أقول على صدقٍ لأهل النهى طرّا

أقول على صدقٍ لأهل النهى طرّا

ولست بمستثن لئيما ولا حرّا

ولست بمستثن لئيما ولا حرّا

I speak truthfully to all people of understanding,

With truth I say to those who find fault with me

I speak with sincerity to the people of intellect, one and all,

and exclude neither the base nor the noble.

That I am not one who is base or free

Excluding neither the ignoble nor the freeborn:

ألا خبروني أين ضلّت عقولكم

ألا خبروني أين ضلّت عقولكم

وكلكم يستهجن الشر والضرا

وكلكم يستهجن الشر والضرا

Come, tell me: where have your minds gone astray?

Tell me, where have your minds gone astray

Pray tell me, where have your minds gone astray?

Each of you condemns evil and harm,

When you all disapprove of evil and harm

For all of you decry wickedness and harm,

ويغفل عنه وهو منتبه له

ويغفل عنه وهو منتبه له

ويطلب هذا الشر أعظم به شرّا

ويطلب هذا الشر أعظم به شرّا

yet is heedless of it, even while aware of it,

Yet neglect it though you're aware of it

Yet one remains heedless of it, though fully aware,

and seeks this evil—how great an evil it is!

And seek out evil greater than it by far

And pursues this evil—how monstrous an evil it is!

وجينئذ يقلاه كل مصاحب

وجينئذ يقلاه كل مصاحب

ومن مس هذا الضرّ هيهات أن يبرا

ومن مس هذا الضرّ هيهات أن يبرا

And then every companion loathes him;

Then everyone treats it as a trifle

Whereupon every companion comes to loathe him,

and whoever suffers this harm is far from recovery.

And whoever is touched by this harm will never recover

And he who is touched by this affliction is far beyond a cure.