بَرَزَت مِنَ المَنازِلِ القِباب

بَرَزَت مِنَ المَنازِلِ القِباب

فَلَم يَعسِر عَلى أَحَدٍ حِجابي

فَلَم يَعسِر عَلى أَحَدٍ حِجابي

I have left the dwellings and domes,

I have emerged from the domes of sheltered dwellings,

so no one finds it hard to reach me.

So my seclusion is now hindered to no one.

فَمَنزِلي الفَضاءُ وَسَقفُ بَيتي

فَمَنزِلي الفَضاءُ وَسَقفُ بَيتي

سَماءُ اللَهِ أَو قطعِ السَحابِ

سَماءُ اللَهِ أَو قطعِ السَحابِ

For my dwelling is the open air, and my house's roof

My home is the open void, and the roof above

is God's sky, or patches of cloud.

Is the sky of God, or the drifting clouds.

فَأَنتَ إِذا أَرَدتَ دَخَلتَ بَيتي

فَأَنتَ إِذا أَرَدتَ دَخَلتَ بَيتي

عَلَيَّ مُسلِماً مِن غَيرِ بابِ

عَلَيَّ مُسلِماً مِن غَيرِ بابِ

So whenever you wish, you can enter my house,

So whenever you wish, you may enter my house,

greeting me without passing through a door.

Offering greetings, obstructed by no door.

لِأَنّي لَم أَجِد مصارعَ بابٍ

لِأَنّي لَم أَجِد مصارعَ بابٍ

يَكونُ مِنَ السَحابِ إِلى التُرابِ

يَكونُ مِنَ السَحابِ إِلى التُرابِ

For I found no leaves for a door

For I could find no shutters for a gateway

that would stretch from the clouds to the dust.

That could span from the high clouds down to the dust.

وَلا خِفتُ الإِباقَ عَلى عَبيدي

وَلا خِفتُ الإِباقَ عَلى عَبيدي

وَلا خِفتُ الهَلاكَ عَلى دَوابي

وَلا خِفتُ الهَلاكَ عَلى دَوابي

Nor have I feared my slaves running away,

I fear not the escape of any bondsmen,

nor have I feared my beasts perishing.

Nor do I dread the demise of my beasts.

وَلا حاسَبتُ يَوماً قَهرَماني

وَلا حاسَبتُ يَوماً قَهرَماني

مُحاسَبَةً فَأَغلَظَ في الحِسابِ

مُحاسَبَةً فَأَغلَظَ في الحِسابِ

Nor have I ever called my steward to account

I have never called a steward to account,

and then been harsh in the reckoning.

With a reckoning that grows harsh in the sum.

وَفي ذا راحَةٍ وَفَراغِ بالٍ

وَفي ذا راحَةٍ وَفَراغِ بالٍ

فَدَأَب الدَهر ذا أَبَداً وَدابي

فَدَأَب الدَهر ذا أَبَداً وَدابي

In this there is ease and peace of mind;

In this lies comfort and a mind at peace,

such is Time's way forever—and mine.

Such is the habit of Fate, and my habit too.

وابِطُكَ قابِضِ الأَرواحِ يَرمي

وابِطُكَ قابِضِ الأَرواحِ يَرمي

بِسَهمِ المَوتِ مِن تَحتِ الثِيابِ

بِسَهمِ المَوتِ مِن تَحتِ الثِيابِ

And your armpit, the taker of souls, shoots

But your embrace holds the Soul-Taker, who casts

death's arrow from beneath the clothes.

The arrow of death from beneath his robes.

شَرابُكَ في السَرابِ إِذا عَطِشنا

شَرابُكَ في السَرابِ إِذا عَطِشنا

وَخُبزُكَ عِندَ مُنقَطِعِ التُرابِ

وَخُبزُكَ عِندَ مُنقَطِعِ التُرابِ

Your drink is in the mirage when we thirst,

Your drink is but a mirage when we thirst,

and your bread is where the earth ends.

And your bread lies at the ends of the earth.

رأيتُ الخُبز عَزَّ لِدَيكَ حَتّى

رأيتُ الخُبز عَزَّ لِدَيكَ حَتّى

حَسِبتَ الخُبزَ في جَوِّ السَحابِ

حَسِبتَ الخُبزَ في جَوِّ السَحابِ

I found bread so scarce with you that

I saw that bread was so precious to you,

you thought the bread was amid the clouds.

You deemed it belonged in the vault of the clouds.

وَما رَوحَتَنا لِتَذُب عَنّا

وَما رَوحَتَنا لِتَذُب عَنّا

وَلَكِن خِفتُ مُرزِئَةَ الذُبابِ

وَلَكِن خِفتُ مُرزِئَةَ الذُبابِ

You did not fan us to drive them away from us,

You did not fan us to defend our rest,

but I feared the loss the flies would cause.

But only for fear of the flies' assault.