أَطاعَكَ قَلبي جاهِداً فَعصيتهُ

أَطاعَكَ قَلبي جاهِداً فَعصيتهُ

وَأَصلَيتُهُ نار التَجَني وَلَم يَجن

وَأَصلَيتُهُ نار التَجَني وَلَم يَجن

My heart obeyed you with all its might, yet I disobeyed it.

My heart obeyed you striving, yet I disobeyed it

And I burned it in the fire of unjust accusation, though it had done no wrong.

And I scorched it with the fire of disloyalty, but it was not burnt

فَيا لَيتُهُ في الدَهر يَوماً يَطيعُني

فَيا لَيتُهُ في الدَهر يَوماً يَطيعُني

فَقَد عَقَني حَتّى كَأَن لَم يَكُن مني

فَقَد عَقَني حَتّى كَأَن لَم يَكُن مني

Oh, if only it would obey me one day in all of time!

Oh, if only one day it would obey me

For it has defied me, as though it were no part of me.

For it has disappointed me, as if it had never been mine

وَقَد جَدَ في اتلاف نَفسي مَع الهَوى

وَقَد جَدَ في اتلاف نَفسي مَع الهَوى

وَاِنحَلَ جِسمي فَهُوَ أَوهى مِن العَهنِ

وَاِنحَلَ جِسمي فَهُوَ أَوهى مِن العَهنِ

And it has striven, alongside passion, to destroy my soul.

It has struggled in destroying my soul with passion

And my body has wasted away; it is frailer than dyed wool.

And my body melted, yet it is weaker than a bough

وَلَيسَ اِنسِكاب الدَمع بِبَرد غلةً

وَلَيسَ اِنسِكاب الدَمع بِبَرد غلةً

مِن الوَجد وَيَجدي مِن الشَوق أَو يَغني

مِن الوَجد وَيَجدي مِن الشَوق أَو يَغني

Nor does the spilling of tears cool the burning thirst

The shedding of tears is no mere coolness

Of passion, nor does it ease yearning or bring relief.

Of ecstasy, neither does it avail against yearning

رَعى اللُه مَن لَم يَرعَ عَهديَ إِذ جَفا

رَعى اللُه مَن لَم يَرعَ عَهديَ إِذ جَفا

وَأَعرض حَتّى طيفُهُ مُعرض عَني

وَأَعرض حَتّى طيفُهُ مُعرض عَني

May God protect the one who did not honor my covenant when he grew cold,

May God watch over those who did not keep my covenant when they were unfaithful

And turned away—even his dream-image turns away from me.

And turned away until their image turned away from me

وَكَيفَ يَزور الطَيف حَيران لَم يَقع

وَكَيفَ يَزور الطَيف حَيران لَم يَقع

لِمُقلَتِهِ في الدَهر جفن عَلى جفن

لِمُقلَتِهِ في الدَهر جفن عَلى جفن

And how can the dream-image visit a bewildered man, when never

How can an apparition visit confused, when its eyelid

In all his life has one eyelid fallen upon the other?

In life has never fallen upon an eyelid

إِذا أَنتَ لا تُحسن فَما ثمَّ محسن

إِذا أَنتَ لا تُحسن فَما ثمَّ محسن

وَهَل يُوجد الإِحسان إِلّا مَع الحُسن

وَهَل يُوجد الإِحسان إِلّا مَع الحُسن

If you show no kindness, then there is no one kind;

Since you cannot do good, so who can do good?

And is kindness found anywhere but with beauty?

Is benevolence found except with beauty?

وَإِن تَبغِ إِتلافي فَفي الدَهر مقنع

وَإِن تَبغِ إِتلافي فَفي الدَهر مقنع

يَسوق الرَدى لِلحَرّ بِالهَم وَالحُزن

يَسوق الرَدى لِلحَرّ بِالهَم وَالحُزن

And if you seek my destruction, time is enough:

And if you seek to destroy me, in life there is consolation

It brings death to the free man through worry and grief.

Which leads the firm to sorrow with anxiety and grief

وَمَن لَم يَمُت في طاعَة الحُب راضياً

وَمَن لَم يَمُت في طاعَة الحُب راضياً

فَلا جادَ مَثواهُ سَكوب مِن المُزن

فَلا جادَ مَثواهُ سَكوب مِن المُزن

And whoever does not die willingly in obedience to love,

Whoever does not die satisfied in obedience to love

Then may no downpour from the clouds water his resting place.

His resting place has never poured with syrup of sweetness

عَذيريَ مِن دَهر يَجور مَع الهَوى

عَذيريَ مِن دَهر يَجور مَع الهَوى

وَيُفسد ما يُسديهِ بِالرَد وَالمنّ

وَيُفسد ما يُسديهِ بِالرَد وَالمنّ

Who will defend me against time, which wrongs me alongside passion,

My excuse is a life that is unjust with passion

And spoils what it bestows by taking it back and flaunting its favors?

And corrupts what it provides with rejection and prevention

سَأَفني زَماني بِالتَوَكُل وَالرِضى

سَأَفني زَماني بِالتَوَكُل وَالرِضى

وَأَزجر نَفسي عَن مواردة الأَجن

وَأَزجر نَفسي عَن مواردة الأَجن

I shall spend my days with trust in God and contentment,

I will spend my time trusting and satisfied

And restrain my soul from seeking stagnant waters.

And restrain my soul from encountering misfortune

وَأَعرض عَن ود اللِثام وَالتَجي

وَأَعرض عَن ود اللِثام وَالتَجي

بِنَفسيَ مِن عِز الإِباءِ إِلى حصن

بِنَفسيَ مِن عِز الإِباءِ إِلى حصن

And turn away from love of the veil, and seek refuge

And I will turn away from the love of veils and temptation

For myself in a fortress of proud refusal.

With my soul, from the honor of dignity, to a fortress

وَهَل يَرتَضي الحُرّ الهَوان لِنَفسِهِ

وَهَل يَرتَضي الحُرّ الهَوان لِنَفسِهِ

وَلَو أَنَّهُ في جَنة الخُلد أَو عَدَن

وَلَو أَنَّهُ في جَنة الخُلد أَو عَدَن

Would a free man accept humiliation for himself,

Can the free man consent to disgrace for himself

Even if he were in the Garden of Eternity or Eden?

Even if he were in the Garden of Eternity or Eden?

فَلا وَالدُجى وَالبيد وَالعيس وَالسَرى

فَلا وَالدُجى وَالبيد وَالعيس وَالسَرى

وَما قَد أُقاسي لَيسَ ذَلِكَ مِن شَأني

وَما قَد أُقاسي لَيسَ ذَلِكَ مِن شَأني

No—by night's darkness, the deserts, the pale camels, and night travel,

No, by the night and daybreak, the full moon and Sirius

And by what I may endure—that is not my way.

And what I have endured, that is not my way

وَلَيسَ بِبَيع النَفس مَن دُون وَجهِها

وَلَيسَ بِبَيع النَفس مَن دُون وَجهِها

وَلا في فُراق الدار لِلحرّ مِن غبن

وَلا في فُراق الدار لِلحرّ مِن غبن

Neither in sacrificing one's life in defense of one's honor,

Selling one's soul unjustly and leaving one's home

Nor in leaving home, is there any loss for a free man.

Brings no loss or regret to the free

وَما فَضل نَفسي الحُرّ وَاللَهُ كافل

وَما فَضل نَفسي الحُرّ وَاللَهُ كافل

لِأَرزاقِهِ إِن ذلَّ يَوماً لِيَستَغني

لِأَرزاقِهِ إِن ذلَّ يَوماً لِيَستَغني

And what merit has my free soul—when God guarantees

My noble soul, and God is its guarantor

Its sustenance—if it stoops one day to grow rich?

For its livelihood, if one day it becomes needy