خَلَعتُ مُجوني فَاستَرَحتُ مِنَ العَذلِ

خَلَعتُ مُجوني فَاستَرَحتُ مِنَ العَذلِ

وَكُنتُ وَما بي وَالتَماجُنُ مِن مِثلي

وَكُنتُ وَما بي وَالتَماجُنُ مِن مِثلي

I cast off my debauchery and found relief from reproach.

I cast off my passions and found relief from torment

I cast off my open vice and found relief from blame,

I had been so, with nothing amiss in me; wantonness befits the likes of me.

Yet I was, and passion was never found in one like me

Though I was—and what of it?—for debauchery suits my name.

أَيا ابنَ أَبانٍ هَل سَمِعتَ بِفاسِقٍ

أَيا ابنَ أَبانٍ هَل سَمِعتَ بِفاسِقٍ

يُعَدُّ مِنَ النُسّاكِ فيمَن مَضى قَبلي

يُعَدُّ مِنَ النُسّاكِ فيمَن مَضى قَبلي

O son of Aban, have you heard of a sinner

O son of Aban, did you hear of a sinner

O Ibn Aban, have you ever heard of a libertine,

Counted among the ascetics who lived before me?

Who was counted among ascetics, before me?

Who counts himself among the ascetics of an ancient time?

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي حينَ أَغدو مُسَبِّحاً

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي حينَ أَغدو مُسَبِّحاً

بِسَمتِ أَبي ذَرٍّ وَقَلبِ أَبي جَهلِ

بِسَمتِ أَبي ذَرٍّ وَقَلبِ أَبي جَهلِ

Have you not seen how I go out in the morning, glorifying God,

Do you not see that when I rise to glorify God

Do you not see that when I go forth chanting praise,

With Abu Dharr's bearing and Abu Jahl's heart,

With the composure of Abu Dharr and the heart of Abu Jahl

With the bearing of Abu Dharr, and the heart of Abu Jahl's ways?

وَأَخشَعُ في نَفسي وَأَخفِضُ ناظِري

وَأَخشَعُ في نَفسي وَأَخفِضُ ناظِري

وَسَجّادَتي في الوَجهِ كَالدِرهَمِ المَطلي

وَسَجّادَتي في الوَجهِ كَالدِرهَمِ المَطلي

And humble myself inwardly and lower my gaze,

And I am humble in myself and lower my gaze

I feign humility within my soul and lower down my gaze,

And my prostration mark upon my face is like a plated dirham?

While my prayer mat glows like a polished coin

While the prayer-mark on my face like a plated dirham plays.

وَآمُرُ بِالمَعروفِ لا مِن تَقِيَّةٍ

وَآمُرُ بِالمَعروفِ لا مِن تَقِيَّةٍ

وَكَيفَ وَقَولي لا يُصَدِّقُهُ فِعلي

وَكَيفَ وَقَولي لا يُصَدِّقُهُ فِعلي

And I enjoin what is right, not out of piety—

And I enjoin right but not out of piety

I command what is right, though not from pious seed,

And how could I, when my conduct does not bear out my words?

How could that be, when my words belie my deeds?

And how could I, when my word is belied by my deed?

وَمَحبَرَتي رَأسُ الرَياءِ وَدَفتَري

وَمَحبَرَتي رَأسُ الرَياءِ وَدَفتَري

وَنَعلايَ في كَفَّيَّ مِن آلَةِ الخَتلِ

وَنَعلايَ في كَفَّيَّ مِن آلَةِ الخَتلِ

And my inkwell is the height of hypocrisy, and my notebook

My turban is the crown of hypocrisy, my shoes

My inkwell is the fountainhead of all hypocrisy,

And my two sandals in my hands are instruments of deceit.

Are tools of deception in my hands

And the sandals in my hands are tools of treachery.

أَأُمُّ فَقيهاً لَيسَ رَأيِي بِفِقهِهِ

أَأُمُّ فَقيهاً لَيسَ رَأيِي بِفِقهِهِ

وَلَكِن لَرُبَّ المُردِ مُجتَمِعُ الشَملِ

وَلَكِن لَرُبَّ المُردِ مُجتَمِعُ الشَملِ

Do I seek out a jurist? My interest is not in his jurisprudence,

Shall I lead the jurists when I disagree with their jurisprudence?

I seek out the jurist, though his law is not my aim,

But rather in the many beardless youths gathered together.

But I must, for the sake of the assembly full of fools

But rather for the beardless youths who gather in his name.

فَكَم أَمرَدٍ قَد قالَ والِدُهُ لَهُ

فَكَم أَمرَدٍ قَد قالَ والِدُهُ لَهُ

عَلَيكَ بِهَذا إِنَّهُ مِن أُلي الفَضلِ

عَلَيكَ بِهَذا إِنَّهُ مِن أُلي الفَضلِ

For many a beardless youth's father has told him,

So many fools whose fathers told them

For how many a young lad has heard his father say:

"Keep close to this man; he is among men of virtue."

“Hold on to this, it is the best of virtues”

"Cling close to this man, for he walks the virtuous way."

يَفِرُّ بِهِ مِن أَن يُصاحِبَ شاطِراً

يَفِرُّ بِهِ مِن أَن يُصاحِبَ شاطِراً

كَمَن فَرَّ مِن حَرِّ الجِراحِ إِلى القَتلِ

كَمَن فَرَّ مِن حَرِّ الجِراحِ إِلى القَتلِ

He flees with him to keep him from befriending a rogue,

They flee from an intelligent companion

He flees with him to save him from a scoundrel's breath,

Like one who fled the burning pain of wounds only to be killed.

As one fleeing from hot coals to death

Like one who flees the burning wound to run straight into death.