لله ما أنا فيه أين تصرّفي

لله ما أنا فيه أين تصرّفي

وتوجّهي طلب الصديق العدال

وتوجّهي طلب الصديق العدال

By God, what a plight I am in! Where can I turn,

Whatever state I'm in, where is my will

And direct my steps in search of a just friend?

And my quest for the just companion

ولقد لقيت من الزمان عجائبا

ولقد لقيت من الزمان عجائبا

ولبست ثوب مفارق ومواصل

ولبست ثوب مفارق ومواصل

And indeed I have encountered strange things from time,

Indeed, I have seen wonders from time

And worn the garb of one who parts and one who keeps ties.

And worn the garb of separation and distance

قلدت من ثوب الخطوب قلائدا

قلدت من ثوب الخطوب قلائدا

نشرت عليّ ثياب عطل خامل

نشرت عليّ ثياب عطل خامل

I was adorned with necklaces from the robe of calamities;

I have been adorned with necklaces of sorrow

The garments of an unadorned, obscure man were spread over me:

Robes of inactive, fruitless toil were draped over me

حنفا وفقرا واغترابا متعبا

حنفا وفقرا واغترابا متعبا

وعلوّ سنّ في زمان ماحل

وعلوّ سنّ في زمان ماحل

Crooked feet, poverty, and wearying exile,

Uprightness, poverty, and weary estrangement

And advanced age in a barren time,

And the ascent of years in an unripe time

وجوار قوم وكلوا لعتوّهم

وجوار قوم وكلوا لعتوّهم

بعناد كل محلّم ومجادل

بعناد كل محلّم ومجادل

And living beside people who, through their insolence, are charged

And the company of a people who, in their stubbornness

With opposing every forbearing man and every disputant.

Argued with every preacher and debater

وألام عند تصاولي وتخاذلي

وألام عند تصاولي وتخاذلي

بيد السفيه المستطيل الصائل

بيد السفيه المستطيل الصائل

And I am blamed whether I fight back or hang back,

And sorrows in my compromising and cowardice

At the hands of the foolish, overbearing aggressor.

At the hands of the reckless, obstinate assailant

ويقال لي كاشف عدوك واستلل

ويقال لي كاشف عدوك واستلل

سيف العداوة كالكمّي الباسل

سيف العداوة كالكمّي الباسل

And I am told, 'Confront your enemy openly and draw

And I'm told to uncover your enemy and brandish

The sword of enmity like a valiant armored warrior.'

The sword of enmity like the valiant warrior

لا بل أقاربه وأحفظ صحبتي

لا بل أقاربه وأحفظ صحبتي

خوف الهجوم وخوف عذل العاذل

خوف الهجوم وخوف عذل العاذل

No, rather I draw close to him and preserve my companionship,

No! But I protect my kinship and companionship

For fear of attack, and fear of the reproacher's blame.

Fearing attack and fearing the rebuke of the critic

وأقول قوله مبصر لمطالبي

وأقول قوله مبصر لمطالبي

يعتاد أضدادي لعزم فاضل

يعتاد أضدادي لعزم فاضل

And I speak his words—those of one clear-sighted about my aims,

And I speak his words, aware of my needs

Who frequents my opponents out of noble resolve:

Accustoming my opponents to noble resolve

ما ضرّني سلم العدو ومذهبي

ما ضرّني سلم العدو ومذهبي

حبّ المحقّ وبغض أهل الباطل

حبّ المحقّ وبغض أهل الباطل

Peace with the enemy has not harmed me; my creed is

Neither the peace of my enemy nor my path

Love of the one in the right, and hatred of the people of falsehood.

Have harmed me - loving what is right and hating falsehood

يرضى الحليم على الضرورة خائفا

يرضى الحليم على الضرورة خائفا

طلب النجاة بحور حكم الجاهل

طلب النجاة بحور حكم الجاهل

The forbearing man, afraid and compelled by necessity, submits,

The wise man accepts coercion fearfully

Seeking deliverance, to the faulty judgment of the ignorant.

Seeking salvation in the oceans of an ignorant ruler's wisdom

من ناصري والجهل يضطهد الحجى

من ناصري والجهل يضطهد الحجى

والوقت مذهبه عناد العاقل

والوقت مذهبه عناد العاقل

Who will support me, when ignorance oppresses reason,

Who will support me as ignorance persecutes the sermon

And the age's creed is opposition to the wise?

And time's creed is the reasoning of the rational