لِباسِيَmy clothing البُرسُcotton فَلاso neither أَخضَرٌgreen
لِباسِيَ البُرسُ فَلا أَخضَرٌ
وَلاnor خَلوقِيٌّsaffron-colored وَلاnor أَدكَنُdusky
وَلا خَلوقِيٌّ وَلا أَدكَنُ
My clothing is cotton—neither green
My garb is not green, nor elegant, nor dark
nor saffron-colored, nor dusky.
And my food refuses any equal
وَقوتِيَand my sustenance الشَيءُthe thing أَبىspurned مِثلَهُits like
وَقوتِيَ الشَيءُ أَبى مِثلَهُ
فَصيحُthe eloquent one هَذاthis الخَلقِcreation وَالأَلكَنُand the tongue-tied one
فَصيحُ هَذا الخَلقِ وَالأَلكَنُ
My food is something whose like was spurned
So I ask the Creator, from His glory
by the eloquent of this creation and the tongue-tied.
For what He alone can make possible
وَأَسأَلُand I ask الخالِقَthe Creator مِنfrom عِزِهِHis might
وَأَسأَلُ الخالِقَ مِن عِزِهِ
ماwhat لَمnot يَكُنbe إِلّاexcept لَهُfor Him يُمكِنُis possible
ما لَم يَكُن إِلّا لَهُ يُمكِنُ
And I ask the Creator, in His might,
A journey to death, and pardon when
for what is possible for Him alone:
I die, for the hereafter is my destination
سَيراًa passage إِلىtoward المَوتِdeath وَعَفواًand pardon إِذاwhen
سَيراً إِلى المَوتِ وَعَفواً إِذا
مِتُّI die فَفيfor in الآخِرَةِthe hereafter المَوكِنُthe roost
مِتُّ فَفي الآخِرَةِ المَوكِنُ
a passage toward death, and pardon when
And gentleness with the soul, while it resides
I die—for the roost lies in the hereafter;
In a body where it once settled
وَالرُفقُand gentleness بِالنَفسِtoward the soul لَدىat بَينِهاits parting
وَالرُفقُ بِالنَفسِ لَدى بَينِها
عَنfrom جَسَدٍa body ظَلَّتit continued بِهِin it تَسكُنُto dwell
عَن جَسَدٍ ظَلَّت بِهِ تَسكُنُ
and gentleness toward the soul at its parting
I was like people, inclined to this
from a body in which it had been dwelling.
World which betrayed those who would rely on it
وَكُنتُI leaned وَالناسَalong with the people إِلىtoward هَذِهِthis الthe
وَكُنتُ وَالناسَ إِلى هَذِهِ ال
دُنياworld فَخانَتbut it betrayed عَهدَthe pledge مَنwhoever يَركُنُrelies
دُنيا فَخانَت عَهدَ مَن يَركُنُ
I, with humankind, leaned toward this
world, but it betrayed the pledge of whoever relies on it.
Partial English translation: 10 of 12 Arabic lines translated.