ربَّ شَيءٍ تَراهُ يحسُنُ في عَي

ربَّ شَيءٍ تَراهُ يحسُنُ في عَي

نِكَ حتى تردَّ عينكَ عَنهُ

نِكَ حتى تردَّ عينكَ عَنهُ

Many a thing you see appears lovely to your

Many a thing you see looks pleasing in your

Many a thing seems fair to the eye

eye—until you turn your gaze away from it.

eye, until you turn your eye away from it.

Till the eye turns from it, take my advice;

فإذا ما امتَحنتَهُ وجَبَ الطُّه

فإذا ما امتَحنتَهُ وجَبَ الطُّه

رُ عَليها مِنه مِنه فَلا تَمتَحِنهُ

رُ عَليها مِنه مِنه فَلا تَمتَحِنهُ

Yet when you put it to the test, cleansing becomes due

But when you test it, purification becomes obligatory

When thou hast proved it, their purity

upon the eye because of it—because of it! So test it not.

for your eye because of it—because of it; so do not test it.

Becomes but fouler in thine eyes.

طُهِّرَ السُّوقُ مِنه والمسجدُ الجا

طُهِّرَ السُّوقُ مِنه والمسجدُ الجا

معُ أولى بأن يُطَهَّرَ مِنهُ

معُ أولى بأن يُطَهَّرَ مِنهُ

The marketplace has been cleansed of it; and the congregational

The marketplace was cleansed of it, and the congregational

The market and mosque, from these keep free

mosque has a greater claim to be cleansed of it.

mosque is more deserving of being cleansed of it.

Yet holier places still there be.