إِذا قيلَ لَكَ اِخشَ اللَ

هَ مَولاكَ فَقُل آرا

If you are told, “Fear God,

He is your Master,” then say, “I see

كَأَنَّ الأَنجُمَ السَب

عَةَ في لُعبَةٍ بُقّارا

The seven stars like children’s marbles

Scattered on the ground—

خُزامى وَأَقاحِيُّ

وَصَفراءُ وَشُقّارا

Aldebaran, Betelgeuse,

Sirius, and Rigel.”

وَمَن فَوقَ الثَرى يَص

غُرُ في أَجزاءِ مَن وارى

And whoever lies under the soil

Will crumble into fragments in his grave.

وَأَصبَحتُ مَعَ الدُنِّيا

أُداريها كَمَن دارى

I have come to terms with life;

I wheel and turn with it like a millstone.

إِذا بارَأَها قَومٌ

فَقَلبي حُبُّها بارى

When some people disdain it,

My heart still loves it.

وَما يُرهِبُني جارِ

يَ إِن ناضَلَ أَو جارى

And no threatening neighbor frightens me,

Whether he wrestles or merely jokes.

وَما عِرسِيَ حَوراءُ

وَلا خُبزِيَ حَوّارى

I have no unveiled houri for my bed

Nor a baker woman for my bread.