ألا لا تَلُمنِي إن فررتُ فَإنَّنِي

ألا لا تَلُمنِي إن فررتُ فَإنَّنِي

أخَافُ على فَخَّارَتي أن تَحَطَّمَا

أخَافُ على فَخَّارَتي أن تَحَطَّمَا

Ah, do not blame me if I flee—for truly, I

Take heed: do not blame me if I flee, for I

fear that this earthen pot of mine might be shattered.

fear for my earthenware pot, lest it shatter.

فَلَو أنَّنيُ في السوقِ أبتَاع مِثلَها

فَلَو أنَّنيُ في السوقِ أبتَاع مِثلَها

وَجَدِّكَ ما بَالَيتُ أن أتَقَدَّما

وَجَدِّكَ ما بَالَيتُ أن أتَقَدَّما

For if I could buy another like it in the market,

For if I could buy its like in the market,

by your good fortune, I would not mind advancing

And by your grandfather, I would not mind advancing.

وَأيتمُ أَولاداً وأُرمِلُ نِسوَةً

وَأيتمُ أَولاداً وأُرمِلُ نِسوَةً

فَكَيفَ على هذا تَرَونَ التَّقَدُّما

فَكَيفَ على هذا تَرَونَ التَّقَدُّما

and leaving children orphaned and women widowed.

And I would leave children orphaned and women widowed;

So how, given all this, do you view advancing?

So how, in view of this, can you think I should advance?

وَلَو كان لي نَفسَانِ كُنتُ مُقاتِلاً

وَلَو كان لي نَفسَانِ كُنتُ مُقاتِلاً

بإحداهُما حتّى تَمُوتَ فأسلَمَا

بإحداهُما حتّى تَمُوتَ فأسلَمَا

If I had two lives, I would fight with one

And if I had two lives, I would fight

until it died—and then I would remain safe.

With one of them until it died, and so survive.