عَرفْتُ مقاديرَ الرجالِ بنكبةٍ

عَرفْتُ مقاديرَ الرجالِ بنكبةٍ

أفدْتُ به غُنماً وإن عُدَّ مَغرما

أفدْتُ به غُنماً وإن عُدَّ مَغرما

I learned the true worth of men through a calamity;

I have known the worth of men through adversity,

Through it I gained a profit, though it was reckoned a loss.

And though deemed a loss, I gained much thereby.

كفاني لعمري أيها الناسُ خبرتي

كفاني لعمري أيها الناسُ خبرتي

بكم بعدَ جهلي واغتراريَ مغنما

بكم بعدَ جهلي واغتراريَ مغنما

By my life, O people, my experience

Sufficient for my life has my experience been;

Of you, after my ignorance and delusion, was gain enough for me.

After such ignorance, how great my gain!

ألا طال ما حمَّلتُ قلبيَ ظالماً

ألا طال ما حمَّلتُ قلبيَ ظالماً

تكاليفَ مِنْ إعظام من ليس مُعْظما

تكاليفَ مِنْ إعظام من ليس مُعْظما

Ah, how long I unjustly burdened my heart

Too long within my heart I bore iniquity,

With the burdens of revering those unworthy of reverence.

Exalting those unworthy of exaltation.

فقد حطّها عني الإله بمحنةٍ

فقد حطّها عني الإله بمحنةٍ

أراني بها رُشْدي وما زال مُنعما

أراني بها رُشْدي وما زال مُنعما

For God has lifted those burdens from me through an ordeal;

But God has now relieved me, through affliction shown

Through it He showed me my right path, and has never ceased to bestow blessings.

My rightful path - and still His blessings rain!