نسوني فلا ألقى سلاماً ولا ردّا

نسوني فلا ألقى سلاماً ولا ردّا

كأني أقمت اليوم دونهم سدّا

كأني أقمت اليوم دونهم سدّا

They forgot me, so I receive neither greeting nor reply.

They forgot me, so I give no greeting nor response,

As though today I had raised a barrier between myself and them.

As if today I built a dam between us.

تلاهَوا وألهَوا عن أخيهم أباهمُ

تلاهَوا وألهَوا عن أخيهم أباهمُ

وما هو إلا أرشد الأخوةِ الأهدى

وما هو إلا أرشد الأخوةِ الأهدى

They ignored their brother and distracted their father from him,

They played and were distracted from their brother, their father,

Yet he is the wisest of the brothers, the best guided.

Yet he is the most righteous of brothers, the most guided.

وهم أنكروا بعد الذي سال من دمي

وهم أنكروا بعد الذي سال من دمي

ودمعيَ ما أخفى الزمان وما أبدى

ودمعيَ ما أخفى الزمان وما أبدى

And they denied—after all the blood I shed

After what spilled of my blood,

And all my tears—what time concealed and what it revealed.

And my tears, what time concealed and revealed,

وهم حرموني بعد ما طال ضنهم

وهم حرموني بعد ما طال ضنهم

بذكريَ بين الجند أن أشهد الجندا

بذكريَ بين الجند أن أشهد الجندا

And they deprived me—after so long begrudging

They deprived me, after their malice lengthened,

Mention of me among the troops—of the chance to see the troops.

That I be mentioned among the soldiers, that I attend the troops.

تمر بيَ الأحداث شتى وليس لي

تمر بيَ الأحداث شتى وليس لي

بها خبرٌ يتلى ولا أثر يهدى

بها خبرٌ يتلى ولا أثر يهدى

Events of many kinds pass me by, and I have

Diverse events pass me by, and I have of them

No account in them to be recited, nor any legacy to offer.

No news to recite, nor trace to guide.

وأيسر لي فقدي بقية صحتي

وأيسر لي فقدي بقية صحتي

لدى القوم من فقدي الأمانة والعهدا

لدى القوم من فقدي الأمانة والعهدا

And losing what remains of my health is easier for me

It was easier for me to lose what remained of my health

Among these people than losing my integrity and my pledge.

Among the people, than to lose my pledge and covenant.

وإنيَ في الدنيا وفيهم لزاهدٌ

وإنيَ في الدنيا وفيهم لزاهدٌ

فما أشتهي قرباً ولا أشتكي بعدا

فما أشتهي قرباً ولا أشتكي بعدا

And I am truly detached from this world and from them;

Though in this world and among them I live ascetically,

So I neither desire nearness nor complain of distance.

I desire no closeness, and complain of no distance.

وقد كنت أنأى مكرهاً عن ديارهمْ

وقد كنت أنأى مكرهاً عن ديارهمْ

فأصبحتُ أنأى عن ديارِهمُ عمدا

فأصبحتُ أنأى عن ديارِهمُ عمدا

And once I stayed away from their homes against my will,

I used to shy away reluctantly from their homes,

But now I stay away from their homes deliberately.

But now I shy away from their homes deliberately.