لَكَ رُوحِي فَاصْنَعْ بِها مَا تَشاءُ

لَكَ رُوحِي فَاصْنَعْ بِها مَا تَشاءُ

فَهْيَ مِنِّي لِناظِرَيْكَ فِداءُ

فَهْيَ مِنِّي لِناظِرَيْكَ فِداءُ

My soul is yours, so do with it as you wish.

My friend, I have your soul, do with it what you will

For I give it as a ransom for your eyes.

It is mine to give for your eyes as ransom

لا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى الصُّدُودِ فَحَسْبِي

لا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى الصُّدُودِ فَحَسْبِي

لَوْعَةٌ لا تُقِلُّها الأَحْشَاءُ

لَوْعَةٌ لا تُقِلُّها الأَحْشَاءُ

Do not consign me to rejection; enough for me is

Abandon me not to mere walls, my agony

a burning anguish my entrails cannot bear.

Is too great for my body to bear

أَنَا وَاللهِ مُنْذُ غِبْتَ عَلِيلٌ

أَنَا وَاللهِ مُنْذُ غِبْتَ عَلِيلٌ

لَيْسَ لِي غَيْرَ أَنْ أَرَاكَ دَوَاءُ

لَيْسَ لِي غَيْرَ أَنْ أَرَاكَ دَوَاءُ

I have been ailing, by God, since you went away.

Since you left I have been ill, by God

There is no remedy for me but to see you.

I have no cure but to see you again

كَيْفَ أُروِي غَلِيلَ قَلْبِي وَلَمْ يَبْ

كَيْفَ أُروِي غَلِيلَ قَلْبِي وَلَمْ يَبْ

قَ لِعَيْنِي مِنْ بَعْدِ هَجْرِكَ مَاءُ

قَ لِعَيْنِي مِنْ بَعْدِ هَجْرِكَ مَاءُ

How can I quench my heart's burning thirst, when none remains

How can I assuage my sick heart when no

of the water in my eye since you forsook me?

Water remains for my eyes since you left

فَتَرَفَّقْ بِمُهْجَةٍ شَفَّهَا الْوَجْ

فَتَرَفَّقْ بِمُهْجَةٍ شَفَّهَا الْوَجْ

دُ وَعَيْنٍ أَخْنَى عَلَيْهَا الْبُكاءُ

دُ وَعَيْنٍ أَخْنَى عَلَيْهَا الْبُكاءُ

So be gentle with a soul worn thin by longing,

Have mercy on a cheek faded by longing

and an eye ravaged by weeping.

And an eye worn by tears

أَنا رَاضٍ بِنَظْرَةٍ مِنْكَ تَشْفِي

أَنا رَاضٍ بِنَظْرَةٍ مِنْكَ تَشْفِي

بَرْحَ قَلْبٍ هاجَتْ بِهِ الأَدْوَاءُ

بَرْحَ قَلْبٍ هاجَتْ بِهِ الأَدْوَاءُ

I am content with a glance from you that heals

I would be content with a glance from you

the torment of a heart in which ailments have raged.

To heal the sickness overwhelming my heart

نَظْرَةٌ رُبَّمَا أَماتَتْ وَأَحْيَتْ

نَظْرَةٌ رُبَّمَا أَماتَتْ وَأَحْيَتْ

وَمِنَ الْخَمْرِ عِلَّةٌ وَشِفَاءُ

وَمِنَ الْخَمْرِ عِلَّةٌ وَشِفَاءُ

A glance may kill and bring to life,

A glance that could kill or revive

and from wine come sickness and healing.

For in wine lies both malady and cure

لا تَخَلْ نَمَّةَ الْوُشاةِ صَلاحاً

لا تَخَلْ نَمَّةَ الْوُشاةِ صَلاحاً

فَهْيَ داءٌ تَدْوَى بِهِ الْحَوْبَاءُ

فَهْيَ داءٌ تَدْوَى بِهِ الْحَوْبَاءُ

Do not mistake the slanderers' tale-bearing for virtue;

Do not take the sleep of the profligate for health

for it is a disease that sickens the soul.

It is a disease that consumes the deceived

وَمِنَ الناسِ مَنْ تَراهُ سَلِيماً

وَمِنَ الناسِ مَنْ تَراهُ سَلِيماً

وَبِهِ لِلْحُقُودِ داءٌ عَياءُ

وَبِهِ لِلْحُقُودِ داءٌ عَياءُ

And among people is one you see as sound,

Some men seem hale yet in them

yet he harbors an incurable disease of rancor.

Lurks a latent sickness that hates the good

فَاحْذَرِ النَّاسَ ما اسْتَطَعْتَ فَإِنَّ الن

فَاحْذَرِ النَّاسَ ما اسْتَطَعْتَ فَإِنَّ الن

ناسَ إِلاَّ أَقَلَّهُمْ أَعْدَاءُ

ناسَ إِلاَّ أَقَلَّهُمْ أَعْدَاءُ

So beware of people as best you can, for people,

So beware of people as much as you’re able

save for a very few of them, are enemies.

For most men are nothing but enemies

وَاخْتَبِرْنِي تَجِدْ صَدِيقاً حَمِيماً

وَاخْتَبِرْنِي تَجِدْ صَدِيقاً حَمِيماً

لَم تُغَيِّرْ وِدادَهُ الأَهْوَاءُ

لَم تُغَيِّرْ وِدادَهُ الأَهْوَاءُ

And test me: you will find a close friend

Test me and you’ll find a loyal friend

whose affection whims have not altered,

Whom the winds of passion could not sway

صادِقاً في الَّذِي يَقُولُ وَإِنْ ضا

صادِقاً في الَّذِي يَقُولُ وَإِنْ ضا

قَتْ عَلَيْهِ بِرُحْبِها الدَّهْنَاءُ

قَتْ عَلَيْهِ بِرُحْبِها الدَّهْنَاءُ

truthful in what he says, even if

Truthful in all that I say though around me

al-Dahna, for all its vastness, closes in upon him.

Gossip’s broad meadows hold sway