إذا طالَبْتكَ النفَّسُ يَوماً بحُجَّةٍ

إذا طالَبْتكَ النفَّسُ يَوماً بحُجَّةٍ

وكانَ عَليها للقَبيحِ طَرِيقُ

وكانَ عَليها للقَبيحِ طَرِيقُ

If one day your soul demands a justification from you,

If one day desire claims you have an excuse,

and wrongdoing has a way to prevail over it,

And the road to wrongdoing lies open before you,

فدَعْها وخالِفْ ما هويْتَ فإنَّما

فدَعْها وخالِفْ ما هويْتَ فإنَّما

هَواكَ عَدُوٌّ والخِلافُ صَديقُ

هَواكَ عَدُوٌّ والخِلافُ صَديقُ

then leave it and resist what you desire, for

Leave it be, go against what you crave, for verily

your desire is an enemy, and resistance a friend.

Your craving is the foe, and opposi­tion the friend.