أَلا لَيتَ شِعري ما دَرى البابُ أَنَّني

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري ما دَرى البابُ أَنَّني

إِلى البابِ سار أَو إِلى البابِ داخِلُ

إِلى البابِ سار أَو إِلى البابِ داخِلُ

Ah, would that I knew! The gate did not know that I

Alas! If only my door knew

am journeying to the gate, or entering the gate.

Whether to it I walked, or through it entered

وَلَو قَنِعَ الشُجعانُ بِالمَوتِ بَينَهُم

وَلَو قَنِعَ الشُجعانُ بِالمَوتِ بَينَهُم

لأَعوَزَ في يَومِ الوَغى مَن يُقاتِلُ

لأَعوَزَ في يَومِ الوَغى مَن يُقاتِلُ

And if the brave were content with death among them,

And if the valiant were content with death amongst them

someone to fight would be lacking on the day of battle.

Then who in days of strife would battle?

فَما غفلَتي إِنّي مَعَ اليَومِ سائِرٌ

فَما غفلَتي إِنّي مَعَ اليَومِ سائِرٌ

وَيا وَيلَتي إِنّي مَعَ الغَدِ واصِلُ

وَيا وَيلَتي إِنّي مَعَ الغَدِ واصِلُ

So how heedless I am! Indeed, I journey with today,

My heedlessness matters not, for I walk with today

and woe to me! Indeed, I shall arrive with tomorrow.

And oh my sorrow! Tomorrow I arrive

وَبَحرٍ عَدَت فيهِ عَنِ الدُرِّ لُجَّةٌ

وَبَحرٍ عَدَت فيهِ عَنِ الدُرِّ لُجَّةٌ

وَأَبعَدَ فيهِ لِلسَلامَةِ ساحِلُ

وَأَبعَدَ فيهِ لِلسَلامَةِ ساحِلُ

And a sea where deep waters barred the way to pearls,

A sea whose pearls are lost in turbid depths

and where a shore of safety lay far away.

And safety's shore is distant from its sailor

أَلا لَيتَ لي جَهلاً بِهِ العَيشُ طَيِّبٌ

أَلا لَيتَ لي جَهلاً بِهِ العَيشُ طَيِّبٌ

وَلا عَيشَ إِلّا عَيشُ مَن هُوَ جاهِلُ

وَلا عَيشَ إِلّا عَيشُ مَن هُوَ جاهِلُ

Ah, if only I had ignorance that made life sweet!

If only I had ignorance in which life was sweet

And there is no life except the life of one who is ignorant.

For there is no life, but life ignorant and unknowing