أصابَتْكَ يا عيْنُ عيْنُ الحَسَدْ

أصابَتْكَ يا عيْنُ عيْنُ الحَسَدْ

فتَجْرُ النّدى والنّدامَى كَسَدْ

فتَجْرُ النّدى والنّدامَى كَسَدْ

The eye of envy has struck you, O eye;

Envy's eye has stricken you, O mine eye,

so the commerce of generosity and boon companions has languished.

So you shed tears and regrets ceaselessly.

وُكِلت لكُلِّ شَهيرٍ خَطيرٍ

وُكِلت لكُلِّ شَهيرٍ خَطيرٍ

فقُمْتَ بهِ وسَدَدْتَ المَسَدْ

فقُمْتَ بهِ وسَدَدْتَ المَسَدْ

You were entrusted with every notable, weighty task;

You were tasked with every perilous affair,

so you rose to it and filled the breach.

And accomplished it, mending all breaches.

ولمّا علَوْتَ وقُدْتَ الزّمانَ

ولمّا علَوْتَ وقُدْتَ الزّمانَ

بحَبْلٍ فأوْهَقْتَهُ منْ مَسَدْ

بحَبْلٍ فأوْهَقْتَهُ منْ مَسَدْ

And when you rose high and led Time

When you rose up high and led the times

with a rope of palm fiber, and so ensnared it,

With a rope, felling it from its eyrie,

رأى أسَداً منْ أُسودِ الرِّجالِ

رأى أسَداً منْ أُسودِ الرِّجالِ

لِذاكَ رَماكَ بِداءِ الأسَدْ

لِذاكَ رَماكَ بِداءِ الأسَدْ

it saw a lion among the lions of men;

A lion among the bravest of men saw

therefore it struck you with the lion's disease (leprosy).

A lion, so smote you with the lion's sickness.

تعَزَّ فَما ثَمَّ منْ كائِنٍ

تعَزَّ فَما ثَمَّ منْ كائِنٍ

يُصاحِبُهُ الكوْنُ إلا فَسَدْ

يُصاحِبُهُ الكوْنُ إلا فَسَدْ

Take comfort: there is no being

You grew insolent, so nothing in existence

that keeps company with the world without decaying.

Could be your companion but corruption.

وقدْ يتأتّى صَلاحُ النّفوسِ

وقدْ يتأتّى صَلاحُ النّفوسِ

وتَطْهيرُها بفَسادِ الجَسَدْ

وتَطْهيرُها بفَسادِ الجَسَدْ

And the healing of souls may come about,

Yet the purification of souls may come about

and their purification, through the body's decay.

Through the body's decay—this is the creed.