عفَتْ عني الخطوبُ به ولولا

عفَتْ عني الخطوبُ به ولولا

أياديه لَصِرتُ إلى العَفاءِ

أياديه لَصِرتُ إلى العَفاءِ

Calamities spared me through him; and were it not for

The misfortunes have turned away from me because of him, and were it not for

His favors, I would have come to ruin.

His hands, I would have fallen into ruin.

أرى الأيامَ تقصِدُني بكيدٍ

أرى الأيامَ تقصِدُني بكيدٍ

يقصِّرُ عنده كيدُ النِّساءِ

يقصِّرُ عنده كيدُ النِّساءِ

I see the days target me with guile

I see the days plotting against me with cunning,

Beside which the guile of women falls short.

Which falls short in their view of women's cunning.

وما لي بالعدوِّ يدٌ إذا ما

وما لي بالعدوِّ يدٌ إذا ما

رماني بالشجاعةِ والدَّهاءِ

رماني بالشجاعةِ والدَّهاءِ

And I have no power against the enemy when

And I have no arms against an enemy when

He assails me with courage and cunning.

He assaults me with courage and cunning.

كُفِيتُ من الحوادثِ كلَّ خطبٍ

كُفِيتُ من الحوادثِ كلَّ خطبٍ

شديدِ البطشِ مكروهِ اللِّقاءِ

شديدِ البطشِ مكروهِ اللِّقاءِ

I have been spared every calamity that events bring—

I've had enough of troubles, every severe misfortune

Fierce in its assault, dreadful to encounter.

Of fierce aggression and hated encounter.

فما كشفَ القناعَ له قنوعي

فما كشفَ القناعَ له قنوعي

ولا ملَّ الحياةَ له حيائي

ولا ملَّ الحياةَ له حيائي

So my begging did not lift the veil before it,

So my contentment has not uncovered its mask for it,

Nor did my modesty grow weary of life because of it.

Nor has my shyness filled life with boredom for it.