1. عَيشي مُؤَدٍّ إِلى الضَرّاءِ وَالوَهَنِ

    وَمِهنَتي لِإِلَهي أَشرَفُ المِهَنِ

    My life leads to adversity and weakness.

    And my service to my God is the noblest of occupations.

  2. تَخَلَّ مِن أُمِّ دَفرٍ فَهيَ مُؤذِيَةٌ

    وَهَوِّنِ الأَمرَ في غَرّائِهِ يَهَنُ

    Turn away from Umm Dafr, for she brings harm.

    And make light of the matter at its gravest; it will grow light.

  3. إِنّا ضُيوفُ زَمانٍ ما قِراهُ لَنا

    إِلّا المَنايا وَنَحنُ الآنَ في اللُهَن

    Indeed, we are guests of Time; its fare for us is nothing

    But death, and now we are at the appetizers.

  4. وَقَد أَنِفتُ لِنَفسٍ مِنهُ نافِرَةً

    كُلَّ النِفارِ وَشَخصٍ فيهِ مُرتَهَنُ

    And I have felt indignation on behalf of a soul recoiling from it

    With utter aversion, and a body held hostage within it.

  5. اللَهُ عالِمُ غَيبٍ لا أُحاوِلُهُ

    مِن ذي نُجومٍ وَلا أَبغيهِ في الكَهَنِ

    God knows the unseen; I do not seek it out

    From an astrologer, nor seek it in divination.