يعِلمِ إِلَهي يوجِدُ الضَعفُ شيمَتي

يعِلمِ إِلَهي يوجِدُ الضَعفُ شيمَتي

فَلَستُ مُطيقاً لِلغُدُوِّ وَلا المَسرى

فَلَستُ مُطيقاً لِلغُدُوِّ وَلا المَسرى

My God knows: weakness shapes my nature;

My God knows weakness is my trait,

for I cannot endure morning travel or journeys by night.

I cannot bear to journey or take flight,

غَبَرتُ أَسيراً في يَدَيهِ وَمَن يَكُن

غَبَرتُ أَسيراً في يَدَيهِ وَمَن يَكُن

لَهُ كَرَمٌ تُكرَم بِساحَتِهِ الأَسرى

لَهُ كَرَمٌ تُكرَم بِساحَتِهِ الأَسرى

I have remained a captive in His hands; and whoever

I'm captive in His hands, and he whose nature generosity dictates,

is generous has captives honored in his courtyard.

Will honor prisoners in his court and gates.

أَأُصبِحُ في الدُنِّيا كَما هُوَ عالِمٌ

أَأُصبِحُ في الدُنِّيا كَما هُوَ عالِمٌ

وَأَدخُلُ ناراً مِثلَ قَيصَرَ أَو كِسرى

وَأَدخُلُ ناراً مِثلَ قَيصَرَ أَو كِسرى

Am I to live in this world in the state He knows,

Should I in this life gain knowledge like people do,

and enter the Fire, like Caesar or Khosrow?

And enter fire as Qaysar and Kisra too,

وَإِنّي لَأَرجو مِنهُ يَومَ تَجاوُزٍ

وَإِنّي لَأَرجو مِنهُ يَومَ تَجاوُزٍ

فَيَأمُرُ بي ذاتَ اليَمينِ إِلى اليُسرى

فَيَأمُرُ بي ذاتَ اليَمينِ إِلى اليُسرى

And I do hope for a day of pardon from Him,

I hope that on Judgment Day complete,

so He orders me to the right, toward ease.

He'll order "Go from left hand to the right!"

إِذا راكِبٌ نالَت بِهِ الشَأوَ ناقَةٌ

إِذا راكِبٌ نالَت بِهِ الشَأوَ ناقَةٌ

فَما أَينُقي إِلّا الظَوالِعُ وَالحَسرى

فَما أَينُقي إِلّا الظَوالِعُ وَالحَسرى

If a she-camel carries a rider to the goal,

When mounted riders gain their heart's desire,

my she-camels are nothing but the lame and the exhausted.

Naught's left but regret and hopeless fire,

وَإِن أُعفَ بَعدَ المَوتِ مِمّا يُريبُني

وَإِن أُعفَ بَعدَ المَوتِ مِمّا يُريبُني

فَما حَظِّيَ الأَدنى وَلا يَدِيَ الخُسرى

فَما حَظِّيَ الأَدنى وَلا يَدِيَ الخُسرى

And if, after death, I am spared what troubles me,

And if when dead, I'm spared what caused me doubt,

then my lot is not the lowest, nor my hand the losing one.

My lot's not loss and my hand's won the fire.