أَخٌ لِيَ ما لي مِن يَدَيهِ فِرارٌ

أَخٌ لِيَ ما لي مِن يَدَيهِ فِرارٌ

وَلا لي إِما غِبتُ عَنهُ قَرارُ

وَلا لي إِما غِبتُ عَنهُ قَرارُ

I have a brother from whose hands I have no escape,

A brother of mine, I can't escape his hands,

Nor do I find rest whenever I am away from him.

And without him, I have no peace.

رَقيقُ حَواشي البِشرِ أَمّا لِقاؤُهُ

رَقيقُ حَواشي البِشرِ أَمّا لِقاؤُهُ

فَرَوضٌ وَأَمّا خُلقُهُ فَعُقارُ

فَرَوضٌ وَأَمّا خُلقُهُ فَعُقارُ

Tender are the fringes of his cheerfulness; as for meeting him,

Gentle in his manners, but meeting him

It is a garden; as for his character, it is wine.

Is painful, and his nature, bitter.

قَمَعتُ بِهِ شَرَّ الزَمانِ فَلَم يَطِر

قَمَعتُ بِهِ شَرَّ الزَمانِ فَلَم يَطِر

لِنارِ أَذىً مِنهُ عَلَيَّ شَرارُ

لِنارِ أَذىً مِنهُ عَلَيَّ شَرارُ

Through him I quelled the evil of time, so there flew no

With him I repressed the worst of times, yet

Sparks upon me from its fire of harm.

No embers of harm from him touched me.