دَارَاسْتُ كُلَّ عصابةٍ في فَنِّهِمْ

دَارَاسْتُ كُلَّ عصابةٍ في فَنِّهِمْ

وفَعَلتُ فِعْلَهُمُ ودِنتُ بدينهِمْ

وفَعَلتُ فِعْلَهُمُ ودِنتُ بدينهِمْ

I studied with every company in its own art,

I studied with every group in their art.

did as they did, and professed their creed;

And I did as they did and adhered to their creed.

وبلَغتُ مبلغ كَهْلِهمْ ومُسنِّهمْ

وبلَغتُ مبلغ كَهْلِهمْ ومُسنِّهمْ

ولقد نَهَزْتُ مَعَ الغُواةِ بشنّهِمْ

ولقد نَهَزْتُ مَعَ الغُواةِ بشنّهِمْ

and reached the standing of their mature and aged men.

And I reached the level of their middle-aged men and elders.

Indeed, I eagerly joined the erring in their onslaught,

And indeed I dipped their worn waterskin alongside the wayward.

وأشمتُ طرف اللَّحْظِ حيث أشاموا

وأشمتُ طرف اللَّحْظِ حيث أشاموا

ولربّ ذنبٍ ظَلْتُ في تَطْلابه

ولربّ ذنبٍ ظَلْتُ في تَطْلابه

and directed my glance wherever they directed theirs.

And I cast the point of my glance wherever they cast theirs.

Many a sin I kept on pursuing,

And many a sin I persisted in pursuing.

ما خفتُ مِن ربّي أليمَ عِقابِه

ما خفتُ مِن ربّي أليمَ عِقابِه

ولكم أتَيتُ الأَمْرَ لا مِن بابهِ

ولكم أتَيتُ الأَمْرَ لا مِن بابهِ

never fearing my Lord’s painful punishment.

I did not fear my Lord's painful punishment.

How often I undertook a deed by a door not its own,

And how often I approached a matter not through its door.

وبلَغْتُ ما بَلَغَ امرءٌ بشبابهِ

وبلَغْتُ ما بَلَغَ امرءٌ بشبابهِ

فإذا عصارةُ كلِّ ذاكَ أثامُ

فإذا عصارةُ كلِّ ذاكَ أثامُ

and attained all that a man may attain through his youth—

And I attained what a man attains in his youth.

only to find the essence pressed from all of it: sin.

Then behold: the essence of all that was sin.