إِذا ساءَلْتَنِي فَخُذِ الجَوابا

إِذا ساءَلْتَنِي فَخُذِ الجَوابا

فَكَم فَتَحَ الكَلامُ عَليَّ بابا

فَكَم فَتَحَ الكَلامُ عَليَّ بابا

If you question me, then take the answer;

When you asked me, I gave you the answer

For speech has opened many a door against me.

Yet how many doors did speech open for me

عَتبتَ وَما اِجتَرمتُ إِلَيكَ جُرماً

عَتبتَ وَما اِجتَرمتُ إِلَيكَ جُرماً

فَأَحمِلُ فيهِ منكَ لِيَ العتابا

فَأَحمِلُ فيهِ منكَ لِيَ العتابا

You reproached me, though I committed no wrong against you

You blamed me, and I had done no wrong against you

For which I should bear your reproach.

So I bear your reproach though I am not to blame

وَما كُنتُ اِستَرَبْتُ وَإِنْ أَرَتني

وَما كُنتُ اِستَرَبْتُ وَإِنْ أَرَتني

صُروفَ الدّهرِ عِندَكَ ما أَرابا

صُروفَ الدّهرِ عِندَكَ ما أَرابا

Nor had I grown suspicious, though I was shown

I never refused you, though fate at your side

By time's vicissitudes what in you aroused suspicion.

Made me seem to you wayward and unstable

فُجِعت وَقَد تَخِذتكَ لي خليلاً

فُجِعت وَقَد تَخِذتكَ لي خليلاً

بِجرمي أَو حُرمت بِكَ الصّوابا

بِجرمي أَو حُرمت بِكَ الصّوابا

I was stricken, having taken you as my close friend,

I was hurt that you, who were my friend

Through my own fault—or, through you, was denied sound judgment.

Condemned me for my crime, or denied me what is right

وَلَو أَنّي قَطَعتكَ لَم أُعنَّفْ

وَلَو أَنّي قَطَعتكَ لَم أُعنَّفْ

وَلم أقرع لِقربي منكَ نابا

وَلم أقرع لِقربي منكَ نابا

And had I broken with you, I would not have been censured,

If I had cut myself off from you, I'd not have been rebuked

Nor would I have gnashed my teeth over my closeness to you.

Or lashed myself to you though you spurned me

وَلَمّا أَن ظَمِئت إِلَيك يوماً

وَلَمّا أَن ظَمِئت إِلَيك يوماً

وَردتُ ولَم أَرِدْ إِلّا سَرابا

وَردتُ ولَم أَرِدْ إِلّا سَرابا

And when one day I thirsted for you,

And when one day I thirsted for you

I came to drink, but reached only a mirage.

I returned, but found only a mirage

فَإِنْ تَشحَط فَما أَهوى اِقتِراباً

فَإِنْ تَشحَط فَما أَهوى اِقتِراباً

وَإِن تَرحل فَما أَرجو إِيابا

وَإِن تَرحل فَما أَرجو إِيابا

So if you go far away, I have no wish to draw near;

If you are aloof, I desire no nearness

And if you depart, I hope for no return.

If you depart, I hope for no return

وَلَستَ بِمُبصرٍ منّي رسولاً

وَلَستَ بِمُبصرٍ منّي رسولاً

وَلَستَ بِقارِئٍ عَنّي كِتابا

وَلَستَ بِقارِئٍ عَنّي كِتابا

You will see no messenger from me,

You have from me no messenger to observe me

Nor will you read a letter from me.

You have from me no letter to read

أَلا قَبحَ الإِلهُ وُجوهَ قومٍ

أَلا قَبحَ الإِلهُ وُجوهَ قومٍ

أَذلّوا في طِلابهمُ الرّقابا

أَذلّوا في طِلابهمُ الرّقابا

Ah, may God disfigure the faces of people

Oh shame on the faces of people

Who abased their necks in their pursuit.

Who in their requests bow down their necks

أَراقوا مِن وجوهِهم حياءً

أَراقوا مِن وجوهِهم حياءً

وَما أَخذوا بهِ إِلّا تُرابا

وَما أَخذوا بهِ إِلّا تُرابا

They poured modesty from their faces,

They poured modesty from their faces

And received nothing for it but dust.

And took in exchange only dust

وَهُمْ مِن لُؤمِهم في قَعرِ وهدٍ

وَهُمْ مِن لُؤمِهم في قَعرِ وهدٍ

وَإِن رفعوا بدورِهم القِبابا

وَإِن رفعوا بدورِهم القِبابا

And through their baseness they lie at the bottom of a hollow,

Though they raise lofty buildings, they are

Even if they raise domes over their houses.

Deep in the pit of infamy

وَمَن يَكُ عارِياً مِن كُلِّ خَيرٍ

وَمَن يَكُ عارِياً مِن كُلِّ خَيرٍ

فَما يُغنيهِ أَن لَبِسَ الثيابا

فَما يُغنيهِ أَن لَبِسَ الثيابا

And whoever is bare of all goodness

He who lacks all good

Is no better off for having put on clothes.

Gains nothing from wearing clothes