عَفَت نفسي أمانيها

عَفَت نفسي أمانيها

نُواحي في نَواحيها

نُواحي في نَواحيها

My soul has effaced its hopes.

My soul has restrained its desires

My wailing is in its quarters.

In all of its corners

فعُد عما ينافيها

فعُد عما ينافيها

وعظها بالذي فيها

وعظها بالذي فيها

So turn away from what conflicts with it,

So return from what opposes it

And admonish it with what lies within it.

And advise it with what is in it

فإن تجهل مباديها

فإن تجهل مباديها

فلم تجهل تناهيها

فلم تجهل تناهيها

For if you do not know its beginnings,

If you do not know its origins

You have not been ignorant of its end.

You do not ignore its endings

وإن درسَت مبانيها

وإن درسَت مبانيها

فسل للدار بانيها

فسل للدار بانيها

And if its structures have been effaced,

And if you studied its foundations

Then ask the dwelling's builder.

Ask the builder of the house

وإن ناجاك باريها

وإن ناجاك باريها

فأعط القوس باريها

فأعط القوس باريها

And if its Maker speaks privately to you,

And if its Creator whispers to you

Then give the bow to its carver.

Give the bow to its archer

فهوْ أدرى بما فيها

فهوْ أدرى بما فيها

وأحرى في تلافيها

وأحرى في تلافيها

For he knows best what is within it,

For He is most knowing of what is in it

And is better suited to mending it.

And most caring in avoiding it

فإن بانت خوافيها

فإن بانت خوافيها

وبانت عن دَهاً فيها

وبانت عن دَهاً فيها

So if its hidden things become clear,

If its hidden aspects become clear

And it parts from the cunning within it,

And its faults become exposed

رأيتَ الخوف ثانيها

رأيتَ الخوف ثانيها

عن الفحشا وثانيها

عن الفحشا وثانيها

You would see fear turning it away

You will see fear come to it again

From indecency and its counterpart.

Of obscenity and come to it again

فتُطربها مثانيها

فتُطربها مثانيها

وتُطربها مثانيها

وتُطربها مثانيها

Then its repeated verses delight it,

So its pleasures will disturb it

And its repeated verses delight it.

And its pleasures will disturb it

نواهيها دواهيها

نواهيها دواهيها

دواهيها نواهيها

دواهيها نواهيها

Its prohibitions are its calamities;

Its prohibitions are its cures

Its calamities are its prohibitions.

Its cures are its prohibitions

أدرها يا مُعانيها

أدرها يا مُعانيها

لقد رقّت معانيها

لقد رقّت معانيها

Turn it over, O you who wrestle with it:

Guide it, O its meanings!

Indeed, its meanings have grown subtle.

Its meanings have become tender

فإن حزت القُوى فيها

فإن حزت القُوى فيها

فغرِّد في قوافيها

فغرِّد في قوافيها

So if you have acquired the powers within it,

So if strength fails it

Then warble among its rhymes.

Sing in its rhymes