شكوتُ الزمانَ فقال الزمانُ

شكوتُ الزمانَ فقال الزمانُ

وكان خصيماً ألدَّ الخصامِ

وكان خصيماً ألدَّ الخصامِ

I complained of Time, and Time replied—

I complained of time, and time replied:

and it was a most obstinate adversary in dispute:

"You are my rival, most contentious of foes!"

لك الذنبُ لا ليَ فيما شكوتَ

لك الذنبُ لا ليَ فيما شكوتَ

بمدح اللئامِ وتركِ الكرامِ

بمدح اللئامِ وتركِ الكرامِ

The fault is yours, not mine, in what you complained of,

The fault lies not with me, but with you who complained,

in praising the base and forsaking the noble.

By praising villains and abandoning the noble.

عليك أبا الصقر ذاك الذي

عليك أبا الصقر ذاك الذي

يمحِّصُ عني ذنوبَ اللئامِ

يمحِّصُ عني ذنوبَ اللئامِ

Seek out Abu al-Saqr, that man who

Father of the falcon, it is you who

cleanses me of the sins of the base.

winnows my faults from the chaff of the wicked,

بجدواه يُغفرُ لي لومُهم

بجدواه يُغفرُ لي لومُهم

ويُغمدُ عني لسان الملامِ

ويُغمدُ عني لسان الملامِ

Through his bounty, I am absolved of blame on their account,

with your bounty, forgiving my misdeeds,

and the tongue of reproach is sheathed, sparing me.

and sheathing the tongues that would blame me.

فلا يُخلني الله من مثله

فلا يُخلني الله من مثله

يقومُ بعذريَ عند الأثامِ

يقومُ بعذريَ عند الأثامِ

So may God not deprive me of one like him,

May God not deprive me of one like you,

who speaks in my defense in the face of wrongdoing.

who rises to defend me among the sinful.