1. يا نَفسِ صَبراً صَبرا

    أَما عَرِفتِ الدَهرا

    O my soul, patience, patience!

    Have you not come to know Time?

  2. لِلَّهِ مِنّي قَلبٌ

    يَقري البَلايا شُكرا

    God's is this heart of mine,

    that hosts calamities with gratitude.

  3. يا رَبُّ لَيلٍ قاسٍ

    كَأَنَّ عَلَيَّ قُرّا

    Ah, many a harsh night,

    as though bitter cold lay upon me!

  4. سَرَيتُهُ بِعَيني

    حَتّى رَأَيتُ الفَجرا

    I journeyed through it with my eyes,

    until I saw the dawn.

  5. كَأَنَّما سَناهُ

    أَطارَ عَنّي نَسرا

    As though its radiance

    sent a vulture flying away from me.

  6. وَاِستَجمَعَت هُمومي

    حَتّى مَلَأنَ الصَدرا

    And my cares gathered together

    until they filled my breast.

  7. ذاقَت مِنَ الأَعادي

    عَينايَ لَحظاً مُرّا

    From enemies they tasted—

    my eyes—a bitter glance.

  8. ضاعَ الوَفاءُ مِنهُم

    وَأَضمَروا لي الغَدرا

    Loyalty was lost among them,

    and they harbored treachery against me.

  9. يا نَفسِ لي بِقَومٍ

    كانوا كِراماً زُهرا

    O my soul, bring me a people

    who were noble and radiant.

  10. مَضَوا بِخَيرِ عُمُري

    وَتَرَكوا لِيَ الشَرّا

    They departed with the best of my life,

    and left me the worst.

  11. وَلَم أَجِد إِذا ماتوا

    لي في الحَياةِ عُذرا

    And when they died, I found no

    excuse for myself to go on living.

  12. عاشوا بِخَيرِ عَصرٍ

    سَقياً لِذاكَ عَصرا

    They lived in the finest of ages;

    rain's blessings on that age!

  13. نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ قَومي

    قَد دَفَنوا لي مَكرا

    I was told that my people

    had buried a plot for me.

  14. طالَ عَلَيهِم عُمري

    فَاِستَعجَلوا بي القَبرا

    My life had grown too long for them,

    so they sought to hurry me to the grave.

  15. رَدّوا رِدائي لَمّا

    رَأوا بَقائي فَخرا

    They returned my cloak when

    they saw my survival as a source of pride.

  16. كَأَنَّهُم بِيَومي

    فَلاتَحُثّوا العُمرا

    As though they knew my appointed day—

    so do not spur life onward.

  17. هَل لِلأَغَرِّ ذَنبٌ

    إِن لَم يَكونوا غُرّا

    Is the bright-browed one at fault

    if they are not bright-browed?

  18. أَغمَدتُ عَنكُمُ سَيفي

    وَقَد مَلَكتُ النَصرا

    I sheathed my sword, sparing you,

    though victory was already mine,

  19. صِيانَةً وَعَطفاً

    لِرَحِمي وَغَفرا

    out of care and tenderness

    for my kin, and out of forgiveness.

  20. وَليسَ كُلُّ وَقتٍ

    يُطفِئُ ماءٌ جَمرا

    And not at every moment

    does water quench embers.

  21. أَإِن أَلَمَّ دَهرٌ

    جاءَ بِكُم وَسُرّا

    Is it because a turn of fortune came,

    bringing you forth and rejoicing,

  22. كَفَّرتُمُ كَريماً

    حَنَّ لَكُم وَدَرّا

    that you were ungrateful to a generous man

    who cherished you and poured out bounty?

  23. أَتعَبتُمُ يَدَيهِ

    بِالقَلَباتِ دَهرا

    You wore out his hands

    with reversals, for so long.

  24. وَمَهمَهٍ رَحيبٍ

    ظَمآنَ يُضني السَفَرا

    And many a broad, trackless desert,

    thirsty, exhausting travelers,

  25. يَخطِرُ في فَلاةٍ

    مَوجُ السَحابِ خَطَرا

    where, in the wilderness, sways

    a wave of cloud in stately motion,

  26. فَاِبتَلَعَ المَطايا

    مَعَ الحُداةِ شَهرا

    then swallowed the riding camels

    with their drivers for a month.

  27. كَم مِن عَبيدِ دارٍ

    ظَعَنتُ عَنهُم حُرّا

    How many slaves of a household

    have I left behind a free man,

  28. ذا خُلُقٍ كَريمٍ

    لَم يُبقِ فيهِم عَقرا

    possessed of a noble character

    that left no wound among them,

  29. وَنَسَبٍ صَحيحٍ

    يَنطُقُ عَنّي جَهرا

    and of a true lineage

    that speaks aloud for me.

  30. خاضوا الظَلامَ بَعدي

    وَكُنتُ فيهِم فَجرا

    They waded into darkness after me,

    while I had been a dawn among them.