حَتّى مَتى أَنا في حِلٍّ وَتَرحالِ

حَتّى مَتى أَنا في حِلٍّ وَتَرحالِ

وَطولِ سَعيٍ بِإِدبارٍ وَإِقبالِ

وَطولِ سَعيٍ بِإِدبارٍ وَإِقبالِ

How long shall I keep settling and journeying,

How long will I wander aimlessly

and striving so long, going to and fro?

On a journey of longing and yearning

أُنازِعُ الدَهرَ ما أَنفُكَ مُغتَرِباً

أُنازِعُ الدَهرَ ما أَنفُكَ مُغتَرِباً

عَنِ الأَحِبَّةِ لا يَدرونَ ما حالي

عَنِ الأَحِبَّةِ لا يَدرونَ ما حالي

I wrestle with time, ever living far away

I struggle against fate, never free

from loved ones, who do not know how I fare.

From those I love though they know not my condition

في مَشرِقِ الأَرضِ طَوراً ثُمَّ مَغرِبِها

في مَشرِقِ الأَرضِ طَوراً ثُمَّ مَغرِبِها

لا يَختُرُ المَوتُ مِن حِرصٍ عَلى بالي

لا يَختُرُ المَوتُ مِن حِرصٍ عَلى بالي

At one time in the earth’s east, then in its west,

Now in the east, then the west

In my greed, death never crosses my mind.

Death spares me not, obsessed with my own mind

وَلَو قَنِعتُ أَتاني الرِزقُ في مَهلٍ

وَلَو قَنِعتُ أَتاني الرِزقُ في مَهلٍ

إِنَّ القُنوعَ الغِنى لا كُثرَةُ المالِ

إِنَّ القُنوعَ الغِنى لا كُثرَةُ المالِ

And were I content, sustenance would come to me without haste.

If I had been content, sustenance would have come easily

Indeed, contentment is wealth, not an abundance of money.

For contentment itself is riches, not a multitude of possessions