قد جنى لي الزمانُ أعظمَ ذنبٍ

قد جنى لي الزمانُ أعظمَ ذنبٍ

وغدا عنه شاعلي أن يتوبا

وغدا عنه شاعلي أن يتوبا

Time has committed the gravest sin against me,

Time has committed against me the greatest sin,

And repenting of it became [unclear in the supplied text].

And tomorrow has resolved to repent from it.

بخطوب يقولُ مَن قد عنته

بخطوب يقولُ مَن قد عنته

هكذا تُفحِمُ الخُطوبُ الخَطيبا

هكذا تُفحِمُ الخُطوبُ الخَطيبا

With calamities whose sufferer says:

With misfortunes that say to him whom they have afflicted:

“Thus do calamities strike the orator dumb.”

Thus misfortunes silence the orator.

ليت شعري بما اعتذارُ مُحبٍّ

ليت شعري بما اعتذارُ مُحبٍّ

قد بدا منه ما يسوء الحبيبا

قد بدا منه ما يسوء الحبيبا

If only I knew how a lover might apologize,

Would that I knew how the lover might apologize

Having shown what grieves his beloved.

When that which disgraces the beloved has appeared from him.

فتأمل في قصتي وتعجَّب

فتأمل في قصتي وتعجَّب

أفهل هكذا رأيت عجيبا

أفهل هكذا رأيت عجيبا

So ponder my story and marvel:

So reflect upon my story and be amazed -

Have you ever seen a marvel like this?

Have you ever seen anything more wondrous?

أنا مستغفرٌ وقد أذنب الدهرُ

أنا مستغفرٌ وقد أذنب الدهرُ

نأى معرضاً وجئت منيبا

نأى معرضاً وجئت منيبا

I seek forgiveness, though Time has sinned;

I seek forgiveness when time has sinned.

It withdrew, turning away, while I came repentant.

It has turned away, rejecting, while I came repenting.

فتجاوز بفضلِ صفحِك عمَّن

فتجاوز بفضلِ صفحِك عمَّن

لسوى الصفحِ لم يجيء مُستنيبا

لسوى الصفحِ لم يجيء مُستنيبا

So, through your gracious pardon, forgive one

So overlook, by your gracious pardon, him

Who came in repentance, seeking only pardon.

Who has come repentant, though undeserving of pardon.

ثم هب لي جناية الدهرِ يا من

ثم هب لي جناية الدهرِ يا من

لم يلد مثلَك الزمانُ وهوبا

لم يلد مثلَك الزمانُ وهوبا

Then grant me pardon for Time's offense, O you

Then forgive me the sins of time, O You whom

Whose equal in generosity Time has never borne.

Time has never spawned an equal, though eons have lapsed.