أقولُ وقد ذَمَّ الوزيرُ زمانَه

أقولُ وقد ذَمَّ الوزيرُ زمانَه

من الغيظِ ذَمَّ العاجِزِ المُتَحيِّرِ

من الغيظِ ذَمَّ العاجِزِ المُتَحيِّرِ

I say, as the vizier has condemned his age—

I say, the vizier having reviled his age,

out of rage, with the censure of a helpless, bewildered man:

in rage, with a helpless, bewildered man's reproach:

تَذُمُّ زمانَ السّوء يا صدْرُ ظالِماً

تَذُمُّ زمانَ السّوء يا صدْرُ ظالِماً

ولولا زمانُ السّوء لم تَتَصدر

ولولا زمانُ السّوء لم تَتَصدر

Long have you blamed these evil times, O Badr;

"You unjustly revile this evil age, O chief;

yet were it not for evil times, you would never have risen to the fore.

but for this evil age, you would not have risen to the fore."