لا أَنتَ تُعطيني وَلا أَنا أَسأَلُ

لا أَنتَ تُعطيني وَلا أَنا أَسأَلُ

وَالصَبرُ يَعجِزُ وَالضَرورَةُ تَحمِلُ

وَالصَبرُ يَعجِزُ وَالضَرورَةُ تَحمِلُ

Neither do you give to me, nor do I ask.

You give me nothing, nor do I ask,

And patience fails, and need drives me on.

Patience fails, necessity compels,

وَالبابُ يَهتِكُ سِترَ حالي سِترُهُ

وَالبابُ يَهتِكُ سِترَ حالي سِترُهُ

لا أَنتَ تَصرِفُني وَلا أَنا أَدخُلُ

لا أَنتَ تَصرِفُني وَلا أَنا أَدخُلُ

And the door's veil tears away the veil of my plight.

The door rips away the veil of my state,

Neither do you send me away, nor do I enter.

You do not let me in, nor do I enter,

وَالمَوتُ مِن بَعضِ الحَياةِ عَلى الَّذي

وَالمَوتُ مِن بَعضِ الحَياةِ عَلى الَّذي

قاسَيتُ مِن كُلِّ الضَرورَةِ أَسهَلُ

قاسَيتُ مِن كُلِّ الضَرورَةِ أَسهَلُ

And death, compared with some forms of life, given what

Death is easier than some life

I have suffered from every hardship, is easier.

I have endured the harshest necessity,

ما كُنتُ ذا ثِقَةٍ فَأَخجَلَ خائِباً

ما كُنتُ ذا ثِقَةٍ فَأَخجَلَ خائِباً

بَل كُنتُ ذا ثِقَةٍ بِأَنِّيَ أَخجَلُ

بَل كُنتُ ذا ثِقَةٍ بِأَنِّيَ أَخجَلُ

I was not confident, only to feel ashamed in disappointment;

I had no confidence to be shamed failing,

Rather, I was confident that I would feel ashamed.

Rather I had confidence I would fail,

وَلَقَد هَمَمتُ بِفِعلِ ما أَجلَلتُكُم

وَلَقَد هَمَمتُ بِفِعلِ ما أَجلَلتُكُم

عَن ذِكرِهِ وَتَرَكتُهُ وَسَأَفعَلُ

عَن ذِكرِهِ وَتَرَكتُهُ وَسَأَفعَلُ

And indeed I considered doing what I respected you too much

And I considered doing what I spared you

To mention; I left it undone, and I shall do it.

Mentioning, and left it, and will do it,

في كُلِّ وادٍ هِمتُ لَكِن لَم يَكُن

في كُلِّ وادٍ هِمتُ لَكِن لَم يَكُن

مِنها وَراءَ الغَيثِ وادٍ مُبقِل

مِنها وَراءَ الغَيثِ وادٍ مُبقِل

In every valley I wandered, yet there was not

In every valley I intended, but none

Among them a valley green without rain.

Beyond the rain were valleys flowering,

أَفَتَطمَعونَ بِأَنَّ ذِكراً مُخصِباً

أَفَتَطمَعونَ بِأَنَّ ذِكراً مُخصِباً

مِن عِندِ سُحبٍ ما تُنالُ فَتَهطِلُ

مِن عِندِ سُحبٍ ما تُنالُ فَتَهطِلُ

Do you then expect fertile praise

Do you hope that fertile talk

From clouds that receive nothing to make them pour?

From unobtainable clouds will pour down?

وَالحاصِلُ المَعلومُ مِن قَصدي لَكُم

وَالحاصِلُ المَعلومُ مِن قَصدي لَكُم

أَنّي عَلى مَعلومِكُم لا أَحصُلُ

أَنّي عَلى مَعلومِكُم لا أَحصُلُ

And the known outcome of my coming to you

The upshot you know of my intention

Is that I do not obtain the allowance you grant.

Is that I cannot obtain your knowledge,

ما لي طَريقٌ رَكِبتُ وَمَركَبي

ما لي طَريقٌ رَكِبتُ وَمَركَبي

رِجلي وَلا لي حينَ أَنزِلُ مَنزِلُ

رِجلي وَلا لي حينَ أَنزِلُ مَنزِلُ

I have no road; I have ridden, and my mount

I have no road I travel, no ship

Is my foot; nor do I have a home when I alight.

My feet, no camp when I alight,

وَإِذا السِهامُ شَرَعتُ في إِنفاذِها

وَإِذا السِهامُ شَرَعتُ في إِنفاذِها

قالَ الحِجا اِسمَع ما يَقولُ المَقتَلُ

قالَ الحِجا اِسمَع ما يَقولُ المَقتَلُ

And when I begin to loose the arrows,

And when I loose my arrows, slaughter

Reason says: 'Hear what the vulnerable spot says.'

Itself says "Listen to what the killed says!"