting down

If I were to get lost in the desert at night,

its two wings over me, not a star would appear.

With darkness spreading its wings over me, no stars would appear.

وَلَو خِفتُ شَرّاً فَاِستَترِتُ بِظُلمَةٍ

وَلَو خِفتُ شَرّاً فَاِستَترِتُ بِظُلمَةٍ

لَأَقبَلَ ضوءُ الشَمسِ مِن حَيثُ تَغرُبُ

لَأَقبَلَ ضوءُ الشَمسِ مِن حَيثُ تَغرُبُ

And were I to fear some evil and hide in darkness,

If I feared evil so took refuge in darkness,

the sun's light would come from where it sets.

The sun's light would shine on me from where it sets.

وَلَو جادَ إِنسانٌ عَلَيَّ بِدَرهِم

وَلَو جادَ إِنسانٌ عَلَيَّ بِدَرهِم

لَرُحتُ إِلى رَحلي وَفي الكَفِّ عَقرَبُ

لَرُحتُ إِلى رَحلي وَفي الكَفِّ عَقرَبُ

And were someone to grant me a dirham,

If a man were generous to me with a single coin,

I would return to my dwelling with a scorpion in my palm.

I'd head home with a scorpion clutched in my palm.

وَلَو يُمطَرُ الناسُ الدَنانيرَ لَم يَكُن

وَلَو يُمطَرُ الناسُ الدَنانيرَ لَم يَكُن

بِشَيءٍ سِوى الحَصباءِ رَأسِيَ يُحصَبُ

بِشَيءٍ سِوى الحَصباءِ رَأسِيَ يُحصَبُ

And were people showered with dinars, never would

If it rained gold on people, naught but pebbles

my head be pelted with anything but pebbles.

Would pelt my head.

وَلَو لَمَسَت كَفّايَ عِقداً مُنَظَّماً

وَلَو لَمَسَت كَفّايَ عِقداً مُنَظَّماً

مِنَ الدُرِّ أَضحي وَهُوَ وَدعٌ مُثَقَّبُ

مِنَ الدُرِّ أَضحي وَهُوَ وَدعٌ مُثَقَّبُ

And were my two palms to touch a neatly strung necklace

If a string of pearls touched my hand,

of pearls, it would turn into pierced cowrie shells.

I'd throw it away, pierced and broken.

وَإِن يَقتَرِف ذَنباً بِبُرقَةَ مُذنِبٌ

وَإِن يَقتَرِف ذَنباً بِبُرقَةَ مُذنِبٌ

فَإِنَّ بِرَأسي ذلِكَ الذَنبَ يُعصَبُ

فَإِنَّ بِرَأسي ذلِكَ الذَنبَ يُعصَبُ

And if a sinner commits a sin in Burqah,

If a star commits a sin in the blink of an eye,

then that sin is surely bound upon my head.

That sin would be tied round my head.

وَإِن أَرَ خَيراً في المَنامِ فَنازِحٌ

وَإِن أَرَ خَيراً في المَنامِ فَنازِحٌ

وَإِن أَرَ شَرّاً فَهُوَ مِنّي مُقَرَّبُ

وَإِن أَرَ شَرّاً فَهُوَ مِنّي مُقَرَّبُ

And if I see good in a dream, it is far away;

If I see something good in a dream, it will be false;

and if I see evil, it is brought close to me.

If I see evil, it will draw near.

وَلَم أَغدُ في أَمرٍ أُريدُ نَجاحَهُ

وَلَم أَغدُ في أَمرٍ أُريدُ نَجاحَهُ

فَقابَلَني إِلّا غُرابٌ وَأَرنَبُ

فَقابَلَني إِلّا غُرابٌ وَأَرنَبُ

And never did I set out in the morning on business whose success I sought,

Never have I set out to succeed in a matter

but a crow and a hare met me.

Except I was met by crows and rabbits.

أَمامي مِنَ الحِرمانِ جَيشٌ عَرَمرَمُ

أَمامي مِنَ الحِرمانِ جَيشٌ عَرَمرَمُ

وَمِنهُ وَرائي جَحفَلٌ حينَ أَركَبُ

وَمِنهُ وَرائي جَحفَلٌ حينَ أَركَبُ

Before me is a vast army of deprivation,

Before me, Failure's fully equipped army;

and behind me a mighty host of it whenever I ride.

Behind me, more troops when I mount my steed.