أَلا خَبِرٌ بِمُنتَزِحِ النَواحي

أَلا خَبِرٌ بِمُنتَزِحِ النَواحي

أَطيرُ إِلَيهِ مَنشورَ الجَناحِ

أَطيرُ إِلَيهِ مَنشورَ الجَناحِ

Is there some knowledgeable soul in the farthest reaches,

Is there no learned man in the distant reaches,

To whom I might fly with wings outspread,

to whom I could fly with outspread wing,

فَأَسأَلَهُ وَأُلطِفَهُ عَساهُ

فَأَسأَلَهُ وَأُلطِفَهُ عَساهُ

سَيَأسو ما بِديني مِن جِراحِ

سَيَأسو ما بِديني مِن جِراحِ

That I might ask him and gently entreat him, in hope

then ask him and treat him kindly, hoping he

That he will heal the wounds afflicting my faith,

will heal the wounds within my faith,

وَيَجلو ما دَجا مِن لَيلِ جَهلي

وَيَجلو ما دَجا مِن لَيلِ جَهلي

بِنورِ هُدىً كَمُنبَلِجِ الصَباحِ

بِنورِ هُدىً كَمُنبَلِجِ الصَباحِ

And dispel the darkness that has gathered from my night of ignorance

and dispel the darkness of my ignorance's night

With the light of guidance, like the breaking dawn?

with guidance's light, like the breaking dawn?

فَأَبصُقُ في مُحَيّا أُمِّ دَفرٍ

فَأَبصُقُ في مُحَيّا أُمِّ دَفرٍ

وَأَهجُرُها وَأَدفَعُها بِراحي

وَأَهجُرُها وَأَدفَعُها بِراحي

Then I shall spit in the face of the foul “Mother of Stench,”

Then I would spit in the face of Umm Dafr, the Mother of Stench,

Forsake her, and thrust her away with my palm;

and forsake her and push her away with my palms,

وَأَصحو مِن حُمَيّاها وَأَسلو

وَأَصحو مِن حُمَيّاها وَأَسلو

عَفافاً عَن جَآذِرِها المِلاحِ

عَفافاً عَن جَآذِرِها المِلاحِ

I shall sober from her intoxication and cease yearning,

and sober from her heady wine, and cease to yearn,

Chastely shunning her lovely gazelles;

out of chastity, for her lovely wild-cow calves;

وَأَصرِفُ هِمَّتي بِالكُلِّ عَنها

وَأَصرِفُ هِمَّتي بِالكُلِّ عَنها

إِلى دارِ السَعادَةِ وَالنَجاحِ

إِلى دارِ السَعادَةِ وَالنَجاحِ

And turn my whole resolve away from her

and turn my resolve entirely away from her

Toward the abode of happiness and salvation.

toward the abode of happiness and success.

أَفي السِتِّينِ أَهجَعُ في مَقيلي

أَفي السِتِّينِ أَهجَعُ في مَقيلي

وَحادي المَوتِ يوقِظُ لِلرَواحِ

وَحادي المَوتِ يوقِظُ لِلرَواحِ

At sixty, shall I doze through my noonday rest

Do I slumber at sixty in my noonday resting-place,

While the herald of death rouses me to depart?

while death's camel-driver rouses me to depart?

وَقَد نَشَرَ الزَمانُ لِواءَ شَيبي

وَقَد نَشَرَ الزَمانُ لِواءَ شَيبي

لِيَطويني وَيَسلُبَني وِشاحي

لِيَطويني وَيَسلُبَني وِشاحي

Time has already unfurled the banner of my gray hair

And time has unfurled the banner of my gray hair,

To fold me away and strip me of my sash.

to fold me up and rob me of my sash.

وَقَد سَلَّ الحِمامُ عَلَيَّ نَصلاً

وَقَد سَلَّ الحِمامُ عَلَيَّ نَصلاً

سَيَقتُلُني وَإِن شاكَت سِلاحي

سَيَقتُلُني وَإِن شاكَت سِلاحي

Death has already drawn a blade against me

And death has drawn a blade against me:

That will kill me, however keen my weapons may be;

it will kill me, even if my weapons are sharp.

وَيَحمِلُني إِلى الأَجداثِ صَحبي

وَيَحمِلُني إِلى الأَجداثِ صَحبي

إِلى ضيقٍ هُناكَ أَو اِنفِساحِ

إِلى ضيقٍ هُناكَ أَو اِنفِساحِ

And my companions will carry me to the graves,

And my companions will carry me to the graves,

There to confinement—or to spaciousness.

to confinement there, or spaciousness.

فَأُجزى الخَيرَ إِن قَدَّمتُ خَيراً

فَأُجزى الخَيرَ إِن قَدَّمتُ خَيراً

وَشَرّاً إِن جُزيتُ عَلى اِجتِراحي

وَشَرّاً إِن جُزيتُ عَلى اِجتِراحي

I shall be rewarded with good if I have sent good ahead,

Then I shall be rewarded with good if I have sent good ahead,

And with evil if I am repaid for my wrongdoing.

and evil, if I am requited for my wrongdoing.

وَها أَنا ذا عَلى عِلمي بِهَذا

وَها أَنا ذا عَلى عِلمي بِهَذا

بَطيءُ الشَأوِ في سُنَنِ الصَلاحِ

بَطيءُ الشَأوِ في سُنَنِ الصَلاحِ

Yet here I am, despite knowing this,

Yet here I am, despite my knowledge of this,

Making slow progress along the paths of righteousness,

slow of pace on the paths of righteousness.

وَليَّ شَأوٌ بِمَيدانِ الخَطايا

وَليَّ شَأوٌ بِمَيدانِ الخَطايا

بَعيدٌ لا يُبارى بِالرِياحِ

بَعيدٌ لا يُبارى بِالرِياحِ

While in the arena of sins I have a course

Yet my stride in the racecourse of sins

So far that even the winds cannot rival it.

is far-reaching, unmatched by the winds.

فَلَو أَنّي نَظَرتُ بِعَينِ عَقلي

فَلَو أَنّي نَظَرتُ بِعَينِ عَقلي

إِذَن لَقَطَعتُ دَهري بِالنِياحِ

إِذَن لَقَطَعتُ دَهري بِالنِياحِ

If only I had looked with the eye of reason,

For had I looked with the eye of my reason,

I would have spent my lifetime wailing;

then I would have spent my lifetime in lamentation,

وَلَم أَسحَب ذُيولي في التَصابي

وَلَم أَسحَب ذُيولي في التَصابي

وَلَم أَطرَب بِغانِيَةٍ رَداحِ

وَلَم أَطرَب بِغانِيَةٍ رَداحِ

I would not have trailed my hems in youthful folly,

and not trailed my hems in youthful dalliance,

Nor delighted in a voluptuous beauty.

nor delighted in an ample-hipped beauty.

وَكُنتُ اليَومَ أَوّاباً مُنيباً

وَكُنتُ اليَومَ أَوّاباً مُنيباً

لَعَلِّيَ أَن تَفوزَ غَداً قِداحي

لَعَلِّيَ أَن تَفوزَ غَداً قِداحي

Today I would have been ever-returning, turning penitently to God,

And today I would be ever-repentant, turning back to God,

So that perhaps my lot might win tomorrow.

hoping that tomorrow my lot-casting arrows might win.

إِذا ما كُنتُ مَكبولَ الخَطايا

إِذا ما كُنتُ مَكبولَ الخَطايا

وَعانِيَها فَمَن لِيَ بِالبَراحِ

وَعانِيَها فَمَن لِيَ بِالبَراحِ

When I am shackled by sins

If I am shackled by sins

And held captive by them, who will grant me release?

and held their captive, who will secure my release?

فَهَل مِن تَوبَةٍ مِنها نَصوحٍ

فَهَل مِن تَوبَةٍ مِنها نَصوحٍ

تُطَيِّرُني وَتَأخُذُ لي سَراحي

تُطَيِّرُني وَتَأخُذُ لي سَراحي

Is there, then, any sincere repentance from them

Is there, then, any sincere repentance from them

That will make me soar away and secure my freedom?

that will make me fly and secure my release?

فَيا لَهَفي إِذا جُمِعَ البَرايا

فَيا لَهَفي إِذا جُمِعَ البَرايا

عَلى حَربي لَدَيهِم وَاِفتِضاحي

عَلى حَربي لَدَيهِم وَاِفتِضاحي

Alas for my grief when all creatures are assembled

Oh, my anguish when all creatures are gathered,

To witness the battle against me and my disgrace!

at my ruin before them and my disgrace!

وَلَولا أَنَّني أَرجو إِلَهي

وَلَولا أَنَّني أَرجو إِلَهي

وَرَحمَتَهُ يَئِستُ مِنَ الفَلاحِ

وَرَحمَتَهُ يَئِستُ مِنَ الفَلاحِ

Were it not that I place my hope in my God

And were it not for my hope in my God

And in His mercy, I would despair of salvation.

and His mercy, I would have despaired of salvation.