مولايَ قد نامت عيون

مولايَ قد نامت عيون

وتيقظت أيضا عيون

وتيقظت أيضا عيون

My Lord, some eyes have fallen asleep,

My Lord, some eyes have fallen asleep,

and other eyes too have awakened.

and some eyes have awakened too.

نامت عيون الخائنين

نامت عيون الخائنين

وعيون نجمك لا تخون

وعيون نجمك لا تخون

The eyes of traitors have fallen asleep,

The eyes of traitors have fallen asleep,

but the eyes of Your star never betray.

and your star's eyes do not betray.

ترنو الينا وهي سا

ترنو الينا وهي سا

هية عن الدنيا الخؤون

هية عن الدنيا الخؤون

They gaze toward us, while remaining

They gaze at us, heedless

heedless of this treacherous world.

of the treacherous world.

أتراه أذهلها جلا

أتراه أذهلها جلا

ل الله أم مر القرون

ل الله أم مر القرون

Do you suppose they were stunned by the majesty

Could it be that they are dazed by the majesty

of God—or by the passing of the ages?

of God, or by the passing of centuries?

أم أن من فوق الثرى

أم أن من فوق الثرى

لا يسمعون ولا يعون

لا يسمعون ولا يعون

Or is it that those upon the earth

Or is it that those upon the earth

neither hear nor understand?

neither hear nor understand?

ما بالُها سكنت رحى

ما بالُها سكنت رحى

حرب شهدناها زبون

حرب شهدناها زبون

Why, then, has the millstone fallen still—

Why has it fallen still—the millstone

the fierce war we witnessed?

of a fierce war we have witnessed?

حرب يؤجج نارها ال

حرب يؤجج نارها ال

ناس اللئام الظالمون

ناس اللئام الظالمون

A war whose fire is fanned by

A war whose fire is kindled by the

base and oppressive men.

vile, oppressive people.

يتطاحن الغرباء في

يتطاحن الغرباء في

ساحاتها والأقربون

ساحاتها والأقربون

Strangers grind one another down in

Strangers grind one another down in

its arenas—and kinsmen too.

its arenas, and close kin too.

يتطاحن الصناع

يتطاحن الصناع

والتجار والمستخدمون

والتجار والمستخدمون

Artisans grind one another down,

Craftsmen grind one another down,

as do merchants and employees.

and merchants and employees.

يتطاحن الأخوان والآباء

يتطاحن الأخوان والآباء

فيها والبنون

فيها والبنون

Brothers grind one another down, and fathers

Brothers and fathers grind one another down

within it, against their sons.

in it, and sons as well.

يتطاحنون وأنت تعرف

يتطاحنون وأنت تعرف

فيم هم يتطاحنون

فيم هم يتطاحنون

They grind one another down—and you know

They grind one another down, and you know

what it is they grind one another down over.

what they grind one another down for.

ما همهم غير البطون

ما همهم غير البطون

أهون به ملء البطون

أهون به ملء البطون

Their only concern is their bellies.

They care for nothing but bellies.

How paltry is the filling of bellies!

How paltry a thing it is, to fill bellies!

سكنوا جميعاً والحرا

سكنوا جميعاً والحرا

ك وإن يطل فإلى السكون

ك وإن يطل فإلى السكون

They have all fallen still; and motion,

They have all fallen still; and motion,

however long it lasts, tends toward stillness.

however long it lasts, leads to stillness.

قد بيتوها للصبا

قد بيتوها للصبا

ح فهل تراهم يصبحون

ح فهل تراهم يصبحون

They plotted it by night for the morning—

They have laid their plans for morning;

but do you think they will reach morning?

so, do you think they will see the morning?

يا لبيت من جهلوا

يا لبيت من جهلوا

الحقيقة بالحقيقة يحلمون

الحقيقة بالحقيقة يحلمون

O what a verse! Those who failed to grasp it—

If only those who do not know

in truth, they only dream of reality.

the truth would dream of the truth!

آمنت أنّا في السرا

آمنت أنّا في السرا

ب وفي الجهالة سابحون

ب وفي الجهالة سابحون

I have come to believe that we are amid

I have come to believe that we swim in mirage

a mirage, swimming in ignorance.

and in ignorance.

كم آية كالشمس بت

كم آية كالشمس بت

نا عن سناها معرضين

نا عن سناها معرضين

How many a sign, radiant as the sun, have

How many a sign like the sun! We have spent the night

we spent the night turning from its glow!

turning away from its radiance.

من ذا يرى هذا الجلا

من ذا يرى هذا الجلا

ل ولا يذل ولا يهون

ل ولا يذل ولا يهون

Who can behold this majesty

Who can behold this majesty

and not be humbled, not be brought low?

and not be humbled or brought low?

من ذا يرى هذا السكو

من ذا يرى هذا السكو

ن وليس يدكر المنون

ن وليس يدكر المنون

Who can behold this stillness

Who can behold this stillness

and not remember death?

and not remember death?

من ذا يرى هذا الظلا

من ذا يرى هذا الظلا

م ولا تثور له شجون

م ولا تثور له شجون

Who can behold this world

Who can behold this darkness

and not feel sorrows surge within?

without sorrows stirring within him?

لا الطير صادحة ولا

لا الطير صادحة ولا

بهرت بنضرتها الغصون

بهرت بنضرتها الغصون

No bird is singing, nor do

The birds are not singing, nor

the boughs dazzle in their freshness.

have the boughs dazzled with their freshness.

لا السوح آهلة ولا

لا السوح آهلة ولا

الأطفال ثمت يلعبون

الأطفال ثمت يلعبون

The open squares are neither bustling,

The squares are not thronged, nor

nor are children playing there.

are children playing there.

خضعوا لسلطان الكرى

خضعوا لسلطان الكرى

واستسلموا لا يشعرون

واستسلموا لا يشعرون

They have yielded to the dominion of sleep

They have bowed to the dominion of slumber,

and surrendered, all unaware.

and surrendered, unaware.

يا ويح قلب كل ذك

يا ويح قلب كل ذك

رى فيه محدثة طعون

رى فيه محدثة طعون

Alas for the heart of everyone who

Alas for a heart—every memory

saw in it the thrusts of calamity.

within it inflicts wounds!

يا ويح نفس منذ كا

يا ويح نفس منذ كا

نت وهي ترسف في سجون

نت وهي ترسف في سجون

Alas for a soul that, ever since it came

Alas for a soul that, since it came to be,

into being, has trudged in chains through prisons.

has trudged in fetters within prisons!

آمنت أن الفرد فو

آمنت أن الفرد فو

ق الأرض أحقر ما يكون

ق الأرض أحقر ما يكون

I affirm that the individual upon

I have come to believe that the individual on

the earth is as lowly as can be.

earth is as abject as can be.

مولاي لو خيرتني

مولاي لو خيرتني

لاخترت أني لا أكون

لاخترت أني لا أكون

My Lord, had You given me the choice,

My Lord, if you gave me the choice,

I would have chosen not to exist.

I would choose not to exist.

إن الذين رحمتهم

إن الذين رحمتهم

ما بالهم لا يرحمون

ما بالهم لا يرحمون

Those upon whom You have shown mercy—

Indeed, those whom you have shown mercy—

why do they show no mercy?

why do they show no mercy?

إن الظلام الحق لهو

إن الظلام الحق لهو

ظلام من لا يفقهون

ظلام من لا يفقهون

Indeed, true darkness is none but

Indeed, the true darkness is surely

the darkness of those who do not understand.

the darkness of those who do not understand.

هذا لحق مثلما

هذا لحق مثلما

أن الخلائق ينطقون

أن الخلائق ينطقون

This is surely true, just as

This is surely true, just as

surely as all created beings speak.

created beings speak.