كيف الصنيع وهم نشاوى بالذي

كيف الصنيع وهم نشاوى بالذي

يأتيه فيهم كيف شاء الأجنبي

يأتيه فيهم كيف شاء الأجنبي

What can be done, when they are drunk on what

How can I act while they are carefree

the foreigner does among them, however he pleases?

With whatever the foreigner does to them

وإذا شدا الشادي الشجي بحيهم

وإذا شدا الشادي الشجي بحيهم

قالوا مغني الحي ليس بمطرب

قالوا مغني الحي ليس بمطرب

And when the sweet-voiced singer sings in their quarter,

And if the brave warrior draws his sword in their neighborhood

They say, 'The quarter's singer gives no delight.'

They say the singer of the tribe is no bard

هم غربوا وأنا المشرق بينهم

هم غربوا وأنا المشرق بينهم

شتان بين مشرق ومغرب

شتان بين مشرق ومغرب

They have turned west, while I turn east among them;

They are the West, and I the East among them

What a difference between one turning east and one turning west!

Far between East and West

لو شاء ربك في صعيد واحد

لو شاء ربك في صعيد واحد

جمع الخليقة واستووا في المذهب

جمع الخليقة واستووا في المذهب

Had your Lord willed, on a single plain

If your Lord willed in one plain

He would have gathered creation, and they would have been alike in belief.

To gather all creation equal in belief