لا أَخطُبُ الدُنيا إِلى مالِكِ الدُن

لا أَخطُبُ الدُنيا إِلى مالِكِ الدُن

يا وَلَكِن خُطبَتي أُختَها

يا وَلَكِن خُطبَتي أُختَها

I do not ask the world's Master for her hand;

I do not seek the world from its Master

rather, it is her sister's hand I seek.

But my plea is for its sister -

النَفسُ فيها وَهيَ مَحسودَةٌ

النَفسُ فيها وَهيَ مَحسودَةٌ

ذاتُ شَقاءٍ عَدِمَت بَختَها

ذاتُ شَقاءٍ عَدِمَت بَختَها

The soul within her, though envied,

The soul within it, though envied

is wretched, bereft of its good fortune.

Of miserable fortune, devoid of luck

وَهيَ تُقَفِّي بِالرَدى دَرَّها

وَهيَ تُقَفِّي بِالرَدى دَرَّها

كَما تَقَفَّت بِالرَدى بُختَها

كَما تَقَفَّت بِالرَدى بُختَها

And she follows her bounty with death,

Wandering in sadness, its jewels cast away

as she pursued her Bactrian camels with death.

As its fortune was long ago cast away

ما أُمُّ دَفرٍ أُمُّ طيبٍ وَلَو

ما أُمُّ دَفرٍ أُمُّ طيبٍ وَلَو

أَنَّكَ بِالعَنبَرِ ضَمَّختَها

أَنَّكَ بِالعَنبَرِ ضَمَّختَها

Mother of Stench is no Mother of Fragrance, even if

Be it musk or perfume, it matters not

you were to anoint her with ambergris.

For, with ambergris, you could anoint it