نَحنُwe قَطنيَّةٌcotton-clad وَصوفيَّةٌand wool-clad أَنstart of “you”
نَحنُ قَطنيَّةٌ وَصوفيَّةٌ أَن
تُمend of “you” فَقَطنيso enough for me مِنَof التَجَمُّلِadornment قَطنيmy cotton
تُم فَقَطني مِنَ التَجَمُّلِ قَطني
We are cotton-clad, and you are wool-clad;
for finery, my cotton is enough for me.
تَقطَعونَyou traverse البِلادَthe lands بَطناًbelly or interior وَظَهراًand back or exterior
تَقطَعونَ البِلادَ بَطناً وَظَهراً
إِنَماonly سَعيُكُمyour striving لِفَرجٍfor sexual desire وَبَطنِand belly
إِنَما سَعيُكُم لِفَرجٍ وَبَطنِ
You traverse lands, belly and back;
your striving is only for loins and belly.
حاطَنيprotected me خالِقيmy Creator فَعِشتُso I lived وَلَولاand were it not for
حاطَني خالِقي فَعِشتُ وَلَولا
خَوفُهُfear of Him قُلتُI would say لَيتَهُI wish He لَمhad not يَحُطنيprotected me
خَوفُهُ قُلتُ لَيتَهُ لَم يَحُطني
My Creator protected me, and so I lived; were it not for
fear of Him, I would say: I wish He had not protected me.
جَسَديmy body خِرقَةٌa rag تُخاطُis sewn إِلىto الأَرstart of “the earth”
جَسَدي خِرقَةٌ تُخاطُ إِلى الأَر
ضِend of “the earth” فَياso, O خائِطَstitcher العَوالِمِof the worlds خِطنيstitch me
ضِ فَيا خائِطَ العَوالِمِ خِطني
My body is a rag sewn to the earth;
so, O stitcher of the worlds, stitch me.