1. جاءَ الشِتاءُ جيأَةَ المُفاجي

    كَأَنَّما قَد كانَ في الرِتاجِ

    Winter came like a surprise visitor,

    As though it had already stood at the gate.

  2. فَجَمَدَ السائِلُ في الزُجاجِ

    وَاِكتَسَتِ الأَرضُ بِمِثلِ العاجِ

    So the liquid froze within the glass,

    And the earth was clothed in something like ivory.

  3. فَاِمتَنَعَ المَرعى عَلى النِعاجِ

    وَاِمتَنَعَ الحَبُّ عَلى الدَجاجِ

    So pasture was denied the ewes,

    And grain was denied the chickens,

  4. وَاِمتَنَعَ السَيرُ عَلى النَواجي

    رُبَّ جَوادٍ لاحيقٍ هِملاجِ

    And travel was denied the swift mounts.

    Many a fleet, smooth-gaited steed,

  5. مُعَوَّدِ الإِلجام وَالإِسراجِ

    وَالوَخد وَالذَميل وَالإِهماجِ

    Accustomed to bridling and saddling,

    And swift strides, trotting, and galloping,

  6. أَصبَحَ مِثلَ العِرقِ في اِختِلاجِ

    مُنعَرِجاً في غَيرِ ذي اِنعِراجِ

    Became like a vein in spasm,

    Veering where there was no bend.

  7. لَو هاجَهُ الراكِبُ بِالكُرباجِ

    لَما مَشى بِهِ سِوى اِعوِجاجِ

    If its rider goaded it with a whip,

    It would carry him only crookedly.

  8. لَولا الجَليدُ طارَ بِالمُهتاجِ

    مِثلَ البُراقِ بِفَتى المِعراجِ

    But for the ice, it would fly with the excited rider,

    Like Buraq with the youth of the Ascension,

  9. وَحَطَّه وَالشَمسُ في الأَبراجِ

    لَكِنَّهُ مِنهُ عَلى الزُجاجِ

    And set him down while the sun was in the zodiac;

    But because of it, it stands on glass.

  10. وَأَمسَكَ الناسُ عَنِ اللَجاجِ

    أَما تَرى نِدائَهُم تَناجي

    And people held back from wrangling;

    Do you not see their calls become whispered exchanges?

  11. كَأَنَّما الجُموعُ في المَلاجي

    عَلى مِنى مَواكِبُ الحُجّاجِ

    As though the crowds in the shelters

    Were pilgrims' processions at Mina.

  12. وَرَغِبَ المُثري عَنِ الديباجِ

    إِلى اللِباسِ الخَشِنِ النِساجِ

    And the wealthy man turned from brocade

    To clothing of coarse weave.

  13. وَكانَ أَن جيءَ لَهُ بِالتاجِ

    أَعرَضَ عَنهُ وارِمَ الأَوداجِ

    And when a crown was brought to him,

    He turned away from it, his neck-veins swollen.

  14. وَاِنقَبَضَ النَهرُ عَنِ الهِياجِ

    وَكانَ مِثلَ الزاخِرِ العَجّاجِ

    And the river drew back from its turbulence,

    Though it had been like a swelling, roaring sea,

  15. يُصارِعُ الأَمواجَ بِالأَمواجِ

    يا مَسبَحَ الأُوَز وَالدُرّاجِ

    Wrestling waves with waves.

    O swimming-place of geese and francolins,

  16. كيَفَ غَدَوتَ مَوطِئَ الأَحداجِ

    وَمَعبَرَ الخَلقِ إِلى الخَراجِ

    How have you become a path for litters,

    And a crossing for people to the countryside?

  17. ما لِي وَالصُبحُ عَلى اِنبِلاجِ

    أَخبِطُ كَالعَشواءِ في الدَياجي

    What ails me, though dawn is breaking,

    That I stumble like a night-blind she-camel in the dark?

  18. إِذا أَرَدتُ السَيرَ في مِنهاجي

    طالَ عِثاري فيه وَاِنزِلاجي

    When I wish to walk along my path,

    My stumbling and slipping on it go on and on.

  19. كَأَنَّي أَمشي عَلى زُجاجِ

    مُحتَذِياً بِالزِئبَقِ الرَجراجِ

    As though I were walking on glass,

    Shod in quivering quicksilver.

  20. خُيِّلَ لي لِشِدَّةِ اِرتِجاجي

    أَنَّ دَمي يَرتَجُّ في أَشاجي

    It seemed to me, from my violent shaking,

    That my blood was shaking in my veins.

  21. أَرى الدُنى ضَيَّةَ الفِجاجِ

    وَلَم تَضِق لَكِنَّما اِحتِياجي

    I see the worlds' pathways as narrow,

    Yet they have not narrowed; it is only my need

  22. إِلى طَريقٍ واضِحِ الشِجاجِ

    أَسلُكُ فيهِ غَيرَ ما اِنزِعاجِ

    For a road whose passages are clear,

    Along which I may travel without distress.

  23. وَحاجَتي بَِلكَوكَبِ الوَهّاجِ

    كَحاجَةِ الأَعمى إِلى سِراجِ

    And my need for the blazing star

    Is like a blind man's need for a lamp.

  24. إِن لَجَّ هَذا القَرُّ في إِحراجي

    لَأَرفَعَنَّ لِلسَما اِحتِجاجي

    If this bitter cold persists in distressing me,

    I shall surely raise my protest to the sky.