وَلُّوا المَدِينَةَ وَجْهَكُمْ وَدَعُونِي

وَلُّوا المَدِينَةَ وَجْهَكُمْ وَدَعُونِي

أَنَا فِي هَوَايَ وَعُزْلَتِي وَجُنُونِي

أَنَا فِي هَوَايَ وَعُزْلَتِي وَجُنُونِي

Turn your faces toward the city and leave me.

Turn your faces from this city and leave me be

I remain in my passion, my solitude, and my madness.

To my passion, my solitude, my madness

عُودُوا إِلَى البَلَدِ الأَمِينِ وَغَادِرُوا

عُودُوا إِلَى البَلَدِ الأَمِينِ وَغَادِرُوا

بَلَداً لِبُعْدِ النَّاسِ غَيْرَ أَمِينِ

بَلَداً لِبُعْدِ النَّاسِ غَيْرَ أَمِينِ

Return to the secure land, and leave

Return to the safe homeland and depart

a land unsafe because people are far away.

From a land, because of the remoteness of its people, unsafe

عُودُوا إِلَى حَيْثُ النَّمَائِمُ وَالأَذَى

عُودُوا إِلَى حَيْثُ النَّمَائِمُ وَالأَذَى

وَالعَيْشُ بَيْنَ وَسَاوِسٍ وَظُنُونِ

وَالعَيْشُ بَيْنَ وَسَاوِسٍ وَظُنُونِ

Return to where there is slander and harm,

Return to where are slumber and harm

and life amid misgivings and suspicions.

And life amidst doubts and suspicions

حَيْثُ الرَّذَائِلُ فِي مَرَافِلِ عِزَّةٍ

حَيْثُ الرَّذَائِلُ فِي مَرَافِلِ عِزَّةٍ

حَيْثُ الفَضَائِلُ فِي غَلائِلِ هُونِ

حَيْثُ الفَضَائِلُ فِي غَلائِلِ هُونِ

Where vices wear the trailing robes of honor,

Where vice is with the honored company

where virtues wear the thin garments of humiliation.

And virtue in the midst of the disgraced

حَيْثُ الضِّيَافَةُ للنَّزِيلِ المُرْتَجَى

حَيْثُ الضِّيَافَةُ للنَّزِيلِ المُرْتَجَى

مَا شَاءَ حَتَّى العِرْضِ حَتَّى الدينِ

مَا شَاءَ حَتَّى العِرْضِ حَتَّى الدينِ

Where hospitality offers the hoped-for guest

Where hospitality for the hoped-for guest

whatever he wishes—even honor, even faith.

Is as he wishes, even honor, even religion

حَيْثُ التِّجَارَةُ بِالوِدَادِ وَبِالقِلَى

حَيْثُ التِّجَارَةُ بِالوِدَادِ وَبِالقِلَى

وَبِكُلِّ رَأْيٍ فِي الحَيَاةِ أَفِينِ

وَبِكُلِّ رَأْيٍ فِي الحَيَاةِ أَفِينِ

Where commerce deals in affection and hatred,

Where commerce is in affection and friendship

and in every foolish opinion about life.

And in every view in life that is unblemished

حَيْثُ المَصُونَ هُوَ الحُطَامُ المُقْتَنَى

حَيْثُ المَصُونَ هُوَ الحُطَامُ المُقْتَنَى

وَعَفَافُ ذَاتِ الخِدْرِ غَيْرُ مَصُونِ

وَعَفَافُ ذَاتِ الخِدْرِ غَيْرُ مَصُونِ

Where what is guarded is amassed worldly wealth,

Where the protected is the sought ruin

and the chastity of the woman behind the curtain is unguarded.

And the chastity of an aged woman is unprotected

حَيْثُ المُسِيءُ إِلَى أَخِيهِ بِمَنِّهِ

حَيْثُ المُسِيءُ إِلَى أَخِيهِ بِمَنِّهِ

طَاوِي الضُّلُوعِ عَلَى نَدىً مَمْنُونِ

طَاوِي الضُّلُوعِ عَلَى نَدىً مَمْنُونِ

Where he who harms his brother by flaunting his favors

Where the evildoer against his brother by his grace

holds within his ribs a bounty tainted by reproach.

Is folding ribs over dew that is sleep-caressed

حَيْثُ الفَتَى كَالشَّيْخِ يَحْنِي رَأْسَهُ

حَيْثُ الفَتَى كَالشَّيْخِ يَحْنِي رَأْسَهُ

وَيَرَى الحَقِيقَةَ رُؤْيَةَ التَّخْمِينِ

وَيَرَى الحَقِيقَةَ رُؤْيَةَ التَّخْمِينِ

Where the young man, like the old man, bows his head

Where the youth like the elder bows his head

and sees truth through conjecture.

And sees reality in conjectured vision

بَادِي الهُمُومِ وَلا هُمُومَ وَإِنَّمَا

بَادِي الهُمُومِ وَلا هُمُومَ وَإِنَّمَا

هُنَّ البَقَايَا مِنْ طِلاً وَمُجُونِ

هُنَّ البَقَايَا مِنْ طِلاً وَمُجُونِ

He seems careworn, yet has no cares; rather,

Showing worries though no worries, but rather

they are merely the remnants of wine and debauchery.

These are the remnants of hopes and madness

تِلْكَ الحَضَارَةُ لا أُحِبُّ خِلافَهَا

تِلْكَ الحَضَارَةُ لا أُحِبُّ خِلافَهَا

وَأَرَى مَحَاسِنَهَا شِبَاكَ فُتُونِ

وَأَرَى مَحَاسِنَهَا شِبَاكَ فُتُونِ

Such is civilization; I do not love its opposite,

That civilization I do not love otherwise

and I see its beauties as nets of temptation.

And I see its beauties as the mesh of temptations

مَاذَا دَهَانِي فِي اخْتِبَاري أَهْلَهَا

مَاذَا دَهَانِي فِي اخْتِبَاري أَهْلَهَا

مِنْ كِذْبِ آمَالِي وَصِدْقِ عُيُونِي

مِنْ كِذْبِ آمَالِي وَصِدْقِ عُيُونِي

What befell me as I put its people to the test,

What has smeared me in testing its people

from my hopes’ falsehood and my eyes’ truth!

Of the lies of my hopes and the truth of my eyes