يا رَوحُ كَم تَحمُلينَ الجِسمَ لاهِيَةً

يا رَوحُ كَم تَحمُلينَ الجِسمَ لاهِيَةً

أَبلَيتِهِ فَاِطرَحيهِ طالَما لُبِسا

أَبلَيتِهِ فَاِطرَحيهِ طالَما لُبِسا

O soul, how long will you bear the body, heedless?

O soul, how long will you heedlessly bear this body,

You have worn it out; cast it off—it has long been worn.

Wearing it out, so cast it off, for long has it been worn.

إِن كُنتِ آثَرتِ سُكناهُ فَمُخطِئَةٌ

إِن كُنتِ آثَرتِ سُكناهُ فَمُخطِئَةٌ

فيما فَعَلتِ وَكَم مِن ضاحِكٍ عَبَسا

فيما فَعَلتِ وَكَم مِن ضاحِكٍ عَبَسا

If you chose to dwell in it, you are mistaken

If you have chosen to dwell in it, you have erred,

In what you did; how many who laughed have frowned!

In what you have done, and many a smiler frowns.

أَولا فَجَبرٌ وَإِن أَشوى فَجاهِلَةٌ

أَولا فَجَبرٌ وَإِن أَشوى فَجاهِلَةٌ

كَالماءِ لَم يَدَرِ ما لاقاهُ إِذ حُبِسا

كَالماءِ لَم يَدَرِ ما لاقاهُ إِذ حُبِسا

Or else there was compulsion; even if it did little harm, you are unknowing,

First compulsion, though hot passion cools into ignorance,

Like water that did not know what befell it when imprisoned.

Like water imprisoned, unaware of what befell it when trapped.

لَو لَم تُحُلّيهِ لَم يَهتَج لِمَعصِيَةٍ

لَو لَم تُحُلّيهِ لَم يَهتَج لِمَعصِيَةٍ

وَكانَ كَالتُربِ ما أَخنى وَلا نَبَسا

وَكانَ كَالتُربِ ما أَخنى وَلا نَبَسا

Had you not inhabited it, it would not have been stirred to sin,

Had you not graced it, it would not stir to disobey,

And would have been like dust, neither speaking obscenely nor uttering a word.

And would be like dust, neither deep nor rising.

تَرَكتِ مِصباحَ عَقلٍ ما اِهتَدَيتِ بِهِ

تَرَكتِ مِصباحَ عَقلٍ ما اِهتَدَيتِ بِهِ

وَاللَهُ أَعطاكِ مِن نورِ الحِجى قَبَسا

وَاللَهُ أَعطاكِ مِن نورِ الحِجى قَبَسا

You abandoned reason’s lamp, taking no guidance from it,

You have abandoned the lamp of reason you were guided by,

And God gave you a flame from the light of reason.

Yet God granted you some glow of inspiration.