أَلِفتُ العُقابَ حِذارَ العِقابِ

أَلِفتُ العُقابَ حِذارَ العِقابِ

وَعِفتُ المَوارِدَ خَوفَ الذِئابِ

وَعِفتُ المَوارِدَ خَوفَ الذِئابِ

I have grown used to the eagle for fear of punishment;

I have grown accustomed to falconry, wary of the falcon's claws,

And shunned the watering places for fear of wolves.

And kept away from watering holes, fearing the wolves.

وَأَبغَضتُ نَفسي لِعِصيانِها

وَأَبغَضتُ نَفسي لِعِصيانِها

وَعاتَبتُها بِأَشَدِّ العِتابِ

وَعاتَبتُها بِأَشَدِّ العِتابِ

And I have hated my soul for its disobedience,

I have hated my soul for disobeying Him,

And reproached it with the sternest reproach.

And reproached her with the harshest reproach.

وَقُلتُ لَها بانَ عَنكِ الصَبا

وَقُلتُ لَها بانَ عَنكِ الصَبا

وَجَرَّدَكِ الشَيبُ ثَوبَ الشَبابِ

وَجَرَّدَكِ الشَيبُ ثَوبَ الشَبابِ

And I said to it, “Youth has departed from you,

I said to her, "Your youth has departed,

And gray hair has stripped you of youth’s garment.

And old age has stripped you of the garb of youth."

وَما بَعدَ ذَلِكَ إِلّا البِلى

وَما بَعدَ ذَلِكَ إِلّا البِلى

وَسُكنى القُبورِ وَهَولُ الحِسابِ

وَسُكنى القُبورِ وَهَولُ الحِسابِ

And after that comes nothing but decay,

After that, there is nothing left but ruin,

And dwelling in graves, and the terror of the reckoning.”

The stillness of graves and the terror of Judgement.

فَأَيقَظَها العَتبُ مِن نَومِها

فَأَيقَظَها العَتبُ مِن نَومِها

وَلِكَنَّها جَمَّةُ الإِضطِرابِ

وَلِكَنَّها جَمَّةُ الإِضطِرابِ

So reproach awakened it from its sleep,

Reproach awakened her from her slumber,

But it is full of turmoil.

But she is confused and disturbed.

فَكَم أَنشَأَت مُزنَةً لِلتُقى

فَكَم أَنشَأَت مُزنَةً لِلتُقى

وَعادَت وَشيكاً كَلَمعِ السَرابِ

وَعادَت وَشيكاً كَلَمعِ السَرابِ

How often it has raised a rain cloud of piety,

How often she would act devoutly and righteously,

Yet soon it became like the shimmer of a mirage.

Only to relapse as a mirage recedes.

وَكَم وَعَدتِني بِتَوبٍ وَكَم

وَكَم وَعَدتِني بِتَوبٍ وَكَم

وَما أَنجَزَت وَعدَها في المَتابِ

وَما أَنجَزَت وَعدَها في المَتابِ

And how often it has promised me repentance—how often!

How often she promised me repentance, but never

Yet it has not fulfilled its promise to repent.

Fulfilled her promise in practice!

وَكَم خَدَعتِني عَلى أَنَّني

وَكَم خَدَعتِني عَلى أَنَّني

بَصيرٌ بِطُرقِ الخَطا وَالصَوابِ

بَصيرٌ بِطُرقِ الخَطا وَالصَوابِ

And how often it has deceived me, although I

How often she deceived me into thinking

Know well the paths of wrong and right.

That I was discerning of sin and righteousness!

فَلَستُ عَلى الأَمنِ مِن غَدرِها

فَلَستُ عَلى الأَمنِ مِن غَدرِها

وَلَو حَلَفَت لي بِآيِ الكِتابِ

وَلَو حَلَفَت لي بِآيِ الكِتابِ

So I am not safe from its treachery,

So I cannot trust her not to betray me,

Even if it swore to me by the verses of the Book.

Even if she swore to me by the verses of Scripture.