مَن لي بِأَنّي وَحيدٌ لا يُصاحِبُني

مَن لي بِأَنّي وَحيدٌ لا يُصاحِبُني

حَيٌّ سِوى اللَهِ لا جِنٌّ وَلا أَنَسُ

حَيٌّ سِوى اللَهِ لا جِنٌّ وَلا أَنَسُ

Who will grant me solitude, with none to accompany me—

Who will sympathize that I'm alone with no companion?

No living being but God, neither jinn nor humankind?

None alive but God, no jinn or human.

أَمّا الظِباءُ فَقَد أَودى الزَمانُ بِها

أَمّا الظِباءُ فَقَد أَودى الزَمانُ بِها

فَما نَراها وَلَكِن هَذِهِ الكُنُسُ

فَما نَراها وَلَكِن هَذِهِ الكُنُسُ

As for the gazelles, time has done away with them;

The antelopes are gone, time has taken them.

So we see them no more; yet here are their lairs.

We see them no more, only these frail huts.

فَكَيفَ لا تُخبُثُ النَفسُ الَّتي جُعِلَت

فَكَيفَ لا تُخبُثُ النَفسُ الَّتي جُعِلَت

مِن جِسمِها في وِعاءٍ كُلُّهُ دَنَسُ

مِن جِسمِها في وِعاءٍ كُلُّهُ دَنَسُ

So how can the soul not grow foul, having been placed

How can a soul not grow base

In a vessel made of its body, all of it filth?

Whose body is a vessel of nothing but filth?

رَأَيتُ فِتيانَ قَومي عانِسي حَذَرٍ

رَأَيتُ فِتيانَ قَومي عانِسي حَذَرٍ

إِنّ الفُتوّ إِذا لَم يَنكِحوا عَنَسوا

إِنّ الفُتوّ إِذا لَم يَنكِحوا عَنَسوا

I saw the young men of my people lingering unwed out of fear;

I've seen the young men of my tribe, aloof and wary.

Indeed, if young men do not marry, they grow old unwed.

The youth who do not marry grow perverse.

سلَكتُ طُرُقَ المَعالي ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَهُم

سلَكتُ طُرُقَ المَعالي ثُمَّ قُلتُ لَهُم

سيروا وَرائي فَلَمّا شارَفوا خَنَسوا

سيروا وَرائي فَلَمّا شارَفوا خَنَسوا

I trod the paths to greatness, then said to them:

I walked the paths of glory then said to them,

“Walk behind me!” But when they drew near, they shrank back.

"Follow me," but when the heights came in view they slunk away.