قَلَّمتُ ظِفرِيَ تاراتٍ وَما جَسَدي

قَلَّمتُ ظِفرِيَ تاراتٍ وَما جَسَدي

إِلّا كَذاكَ مَتى ما فارَقَ الروحا

إِلّا كَذاكَ مَتى ما فارَقَ الروحا

Time and again I have clipped my nail; my body is nothing

I sharpened my nails like claws, though my body

but the same once it has parted from the soul.

Is thus whenever the soul departs.

وَمِن تَأَمَّل أَقوالي رَأى جُمَلاً

وَمِن تَأَمَّل أَقوالي رَأى جُمَلاً

يَظَلُّ فيهِنَّ سِرُّ الناسِ مَشروحا

يَظَلُّ فيهِنَّ سِرُّ الناسِ مَشروحا

And whoever ponders my words finds statements

Whoever contemplates my words will see phrases

in which humankind's secret remains laid bare.

In which people's secrets are laid bare.

إِنَّ الحَياةَ لَمَفروحٌ بِها طَلَقاً

إِنَّ الحَياةَ لَمَفروحٌ بِها طَلَقاً

يُغَادِرُ الخَلدَ الجَذلانَ مَقروحا

يُغَادِرُ الخَلدَ الجَذلانَ مَقروحا

Life is indeed a joy for a brief spell

Life is a wide open plain;

that leaves the jubilant heart wounded.

The timid will leave it wounded.

قَد اِدَّعَيتُم فَقُلنا أَينَ شاهِدُكُم

قَد اِدَّعَيتُم فَقُلنا أَينَ شاهِدُكُم

فَجاءَ مَن باتَ عِندَ اللُبِّ مَجروحا

فَجاءَ مَن باتَ عِندَ اللُبِّ مَجروحا

You have made your claims; we said, 'Where is your witness?'

You made claims, so we said "Where is your proof?"

Then came one who stood discredited before reason.

And there came one who spent the night with a wounded heart.

إِن صَحَّ تَعذيبُ رَمسٍ مَن يَحُلُّ بِهِ

إِن صَحَّ تَعذيبُ رَمسٍ مَن يَحُلُّ بِهِ

فَجَنِّبانِيَ مَلحوداً وَمَضروحا

فَجَنِّبانِيَ مَلحوداً وَمَضروحا

If a grave truly torments whoever dwells in it,

If the torture of crucifixion befits anyone,

then spare me both a side-niche grave and a straight-dug grave.

Spare me, blamed and wounded.

الوَحشُ وَالطَيرُ أَولى أَن تَنازَعَني

الوَحشُ وَالطَيرُ أَولى أَن تَنازَعَني

فَغادِراني بِظَهرِ الأَرضِ مَطروحا

فَغادِراني بِظَهرِ الأَرضِ مَطروحا

Wild beasts and birds have more right to contend over me;

The beasts and birds have more right to fight over me,

so leave me lying on the face of the earth.

So leave me lying wounded on the earth.

شُدّا عَلَيَّ دَريساً كَي يُوارِيَني

شُدّا عَلَيَّ دَريساً كَي يُوارِيَني

ثُمَّ اِغدوا بِسَلامِ اللَهِ أَو روحا

ثُمَّ اِغدوا بِسَلامِ اللَهِ أَو روحا

Bind a worn-out cloth around me to cover me,

Pile wood on me to cover me,

then go in God's peace, at morn or eve.

Then go in the peace of God, or like a soul.

يا نَفسِ يا طائِراً في سِجنِ مالِكِهِ

يا نَفسِ يا طائِراً في سِجنِ مالِكِهِ

لَتُصبِحَنَّ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ مَسروحا

لَتُصبِحَنَّ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ مَسروحا

O my soul, O bird in its master's prison,

O soul, o bird in its owner's prison,

you shall surely be set free, praise be to God.

You will wake with the praise of God released.