عسى ولعل طيِّبتا حياتي

عسى ولعل طيِّبتا حياتي

وصاحبتاهما حتى وسوفا

وصاحبتاهما حتى وسوفا

'May it be' and 'perhaps' are my life's two delights;

Mayhope and perhaps sweeten my life

and their two companions are 'until' and 'will.'

And be with them both even and maybe

تبشرني بروح الله بشرى

تبشرني بروح الله بشرى

تشوف عن القلوب الهم شوفا

تشوف عن القلوب الهم شوفا

They bring me glad news of God's relief,

Give me good news of the spirit of God

that scours sorrow clean from hearts.

Looking away from hearts worries looking away

ولولا أنها لي مستراح

ولولا أنها لي مستراح

ظللت محالفاً حزناً وخوفا

ظللت محالفاً حزناً وخوفا

And were it not a refuge for me,

And if it weren't a refuge for me

I would have remained allied with sorrow and fear,

I would have remained afflicted with grief and fear

وذاف لي القنوط لذيذَ عيش

وذاف لي القنوط لذيذَ عيش

بمر الصاب والذِّيفان ذوفا

بمر الصاب والذِّيفان ذوفا

and despair would have mixed life's sweetness for me

The sweetness of life flowed to me

with bitter spurge sap and deadly poison, through and through.

With the bitterness of patience and affliction

إذا ولما جشمت ولا ركابي

إذا ولما جشمت ولا ركابي

رجاء الخير تجوالاً وطوفا

رجاء الخير تجوالاً وطوفا

And then neither I nor my riding camels would have endured

Whenever I smell no footprints

roaming and wandering in hope of good.

Of good hope wandering and floating around

أرى الشيطان يوعدني شروراً

أرى الشيطان يوعدني شروراً

ووعد الله بالخيرات أوفى

ووعد الله بالخيرات أوفى

I see Satan threatening me with evils,

I see Satan promising me evil

and God's promise of good things is more surely kept.

But God's promise of good is more faithful