لا تُطيعي هَواكِ أَيَّتُها النَف

لا تُطيعي هَواكِ أَيَّتُها النَف

سُ فَنُعمى المَليكِ فينا رَبيبَه

سُ فَنُعمى المَليكِ فينا رَبيبَه

Do not obey your desire, O soul—

Do not obey your desire, O soul;

for the Sovereign’s blessing is nurtured among us.

for the Sovereign’s bounty is a foster-child among us.

وَاِبنُ جَحشٍ لَمّا تَنَصَّرَ لَم تَر

وَاِبنُ جَحشٍ لَمّا تَنَصَّرَ لَم تَر

كُن إِلى ما يَقولُ أُمُّ حَبيبَه

كُن إِلى ما يَقولُ أُمُّ حَبيبَه

When Ibn Jahsh became a Christian, she would not incline

And when Ibn Jahsh became Christian, she did not incline

except to what he said—Umm Habiba.

toward what he said—Umm Habibah.

وَبِلالٌ يَحكي اِبنَ تَمرَةَ في الخِفَّةِ

وَبِلالٌ يَحكي اِبنَ تَمرَةَ في الخِفَّةِ

أَوفى مِن عَنتَرَ اِبنِ زَبيبَه

أَوفى مِن عَنتَرَ اِبنِ زَبيبَه

Bilal, who resembles Ibn Tamra in agility,

And Bilal, resembling Ibn Tamrah in nimbleness,

is more faithful than Antara, son of Zabiba.

is more faithful than ʿAntar, son of Zabibah.

لا أُغادي مَفارِقي بِصَبيبٍ

لا أُغادي مَفارِقي بِصَبيبٍ

وَأُخَلّي وَالقَفرَ آلَ صَبيبَه

وَأُخَلّي وَالقَفرَ آلَ صَبيبَه

I do not perfume my hair-partings each morning with poured scent,

I do not anoint my hair-partings at dawn with dye,

but leave Sabiba’s clan to the wilderness.

and I leave Ṣabībah’s kin alone with the wilderness.

إِنَّ خَيراً مِن اِختِراشِ ضِبابِ الأَر

إِنَّ خَيراً مِن اِختِراشِ ضِبابِ الأَر

ضِ لِلناشِئِ اِتِّخاذُ ضَبيبَه

ضِ لِلناشِئِ اِتِّخاذُ ضَبيبَه

Better than hunting the earth’s lizards

Indeed, better than hunting the earth’s spiny-tailed lizards

for a young man is taking Ḍabība as his bride.

for a youth is preparing ḍabībah.

كَيفَ أَضحَت شَبيبَةُ القَلبِ حَمرا

كَيفَ أَضحَت شَبيبَةُ القَلبِ حَمرا

ءَ وَزالَت مِنَ السَوادِ الشَبيبَه

ءَ وَزالَت مِنَ السَوادِ الشَبيبَه

How has the heart’s youth grown red,

How has the heart’s youth turned red,

while youth has vanished from the hair’s blackness?

while youth has vanished from blackness?

فَاِلزَمي النُسكَ إِن عَلِقتِ وَفِرّي

فَاِلزَمي النُسكَ إِن عَلِقتِ وَفِرّي

مِن ذَوي الجَهلِ كَي تُعَدِّيَ لَبيبَه

مِن ذَوي الجَهلِ كَي تُعَدِّيَ لَبيبَه

So, if you become attached, cleave to devotion and flee

So cleave to devotion if you become attached, and flee

from the ignorant, that you may be counted wise.

from the ignorant, that you may be deemed wise.