مَتَى ما تُشاهِد نِعمَةً كَنعامَةٍ

مَتَى ما تُشاهِد نِعمَةً كَنعامَةٍ

مُطَرَّدَةٍ تَرتَع بِأَلفِ ظَليمِ

مُطَرَّدَةٍ تَرتَع بِأَلفِ ظَليمِ

Whenever you behold a blessing, it is like a female ostrich,

Whenever you see a blessing like a safe ostrich

Driven away, grazing among a thousand male ostriches.

Grazing with a thousand protections

وَنَخشى عَذاباً في المَماتِ وَإِنَّنا

وَنَخشى عَذاباً في المَماتِ وَإِنَّنا

لَأَهلُ عَذابٍ في الحَياةِ أَليمِ

لَأَهلُ عَذابٍ في الحَياةِ أَليمِ

And we fear torment in death, though we

Yet we fear torment in death, though we

Are surely subject to painful torment in life.

Are people suffering terrible torment in life

وَما كَذَبَتني لامَتي إِنَّ لامَتي

وَما كَذَبَتني لامَتي إِنَّ لامَتي

إِذا اِدَّرَعَ الأَقوامُ ثَوبُ مَليمِ

إِذا اِدَّرَعَ الأَقوامُ ثَوبُ مَليمِ

And my armor has not deceived me; indeed, my armor,

My determination did not lie to me, my determination

When people don armor, is a blameworthy man's garment.

When people don armor of hardships

فَيا لَيتَ يَومي يَومُ أَشعَثَ عامِلٍ

فَيا لَيتَ يَومي يَومُ أَشعَثَ عامِلٍ

وَلَيلي مِنَ الإِشفاقِ لَيلُ سَليمِ

وَلَيلي مِنَ الإِشفاقِ لَيلُ سَليمِ

Ah, would that my day were a disheveled laborer's day,

Oh, if only my day were that of a disheveled worker

And my night, out of fear, a snake-bitten man's night.

And my night were, out of agony, a peaceful night

وَما كُنتُ في الرُزءِ الجَليلِ بِصابِرٍ

وَما كُنتُ في الرُزءِ الجَليلِ بِصابِرٍ

وَلا عِندَ خَطبٍ هَزَّني بِحَليمِ

وَلا عِندَ خَطبٍ هَزَّني بِحَليمِ

And I have not been patient in grievous loss,

I was not patient in time of ample grace

Nor forbearing when a calamity shook me.

Nor composed when faced with ordeals

وَأَشعُرُ أَنَّ العَقلَ يَصحَبُ تارَةً

وَأَشعُرُ أَنَّ العَقلَ يَصحَبُ تارَةً

وَيَنفُرُ أُخرى وَهوَ غَيرُ عَليمِ

وَيَنفُرُ أُخرى وَهوَ غَيرُ عَليمِ

And I feel that reason is a companion at times,

And I feel reason keeps me company at times

And shies away at others, itself unknowing.

Then shuns me at others, not knowing at all

وَقالَ أُناسٌ لَيسَ عيسى مُقَرَّباً

وَقالَ أُناسٌ لَيسَ عيسى مُقَرَّباً

فَقيلَ وَلا موساكُمُ بِكَليمِ

فَقيلَ وَلا موساكُمُ بِكَليمِ

And some people said, 'Jesus is not close to God.'

Some people said Jesus is no intimate

So it was said, 'Nor is your Moses one whom God addressed.'

So it was said neither is your Moses a confidant