يَسَعني عَنكَ تَأَخيري أَيا مَن

يَسَعني عَنكَ تَأَخيري أَيا مَن

جُعِلتُ فِداءَهُ بابٌ وَعُذرُ

جُعِلتُ فِداءَهُ بابٌ وَعُذرُ

My delay away from you is excusable, O you

My delay excuses me to you, O one

Whose ransom I would be—a door and an excuse.

Whom I would ransom with door and excuse

بُليتُ بِكاشِحٍ مِا مِنهُ بُدٌّ

بُليتُ بِكاشِحٍ مِا مِنهُ بُدٌّ

وَرَبعٌ فيهِ سَجّانٌ وَأَسرُ

وَرَبعٌ فيهِ سَجّانٌ وَأَسرُ

I am afflicted with a spiteful foe whom I cannot escape,

I am afflicted with overwhelming adversity

And a dwelling containing a jailer and captivity.

In which is a jailer and captivity

كَأَنّي يونُسٌ وَالرَبعُ حوتٌ

كَأَنّي يونُسٌ وَالرَبعُ حوتٌ

وَمَن حَولي وقيتَ الشَرَّ بَحرُ

وَمَن حَولي وقيتَ الشَرَّ بَحرُ

I am like Yunus, and the dwelling is a whale,

As if I were Jonah and the confinement a whale

And those around me—may you be spared evil—are a sea.

And those around me a sea that guards against harm