إِذا هاجَت أَخا أَسَفٍ دِيارٌ

إِذا هاجَت أَخا أَسَفٍ دِيارٌ

فَلَيتَ طُلولُ دارِكَ لَم تَهِجني

فَلَيتَ طُلولُ دارِكَ لَم تَهِجني

When dwellings stir a man of sorrow,

When dwellings stir a man of sorrow,

would that the ruins of your dwelling had never stirred me.

then would that your home's ruins had not stirred me!

إِذا خَلَجَت بَوارِقُ في هَزيعٍ

إِذا خَلَجَت بَوارِقُ في هَزيعٍ

دَعَوتُ فَقُلتُ يا مَوتُ اِختَلِجني

دَعَوتُ فَقُلتُ يا مَوتُ اِختَلِجني

When lightning flashes dart through a watch of night,

When lightning flashes quiver in a watch of night,

I cry out: “O Death, snatch me away!”

I call out and say: O Death, snatch me away!

أَتَأسى النَفسُ لِلجُثمانِ يَبلى

أَتَأسى النَفسُ لِلجُثمانِ يَبلى

وَهَل أَسِيَ الحَيا لِفِراقِ دَجنِ

وَهَل أَسِيَ الحَيا لِفِراقِ دَجنِ

Does the soul grieve for the body as it decays?

Does the soul grieve for the body as it decays?

Did rain ever grieve to leave its dark cloud?

And has rain grieved at parting from dark clouds?

وَما ضَرَّ الحَمامَةَ كَسرُ ضَنكٍ

وَما ضَرَّ الحَمامَةَ كَسرُ ضَنكٍ

مِنَ الأَقفاصِ كانَ أَضَرَّ سِجِنِ

مِنَ الأَقفاصِ كانَ أَضَرَّ سِجِنِ

The dove was not harmed when a cramped cage broke;

And the dove was unharmed by the breaking of a cramped cage—

imprisonment had been the greater harm.

among cages, it had been the most harmful prison.

أَعوذُ بِخالِقي مِن أَن يَراني

أَعوذُ بِخالِقي مِن أَن يَراني

كَشاكِ النَبتِ لا يُجنى وَيَجني

كَشاكِ النَبتِ لا يُجنى وَيَجني

I seek refuge in my Creator from His seeing me

I seek refuge with my Creator lest He see me

like a thorny plant—never gathered for fruit, yet doing harm;

like thorny growth, yielding no harvest yet doing harm,

كَمَمطورِ القَتادَةِ يَتَّقينا

كَمَمطورِ القَتادَةِ يَتَّقينا

بِآلاتٍ مُقَوَّسَةٍ وَحُجنِ

بِآلاتٍ مُقَوَّسَةٍ وَحُجنِ

like a rain-drenched qatād thornbush, guarding itself against us

like a rain-soaked qatād thornbush, warding us off

with implements curved and hooked.

with curved and hooked implements.

أُزَجّي العَيشَ مُعتَرِفاً بِضُعفٍ

أُزَجّي العَيشَ مُعتَرِفاً بِضُعفٍ

أُنافي القَولَ في عَرَبٍ وَهُجنِ

أُنافي القَولَ في عَرَبٍ وَهُجنِ

I eke out my life, acknowledging my weakness,

I carry on living, admitting weakness,

voicing dissent among the purebred and the mixed;

I reject talk of Arabs and those of mixed descent;

فَإِنَّ الطَيرَ يُقنِعُهُنَّ وِردٌ

فَإِنَّ الطَيرَ يُقنِعُهُنَّ وِردٌ

عَلى ما كانَ مِن صَفوٍ وَأَجنِ

عَلى ما كانَ مِن صَفوٍ وَأَجنِ

for birds are satisfied with whatever water they reach,

for a drink of water satisfies the birds,

whether it is limpid or stagnant.

whether it be clear or stale.