أَراكَ الدَهرَ تَطرُقُ كُلَّ دارٍ

أَراكَ الدَهرَ تَطرُقُ كُلَّ دارٍ

كَأَمرِ اللَهِ يَحدُثُ كُلَّ لَيلَه

كَأَمرِ اللَهِ يَحدُثُ كُلَّ لَيلَه

I see you forever knocking at every house,

I see you knocking on every door

like God's decree, which comes to pass each night.

Like Allah's will occurring every night

فَإِن غَلَظَ الحِجابُ وَكانَ صَعباً

فَإِن غَلَظَ الحِجابُ وَكانَ صَعباً

وَلَم تَقدِر هُناكَ عَلى دُخَيلَه

وَلَم تَقدِر هُناكَ عَلى دُخَيلَه

If the barrier is thick and hard to pass,

If the veil was too thick and impenetrable

and you can find no way inside,

And you couldn't get inside

أَخَذَت لِكَي تُخاطِبَهُم خِلالاً

أَخَذَت لِكَي تُخاطِبَهُم خِلالاً

وَقُلتَ نَسيتُ عِندَكُمُ نُعَيلَه

وَقُلتَ نَسيتُ عِندَكُمُ نُعَيلَه

you take a toothpick to address them,

You took a roundabout way to speak to them

and say, "I forgot a little sandal at your place."

And said, I left my sandal here

فَتَلتَهِمُ الخِوانَ بِما عَلَيهِ

فَتَلتَهِمُ الخِوانَ بِما عَلَيهِ

وَتَبدُرُهُم إِلى بَيضِ البُقَيلَه

وَتَبدُرُهُم إِلى بَيضِ البُقَيلَه

Then you devour the table with everything on it,

So you share their feast

and beat them to the eggs with the greens.

And hasten to the white camel calves

وَتَأكُلُ أَكلَ مَيسَرَةٍ وَأَيضاً

وَتَأكُلُ أَكلَ مَيسَرَةٍ وَأَيضاً

فَلا بُدَّ لِعِرسِكَ مِن زُلَيلَه

فَلا بُدَّ لِعِرسِكَ مِن زُلَيلَه

And you eat as Maysara does; moreover,

And eat freely

your wife must have a little portion carried home.

For your wedding must have revelry

وَأَنتَ بِفَضلِ حِذقِكَ ذا طُفَيلٌ

وَأَنتَ بِفَضلِ حِذقِكَ ذا طُفَيلٌ

وَتِلكَ بِما تُزِلُّ لَها طُفَيلَه

وَتِلكَ بِما تُزِلُّ لَها طُفَيلَه

And by virtue of this skill of yours, you are Tufayl,

And by your skill you have children

and she, through what you slip her, is Tufayla.

And she by what she yields has children