حنانك خُذ بِيَدي يا قَدر

حنانك خُذ بِيَدي يا قَدر

وَصنها تَصن مِن هِزار وَتر

وَصنها تَصن مِن هِزار وَتر

Have mercy; take me by the hand, O Fate.

Take my hand with your tenderness, O Fate

And guard it—you guard a nightingale's string.

And craft it to construct thousands of strings

وَمَهلك سر يُمنة إِن أَرَد

وَمَهلك سر يُمنة إِن أَرَد

ت بِها في المَفاوز أَو في الحَضر

ت بِها في المَفاوز أَو في الحَضر

And at your leisure go rightward, if you wish—

Go gently if you wish with it in the wilderness or settlement

With it through deserts or settled lands.

And adorn it with the flowers of spring

وَطوق بِها زَهرات الرَبيع

وَطوق بِها زَهرات الرَبيع

وَعانق بِها سروات الشجر

وَعانق بِها سروات الشجر

And encircle with it the blossoms of spring,

Hug with it the pines of trees

And embrace with it the crowns of the trees.

And play with it as you wish with the stars

وَعابث يها كَيف شئت النُجوم

وَعابث يها كَيف شئت النُجوم

وَداعب بِها كَيف شئت القَمَر

وَداعب بِها كَيف شئت القَمَر

And with it, play with the stars however you wish,

Caress with it as you wish the moon

And with it, caress the moon however you wish.

And I have guaranteed five like palms

وَقَد ضمنت خمسة كَالأَكُف

وَقَد ضمنت خمسة كَالأَكُف

وَلَيسَ بِها مِن بِنان عَشر

وَلَيسَ بِها مِن بِنان عَشر

And it holds five, like palms,

With no fingers making ten

Yet it does not have ten fingers.

So the whispers of the breeze fell upon them

فَوَقَع عَلَيهُن هَمس النَسيم

فَوَقَع عَلَيهُن هَمس النَسيم

وَرَجع بِهُن حَفيف الزَهر

وَرَجع بِهُن حَفيف الزَهر

So play upon them the whisper of the breeze,

And made them return with the rustling of flowers

And make the rustling of blossoms echo through them.

Bless with it a pen that has never

وَبارك بِها قَلَماً ما رَميـ

وَبارك بِها قَلَماً ما رَميـ

يـت بِهِ جانب الحَق إِلّا اِنفَجَر

يـت بِهِ جانب الحَق إِلّا اِنفَجَر

And bless with it a pen: whenever I cast—

Aimed except for the side of truth without gushing forth

It at truth's flank, it burst forth.

And magic did not lure it except to stand

وَما سمتهُ السحر إِلا اِستَقا

وَما سمتهُ السحر إِلا اِستَقا

م لَهُ مِن وَسائِلهُ ما سحر

م لَهُ مِن وَسائِلهُ ما سحر

And whenever I asked it for magic, there stood—

With its means that enchanted

Ready for it, among its resources, what worked magic.

Whether you wanted it as a pick for rocks

فَما شئته معولاً لِلصُخور

فَما شئته معولاً لِلصُخور

وَما شئته موئلا للخَطر

وَما شئته موئلا للخَطر

So I did not wish it to be a pickaxe for rocks,

Or you wanted it as a harbor for peril

Nor did I wish it to be a refuge for danger.

And heavenly bounty that does not fade

وَنَعمى سَماوية لا تَغيض

وَنَعمى سَماوية لا تَغيض

وَمَأوى دَمي وَمَجالي صُور

وَمَأوى دَمي وَمَجالي صُور

And it is a heavenly blessing that never ebbs,

And my flowing blood's harbour and imagery formed

And a refuge for my blood, and galleries of images,

A place for the most virtuous morals that are coveted

وَمَلقى كَرائم ما يُستَطاب

وَمَلقى كَرائم ما يُستَطاب

وَما يَستَحب وَما يَدَخر

وَما يَستَحب وَما يَدَخر

And a meeting-place for the choicest of what delights,

And what is loved and hoarded

And what is cherished, and what is treasured.

So You who created passion and beauty

فَيا مَن خَلَقت الهَوى وَالجَمال

فَيا مَن خَلَقت الهَوى وَالجَمال

وَصَوَرت هَذا اليَراع الأَغر

وَصَوَرت هَذا اليَراع الأَغر

So, O you who created love and beauty,

And portrayed this elegant gazelle

And fashioned this radiant reed pen,

Take my hand with your tenderness in life

حَنانك خُذ بِيَدي في الحَياة

حَنانك خُذ بِيَدي في الحَياة

وَصَور بِها ما يَشاء القَدر

وَصَور بِها ما يَشاء القَدر

Have mercy; take me by the hand through life,

And portray with it what Fate desires

And depict with it whatever Fate wills.