بنفسي من أجودُ له بنفسي

بنفسي من أجودُ له بنفسي

ويَبخَلُ بالتحيَّةِ والسَّلامِ

ويَبخَلُ بالتحيَّةِ والسَّلامِ

I would ransom with my life the one to whom I freely give my life,

With myself I give most generously

yet he begrudges me a greeting and salutation.

Yet he is miserly with greeting and peace

ويلقاني بِعزَّةِ مُستطيلٍ

ويلقاني بِعزَّةِ مُستطيلٍ

وألقاه بِذلَّةِ مُستهامِ

وألقاه بِذلَّةِ مُستهامِ

And he meets me with an overbearing man's pride,

And he meets me with the pride of one made haughty

and I meet him with a lovesick man's abasement.

While I meet him with the humility of one brought low

وَحَتْفِيَ كامنٌ في مُقْلتَيه

وَحَتْفِيَ كامنٌ في مُقْلتَيه

كُمونَ الموتِ في حَدِّ الحُسامِ

كُمونَ الموتِ في حَدِّ الحُسامِ

And my death lies hidden in his two eyes,

And in his eyes there lurks an ambush

as death lies hidden in the sharp sword's edge.

Like the ambush of death on the edge of a sword