لِمَاذَا تَخَافُونَنِي، لَسْتُ أَدْرِي

لِمَاذَا تَخَافُونَنِي، لَسْتُ أَدْرِي

فَلَيْسَ لَدَيَّ قُصُورٌ وَجُنْدُ؟!

فَلَيْسَ لَدَيَّ قُصُورٌ وَجُنْدُ؟!

Why do you fear me? I do not know.

Why do you fear me, I do not know

For I have neither palaces nor troops!

I have neither palaces nor armies?!

لِمَاذَا تَفُورُونَ غَيْظًا عَلَيَّ

لِمَاذَا تَفُورُونَ غَيْظًا عَلَيَّ

وَلَيْسَ لَدَيَّ سُعَادٌ وَهِنْدُ

وَلَيْسَ لَدَيَّ سُعَادٌ وَهِنْدُ

Why do you seethe with rage at me,

Why do you boil with rage against me

when I have neither Su'ad nor Hind,

When I have neither power nor grandeur

وَلاَ المَالُ يَرْقُصُ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ

وَلاَ المَالُ يَرْقُصُ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ

وَإِنْ كَانَ مَا عِنْدَكُمْ لاَ يُعَدُّ

وَإِنْ كَانَ مَا عِنْدَكُمْ لاَ يُعَدُّ

nor does money dance between my hands,

I have no wealth dancing before me

though what you have is beyond counting?

Though what you have cannot be counted

وَلاَ الخَمْرُ، عِفْتُ الخُمُورَ لَكُمْ

وَلاَ الخَمْرُ، عِفْتُ الخُمُورَ لَكُمْ

صُنُوفًا بِأَوْصَالِكُمْ تَسْتَبِدُّ

صُنُوفًا بِأَوْصَالِكُمْ تَسْتَبِدُّ

Nor wine—I have shunned the wines, leaving them to you,

I have left wine to you

of various kinds, that hold your limbs in thrall.

Varieties that intoxicate your limbs

وَعِفْتُ السَّلاَلِمَ لِلْمُغْرَمِينَ

وَعِفْتُ السَّلاَلِمَ لِلْمُغْرَمِينَ

وَعِفْتُ الكَرَاسِيَّ وَهْيَ تُشَدُّ

وَعِفْتُ الكَرَاسِيَّ وَهْيَ تُشَدُّ

And I have shunned the ladders, leaving them to the infatuated,

I have left the ladders for the infatuated

and I have shunned the chairs as they are tugged at.

I have left the thrones as they are tightened

وَعِفْتُ المَسَارِحَ حَتَّى لَأَجْهَ

وَعِفْتُ المَسَارِحَ حَتَّى لَأَجْهَ

لُ إِنْ غَابَ نَجْمٌ مَتَى كَانَ يَبْدُو

لُ إِنْ غَابَ نَجْمٌ مَتَى كَانَ يَبْدُو

And I have shunned the theaters, so much that I do not even know,

I have left the theaters until I was fed up

if a star disappears, when it used to appear.

If a star disappeared when it used to appear

وَعِفْتُ البَرِيقَ، فَلَوْ قَدْ تَأَلَّ

وَعِفْتُ البَرِيقَ، فَلَوْ قَدْ تَأَلَّ

هَ كُلُّ العَبِيدِ، فَإِنِّيَ عَبْدُ

هَ كُلُّ العَبِيدِ، فَإِنِّيَ عَبْدُ

And I have shunned the glitter; even if

I have left ostentation, if only

all the slaves became gods, I would remain a servant.

All the slaves were free, for I am a slave

تَرَكْتُ لَكُمْ مُغْرَيَاتِ الحَيَاةِ

تَرَكْتُ لَكُمْ مُغْرَيَاتِ الحَيَاةِ

جَمِيعًا فَمَاذَا تُرِيدُونَ بَعْدُ؟!

جَمِيعًا فَمَاذَا تُرِيدُونَ بَعْدُ؟!

I have left to you life's temptations,

I have left you the enticements of life

all of them—so what more do you want?!

All together so what more do you want?!

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• • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • • • •

Have I remained a thorn in your throats

• • • • • •

Despite myself, it is not my intention!

أَمَا زِلْتُ فِي حَلْقِكُمْ شَوْكَةً

أَمَا زِلْتُ فِي حَلْقِكُمْ شَوْكَةً

عَلَى رَغْمِ أَنْفِي، وَمَا لِيَ قَصْدُ!

عَلَى رَغْمِ أَنْفِي، وَمَا لِيَ قَصْدُ!

Am I not still a thorn in your throat,

Have I remained erect in your path

against my will, with no intention of mine!

Obstructing your march, or preventing?

أَمَا زِلْتُ فِي دَرْبِكُمْ شَامِخًا

أَمَا زِلْتُ فِي دَرْبِكُمْ شَامِخًا

يُعِيقُ مَسِيرَتَكُمْ، أَوْ يَصُدُّ؟

يُعِيقُ مَسِيرَتَكُمْ، أَوْ يَصُدُّ؟

Am I not still towering in your path,

Has my love for my Lord and my purity

hindering your advance, or blocking it?

Remained for some of you an irreversible danger?!

أَمَا زَالَ حُبِّي لِرَبِّي، وَطُهْرِي

أَمَا زَالَ حُبِّي لِرَبِّي، وَطُهْرِي

عَلَى بَعْضِكُمْ خَطَرًا لاَ يُرَدُّ؟!

عَلَى بَعْضِكُمْ خَطَرًا لاَ يُرَدُّ؟!

Are my love for my Lord and my purity not still

As if what is between my sides

a danger to some of you that cannot be repelled?!

Of certainty and light is rejection or worse

كَأَنَّ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جَنْبَيَّ مِنْ

كَأَنَّ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جَنْبَيَّ مِنْ

يَقِينٍ وَنُورٍ، رَدًى أَوْ أَشَدُّ

يَقِينٍ وَنُورٍ، رَدًى أَوْ أَشَدُّ

As though what lies between my sides—

So you gather in crowds against me

certainty and light—were death, or worse.

Composed of misguidance and hatred

فَتَجْتَمِعُونَ حُشُودًا عَلَيَّ

فَتَجْتَمِعُونَ حُشُودًا عَلَيَّ

يُؤَلِّفُهُنَّ ضَلاَلٌ وَحِقْدُ

يُؤَلِّفُهُنَّ ضَلاَلٌ وَحِقْدُ

So you gather in hordes against me,

A pack of wolves, a swarm of flies

bound together by error and hatred.

A swarm of locusts, a horde, a horde

فَحَشْدُ ذِئَابٍ، وَحَشْدُ ذُبَابٍ

فَحَشْدُ ذِئَابٍ، وَحَشْدُ ذُبَابٍ

وَحَشْدُ جَرَادٍ، وَحَشْدٌ، وَحَشْدُ

وَحَشْدُ جَرَادٍ، وَحَشْدٌ، وَحَشْدُ

So: a horde of wolves, and a horde of flies,

I will remain the only day of life

and a horde of locusts, and a horde, and a horde.

Whether Amr and Zayd have willed or protested

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• • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • • • •

I will remain so do not ask the turnabouts of fate

• • • • • •

And how do you repel the tyrants?!

سَأَبْقَى نَهَارَ الحَيَاةِ الوَحِيدَ

سَأَبْقَى نَهَارَ الحَيَاةِ الوَحِيدَ

أَرَادَ أَمِ احْتَجَّ عَمَرٌو وَزَيْدُ

أَرَادَ أَمِ احْتَجَّ عَمَرٌو وَزَيْدُ

I shall remain life's sole daylight,

And how can the blind discern

whether Amr and Zayd wish it or protest.

The cycle of fate, no matter how much they transgressed and abused power

سَأْبَقَى فَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا النَّائِبَاتِ

سَأْبَقَى فَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا النَّائِبَاتِ

وَكَيْفَ عَلَى السَّادِرِينَ تَرُدُّ؟!

وَكَيْفَ عَلَى السَّادِرِينَ تَرُدُّ؟!

I shall remain; so do not ask about calamities

I will shine in the day, or tomorrow

or how they answer the heedless!

For fate ebbs and flows

وَكَيْفَ يَعِي دَوْرَةَ الدَّهْرِ عُمْيُ الْ

وَكَيْفَ يَعِي دَوْرَةَ الدَّهْرِ عُمْيُ الْ

بَصَائِرِ، مَهْمَا طَغَوْا وَاسْتَبَدُّوا

بَصَائِرِ، مَهْمَا طَغَوْا وَاسْتَبَدُّوا

And how can time's cycle be grasped by those blind in

insight, however much they tyrannize and rule despotically?

سَأُشْرِقُ فِي اليَوْمِ، أَوْ فِي غَدٍ

سَأُشْرِقُ فِي اليَوْمِ، أَوْ فِي غَدٍ

فَإِنَّ المَقَادِيرَ جَزْرٌ وَمَدُّ

فَإِنَّ المَقَادِيرَ جَزْرٌ وَمَدُّ

I shall shine today, or tomorrow,

for fate is ebb and flow.