لولا أبو الفَرَجِ الذي فُرِّجَتْ به

لولا أبو الفَرَجِ الذي فُرِّجَتْ به

كُرَبي لما جَفَّتْ لُبُودُ جِيَادي

كُرَبي لما جَفَّتْ لُبُودُ جِيَادي

Were it not for Abu al-Faraj, through whom my afflictions were relieved,

Were it not for Abu al-Faraj, who relieved

My steeds’ saddle-felts would never have dried;

my troubles, my steeds' felt saddlecloths would never have dried.

ولجلتُ آفاقَ البلادِ وجُبْتُها

ولجلتُ آفاقَ البلادِ وجُبْتُها

حتى أُكَثِّرَ بالغني حُسَّادي

حتى أُكَثِّرَ بالغني حُسَّادي

And I would have roamed the farthest reaches of the lands and traversed them,

And I would have roamed the horizons of the lands and traversed them,

So that, through wealth, I might multiply my enviers.

Until I multiplied my enviers through wealth.

لكن سَبَقَتُ به الثراءَ ففاتَني

لكن سَبَقَتُ به الثراءَ ففاتَني

وعَجِلَتُ قَبْلَ المالِ بالأوْلادِ

وعَجِلَتُ قَبْلَ المالِ بالأوْلادِ

But I brought him before wealth, and wealth eluded me;

But I had him before wealth, and so it eluded me,

I hastened to have children before I had money.

And I hastened to have children before I had money.

خالفتُ ما جاء الكتابُ بنصّهِ

خالفتُ ما جاء الكتابُ بنصّهِ

فلذاكَ قد مَلَكَ الزّمانُ قِيَادي

فلذاكَ قد مَلَكَ الزّمانُ قِيَادي

I contravened what the Book declares in its very text,

I went against what the Book expressly stated,

And for that, Time has seized my reins.

And therefore Time has taken possession of my reins.