ما حيلتي ان العُداةَ كثيرةٌ

ما حيلتي ان العُداةَ كثيرةٌ

فالجِسمُ والدنيا مَعَ الشَيطانِ

فالجِسمُ والدنيا مَعَ الشَيطانِ

What recourse have I? Indeed, the foes are many:

My strength is not enough, for enemies abound,

For there are the body and the world, along with Satan.

The body, the world, and Satan do surround.

لو كان ضِدٌّ واحدٌ لَلَقِيتُهُ

لو كان ضِدٌّ واحدٌ لَلَقِيتُهُ

لكنهُ ضِدٌّ تَلاهُ اثنانِ

لكنهُ ضِدٌّ تَلاهُ اثنانِ

Were there a single foe, I would face him,

If one foe I faced, the battle would be won,

But it is one foe followed by two.

Yet two more stand behind when one is gone.

ولذا اعتقلتُ لحربهم بثلثةٍ

ولذا اعتقلتُ لحربهم بثلثةٍ

سَهمٍ وسَيفٍ باترٍ وسِنانِ

سَهمٍ وسَيفٍ باترٍ وسِنانِ

And so, to wage war on them, I armed myself with three:

So with three weapons I arm myself for fight-

An arrow, a cleaving sword, and a spearhead.

Arrows, a sword well-honed, teeth biting bright.

فَقرٌ بكل الإختيارِ وطاعةٌ

فَقرٌ بكل الإختيارِ وطاعةٌ

طَوعيَّةٌ وطَهارةُ الجثمانِ

طَوعيَّةٌ وطَهارةُ الجثمانِ

Wholly voluntary poverty, and obedience

With poverty self-chosen, obedience free,

Freely given, and purity of the body.

A body purified from sensuality,

وطبيعةٌ في مَدِّها مع جَزرِها

وطبيعةٌ في مَدِّها مع جَزرِها

بحرٌ لهُ هذي الثلاثُ مَواني

بحرٌ لهُ هذي الثلاثُ مَواني

And nature, in its flood tide and ebb,

A nature ebbing, flowing, like the sea,

Is a sea with these three as its harbors.

Moored to these three safe harbors inside me.

هاجت ولولا أَن تُصَدَّ لغرَّقت

هاجت ولولا أَن تُصَدَّ لغرَّقت

أَمصارَ تلك الرُوحِ بالهَيجانِ

أَمصارَ تلك الرُوحِ بالهَيجانِ

It raged, and had it not been restrained, it would have drowned

The waves would drown my spirit did I not

The cities of that soul in its tumult.

Repel the passion raging without stop.