نفسي تقيكِ السوءَ يا نفسي

نفسي تقيكِ السوءَ يا نفسي

ما أنت إلا ضَرَّةُ الشمسِ

ما أنت إلا ضَرَّةُ الشمسِ

May my soul shield you from harm, O my soul!

My soul, protect yourself from harm, O my soul

You are none other than the sun's co-wife.

You are nothing but the radiance of the sun

فلْمْ وقد قامتْ تُباهيك لمْ

فلْمْ وقد قامتْ تُباهيك لمْ

يُومئ إِليها الخلقُ بالخمس

يُومئ إِليها الخلقُ بالخمس

Then why, when she rose to rival you, did not

So why do you boast, when it has risen

all creation gesture toward her with all five fingers?

And people point to it with outstretched fingers

يَغارُ من أجْلِك إِشراقُها

يَغارُ من أجْلِك إِشراقُها

على عيونِ الجنِّ والإِنس

على عيونِ الجنِّ والإِنس

Because of you, her radiance grows jealous

Does its radiance envy you

over the eyes of jinn and humankind.

Among the jinn and humankind?

أَو لا ففيم انكسفتْ إِذ رأتْ

أَو لا ففيم انكسفتْ إِذ رأتْ

عينيَ منْ وجْهِك في عرس

عينيَ منْ وجْهِك في عرس

Or not? Then why was she eclipsed when she saw

Or why was it eclipsed when it saw

my eye in wedding revelry, thanks to your face?

My eyes from your face at the wedding?

لو لم تكنْ غيري إذاً لم تَكُنْ

لو لم تكنْ غيري إذاً لم تَكُنْ

صُفْرَتُها في صُفْرةِ الورس

صُفْرَتُها في صُفْرةِ الورس

Had she not been jealous, then neither would

If there was no one but me, then it would not be

her pallor have matched the yellow of wars dye,

Yellow amidst the yellow myrtle

ولم تصرْ طَوْعَ النحولِ الذي

ولم تصرْ طَوْعَ النحولِ الذي

صيَّرها تَخْفى عن الحسِّ

صيَّرها تَخْفى عن الحسِّ

nor would she have succumbed to the wasting that

Nor would it obey the emaciation that

made her imperceptible to the senses.

Made it hide from the senses

يا مُلْبسي ثوباً من السُّقْمِ لا

يا مُلْبسي ثوباً من السُّقْمِ لا

أَحسبُهُ يَبْلى على اللبسِ

أَحسبُهُ يَبْلى على اللبسِ

O you who clothe me in a robe of sickness, I do not

O you who clothe me in a garment of sickness that

think it will wear out with wearing.

I think will not wear out from wearing

من جنَّةِ القدسِ تُرى أنت بل

من جنَّةِ القدسِ تُرى أنت بل

ما أنت إلا جَنَّةُ القدس

ما أنت إلا جَنَّةُ القدس

Are you, I wonder, from the Garden of Holiness? Rather,

You seem to be from the Garden of Holiness but

you are none other than the Garden of Holiness.

You are nothing but the Garden of Holiness