إِنّي عَجِبتُ وَفي الأَيّامِ مُعتَبَرٌ

إِنّي عَجِبتُ وَفي الأَيّامِ مُعتَبَرٌ

وَالدَهرُ يَأتي بِأَلوانِ الأَعاجيبِ

وَالدَهرُ يَأتي بِأَلوانِ الأَعاجيبِ

Indeed I was astonished—though the days hold a lesson,

I'm amazed, though times reveal all wonders,

I stood amazed, for in the passing days are lessons to be learned,

and time brings wonders of many hues—

As fate brings varied hues of miracles.

And Time comes bearing all manner of strange wonders.

مِن صاحِبٍ كانَ دُنيائي وَآخِرَتي

مِن صاحِبٍ كانَ دُنيائي وَآخِرَتي

عَدا عَلَيَّ جِهاراً عَدوَةَ الذيبِ

عَدا عَلَيَّ جِهاراً عَدوَةَ الذيبِ

at a friend who was my world and my hereafter:

A friend who was my worldly life and faith

From a companion who was my world and my hereafter,

he openly attacked me with a wolf's assault,

Blatantly turned into a ravenous wolf.

Who turned upon me openly with the ferocity of a wolf.

مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ وَلا شَيءٍ قُرِفتُ بِهِ

مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ وَلا شَيءٍ قُرِفتُ بِهِ

أَبدى خَبيثَتَهُ ظُلماً وَأُغرِيَ بي

أَبدى خَبيثَتَهُ ظُلماً وَأُغرِيَ بي

without any fault or anything charged against me.

With no misdeeds by which I was accused,

For no sin, nor any deed of which I was accused,

He unjustly revealed his malice and was incited against me.

He showed his vileness, wronging me unjustly.

He bared his hidden malice unjustly, incited against me.

يا واحِدي مِن جَميعِ الناسِ كُلِّهِمُ

يا واحِدي مِن جَميعِ الناسِ كُلِّهِمُ

ماذا أَرَدتَ إِلى سَبّي وَتَأنيبي

ماذا أَرَدتَ إِلى سَبّي وَتَأنيبي

O my one and only among all people,

My only one among all humankind,

O you, who were my only one among all mankind,

what did you intend by insulting and rebuking me?

Why wish my blame and do me evil?

What was your intent in my defamation and rebuke?

قَد كانَ لي مَثَلٌ لَو كُنتُ أَعقِلُهُ

قَد كانَ لي مَثَلٌ لَو كُنتُ أَعقِلُهُ

مِن قَولِ غالِبِ لَفظٍ غَيرِ مَغلوبِ

مِن قَولِ غالِبِ لَفظٍ غَيرِ مَغلوبِ

I had a proverb, if only I had understood it,

An example I could have, had I understood,

I had a proverb before me, if only I had understood it,

from the saying of a master of speech, never vanquished:

A saying by a speaker whose words ring true:

From the words of a victor in speech, never vanquished:

لا تَحمِدَنَّ اِمرَأً حَتّى تُجَرِّبَهُ

لا تَحمِدَنَّ اِمرَأً حَتّى تُجَرِّبَهُ

وَلا تَذُمَّنَّهُ مِن غَيرِ تَجريبِ

وَلا تَذُمَّنَّهُ مِن غَيرِ تَجريبِ

Never praise a man until you have tested him,

"Do not praise a man until you've tested him,

"Never praise a man until you have put him to the test,

nor disparage him without testing him.

Nor blame him without first making him prove."

Nor condemn him before the trial is made."