رَضِيَت نَفسي بِقِسمَتِها

رَضِيَت نَفسي بِقِسمَتِها

فَليُراوِد غَيرِيَ الشُهُبا

فَليُراوِد غَيرِيَ الشُهُبا

My soul is content with its lot.

My soul is content with what is ordained

My soul is content with its destiny,

So let someone else court the shooting stars.

So let others pursue the shooting stars

So let others chase after the high stars.

كُلُّ نَجمٍ لا اِهتِداءَ بِهِ

كُلُّ نَجمٍ لا اِهتِداءَ بِهِ

لا أُبالي لاحَ أَو غَرُبا

لا أُبالي لاحَ أَو غَرُبا

Every star that offers no guidance—

Each star I cannot be guided by

Every star by which I cannot be guided,

I care not whether it shines or sets.

I care not whether it rises or sets

I care not whether it rises or sets.

كُلُّ نَهرٍ لا اِرتِواءَ بِهِ

كُلُّ نَهرٍ لا اِرتِواءَ بِهِ

لا أُبالي سالَ أَو نَضَبا

لا أُبالي سالَ أَو نَضَبا

Every river that cannot quench thirst—

Each river from which I cannot drink

Every river that offers no quenching of thirst,

I care not whether it flows or runs dry.

I care not whether it flows or dries up

I care not whether it flows or runs dry.

ما غَدٌ يا مَن يُصَوِّرُهُ

ما غَدٌ يا مَن يُصَوِّرُهُ

لِيَ شَيئاً رائِعاً عَجِبا

لِيَ شَيئاً رائِعاً عَجِبا

What is tomorrow, O you who portray it

What is tomorrow, O you who depicts it

What is tomorrow, O you who depict it,

to me as something splendid and wondrous?

For me it is something wonderful and strange

To me as something wondrous and strange?

ما لَهُ عَين وَلا أَثَرٌ

ما لَهُ عَين وَلا أَثَرٌ

هُوَ كَالأَمسِ الَّذي ذَهَبا

هُوَ كَالأَمسِ الَّذي ذَهَبا

It has neither substance nor trace;

It has no eye nor trace

It has no substance nor any trace;

it is like yesterday, which has gone.

It is like yesterday which departed

It is just like the yesterday that has passed.

أَسقِني الصَهباءَ إِن حَضَرَت

أَسقِني الصَهباءَ إِن حَضَرَت

ثُمَّ صِف لِيَ الكَأس وَالحَبَبا

ثُمَّ صِف لِيَ الكَأس وَالحَبَبا

Give me tawny wine to drink, if it is at hand;

Give me the wine if it is present

Pour me the wine if it is here,

then describe to me the cup and its bubbles.

Then describe to me the cup and the draught

Then describe to me the cup and the bubbles.

لَيسَ يَرويني مَقالَكَ لي

لَيسَ يَرويني مَقالَكَ لي

أَنَّها العِقيانُ مُنسَكِبا

أَنَّها العِقيانُ مُنسَكِبا

It does not quench my thirst when you tell me

Your words do not quench my thirst

It does not quench me when you tell me

that it is pure gold poured out.

That it is pure grape juice spilling over

That it is liquid gold being poured.

إِنَّ صِدقاً لا أُحِسُّ بِهِ

إِنَّ صِدقاً لا أُحِسُّ بِهِ

هُوَ شَيءٌ يُشبِهُ الكَذِبا

هُوَ شَيءٌ يُشبِهُ الكَذِبا

Indeed, a truth that I do not feel

Verily, I feel no sincerity in it

Truly, a reality I cannot perceive,

is something that resembles falsehood.

It is something resembling a lie

Is a thing that resembles a lie.

لا يُنجي الشاةَ مِن سَغَبٍ

لا يُنجي الشاةَ مِن سَغَبٍ

أَنَّ في أَرضِ السُهى عَشَبا

أَنَّ في أَرضِ السُهى عَشَبا

It does not save the sheep from hunger

It will not save the sheep from dying of thirst

It does not save the sheep from starvation

that there is grass in the land of Suha.

That there is grass in the land of bliss

To know there is grass in the lands of the distant stars.

ما عَلى مَن لا يُطيقُ يَرى

ما عَلى مَن لا يُطيقُ يَرى

نَوَّرَ الوادي أَوِ اِكتَأَبا

نَوَّرَ الوادي أَوِ اِكتَأَبا

What does it matter to one who cannot see

It is not incumbent upon one who cannot endure

What does it matter to one unable to see,

whether the valley blooms or grows gloomy?

To see whether the valley is illuminated or gloomy

Whether the valley blossoms or grows gloomy?

ما يُفيدُ الطَيرَ في قَفَصٍ

ما يُفيدُ الطَيرَ في قَفَصٍ

ضاقَ هَذا الجَوُّ أَرَحِبا

ضاقَ هَذا الجَوُّ أَرَحِبا

What use is it to birds in a cage

It is no use to the bird in a cage

What good is it to the bird in a cage,

whether this sky is narrow or vast?

That the sky is more spacious

Whether the sky is narrow or vast?

بَرِّدي يا سُحبُ مِن ظَمَأي

بَرِّدي يا سُحبُ مِن ظَمَأي

وَاِهطُلي مِن بَعدِ ذا ذَهَبا

وَاِهطُلي مِن بَعدِ ذا ذَهَبا

Cool my thirst, O clouds,

Cool me, O clouds, from my thirst

Quench my thirst, O clouds, with your cool rain,

and after this, rain down gold.

And pour down after it has departed

And after that, you may rain down gold.

أَو فَكوني غَيرَ راحِمَةٍ

أَو فَكوني غَيرَ راحِمَةٍ

حِمَماً حَمراءَ لا سُحُبا

حِمَماً حَمراءَ لا سُحُبا

Or else be merciless:

Or be unrelenting

Or else, be without mercy,

red embers, not clouds.

As red hot coal, not clouds

And turn to red molten fire, not clouds.

وَلأَكُن وَحدي لَها هَدَفاً

وَلأَكُن وَحدي لَها هَدَفاً

وَلتَكُن نَفسي لَها حَطَبا

وَلتَكُن نَفسي لَها حَطَبا

And let me alone be their target,

And let me alone be its target

Let me alone be the target for it,

and let my soul be their firewood.

And let my soul be its fuel

And let my soul serve as its fuel.

أَنا مِن قَومٍ إِذا حَزِنوا

أَنا مِن قَومٍ إِذا حَزِنوا

وَجَدوا في حُزنِهِم طَرَبا

وَجَدوا في حُزنِهِم طَرَبا

I am of a people who, when they grieve,

I am of a people when they are saddened

I am of a people who, when they grieve,

find rapture in their sorrow.

They find bliss in their grief

Find a strange delight within their sorrow.

وَإِذا ما غايَةٌ صَعُبَت

وَإِذا ما غايَةٌ صَعُبَت

هَوَّنوا بِالتَركِ ما صَعُبا

هَوَّنوا بِالتَركِ ما صَعُبا

And when a goal proves difficult,

And when an objective becomes difficult

And if a goal proves too difficult to reach,

they ease what is hard by letting it go.

They make light of what is difficult by leaving it

They ease the hardship by simply letting go.