نجَاةُNajat نجَاتِيmy deliverance اليومَtoday لستُI do not أرَومُهَاI seek it
نجَاةُ نجَاتِي اليومَ لستُ أرَومُهَا
فلاso not يَطلبُseeks الإنسانa person ماwhat لَيسَis not يُطلبsought
فلا يَطلبُ الإنسان ما لَيسَ يُطلب
Najat, today I do not seek my deliverance;
My salvation today I do not seek
For no one seeks what is not to be sought.
For man should not ask for the unseekable
أأنجوcan I escape? مِنfrom السِّحرينِthe two spells لحظٌa glance ومَنطِقٌand speech
أأنجو مِن السِّحرينِ لحظٌ ومَنطِقٌ
وسِحِرand the spell of غِناءٍsinging بيwith me يرُوحgoes back ويَذهَبُand goes away
وسِحِر غِناءٍ بي يرُوح ويَذهَبُ
Can I escape the two spells—a glance and speech—
Shall I be saved from the magic of a glance and words
And the spell of singing that carries me to and fro?
And the magic of a song that comes and goes
وذاand this كامِلKamil فيamong الناسthe people يَفتِكslays جهدَهwith all his might
وذا كامِل في الناس يَفتِك جهدَه
خُذوهُseize him فبfor, with القانونthe law; the qanun (zither) لاno شكَّdoubt يلعَبُhe plays
خُذوهُ فب القانون لا شكَّ يلعَبُ
And here is Kamil, slaying people with all his might;
And if there be a perfect one that gives his all
Seize him, for he surely plays with the law—the qanun.
Take him, for by law, no doubt he will be played