شرهي يدافع بي إلى الطمع

شرهي يدافع بي إلى الطمع

والحرص يدفع بي إلى الورع

والحرص يدفع بي إلى الورع

My voracity drives me toward greed,

Greed impels me toward avarice,

And avarice pushes me toward scrupulousness.

And covetousness pushes me toward asceticism.

ومعائشٌ الدنيا مكدّرةٌ

ومعائشٌ الدنيا مكدّرةٌ

بين الحرام النصّ والشنعِ

بين الحرام النصّ والشنعِ

And the world's livelihoods are sullied,

The livelihoods of this world are turbid

Between the plainly forbidden and the vile.

Between the clear forbidden and the repugnant.

شبهاتُها بالحرّ مزريَةٌ

شبهاتُها بالحرّ مزريَةٌ

وحرامها قد حفّ بالفزَعِ

وحرامها قد حفّ بالفزَعِ

Its doubtful dealings demean the freeborn man,

Its ambiguities resemble the intense heat,

And its unlawful gains are indeed surrounded by dread.

And its prohibitions are surrounded by alarm.

لم ارض منها بالقليل لما

لم ارض منها بالقليل لما

يقضى ولا جاوزت مقتنعي

يقضى ولا جاوزت مقتنعي

I was not content with a little of it for what

I was not pleased with it in small amounts when

Must be fulfilled, nor did I exceed what satisfied me,

It passes, nor did I exceed being content.

إلا كما راضي المحبّ إذا

إلا كما راضي المحبّ إذا

هجرَ الحبيب بأيسرِ الولع

هجرَ الحبيب بأيسرِ الولع

Except as a lover is content when

Except as the lover is pleased when

The beloved forsakes him with the slightest ardor.

The beloved abandons him in the prime of passion.

نازعتُها فزوَت مواهبها

نازعتُها فزوَت مواهبها

عنّي فلم أصبر على الفزع

عنّي فلم أصبر على الفزع

I contended with it, so it withheld its gifts

I struggled with it, so its gifts

From me, and so I could not endure the dread.

Departed from me, and I could not endure the alarm,

والجرح يثقل والجريح يَرى

والجرح يثقل والجريح يَرى

هجرَ الحبيبِ بحاجةِ الوجع

هجرَ الحبيبِ بحاجةِ الوجع

And the wound grows heavy, and the wounded man sees

And the wound weighs heavily, and the wounded one sees

The beloved's desertion as calling for pain.

The abandonment of the beloved as the need for pain.