رأيتُ النّاس كلّهم عدُوّا

رأيتُ النّاس كلّهم عدُوّا

عليّ وما فهمتُ لذاك سرّا

عليّ وما فهمتُ لذاك سرّا

I found all people to be enemies,

I saw all people as enemies to me

against me, and could not fathom why.

And I did not understand the reason for that

على أن لا ترى لي عند شخص

على أن لا ترى لي عند شخص

ولا عندي لهُ ما عشت وطرا

ولا عندي لهُ ما عشت وطرا

Though you see I have no need of anyone,

Even though I do not see anyone as a friend

nor anyone of me, as long as I live.

Nor does anyone see me as one, for as long as I live

ولكنّي امرُؤٌ فضلي تسامى

ولكنّي امرُؤٌ فضلي تسامى

وما رضي السّماك لهُ مقرّا

وما رضي السّماك لهُ مقرّا

But I am a man whose merit has soared,

But I am a man whose excellence is sublime

and would not be content with al-Simāk as its abode.

And the heavens did not approve a dwelling for him

لذا قدري استقلّ وكلُّ عال

لذا قدري استقلّ وكلُّ عال

بعين النّاظرين يقلُّ قدرا

بعين النّاظرين يقلُّ قدرا

Thus my worth was belittled; all who stand high

Therefore my fate became independent

dwindle in worth in the beholders' eyes.

And every sublime one appears low in the eyes of onlookers

ومن سفلت مراتبهُ وقلّت

ومن سفلت مراتبهُ وقلّت

تراهُ يجلُّ عند النّاس قدرا

تراهُ يجلُّ عند النّاس قدرا

And one whose standing is low and slight

And whoever has lowly status and little

you see held in high esteem among people.

You see him honored among people

كبدر التّمّ أدنى الشّهب جرما

كبدر التّمّ أدنى الشّهب جرما

وينظر وهو أعظمهنّ بهرا

وينظر وهو أعظمهنّ بهرا

Like the full moon, smallest of the stars in size,

Like the full moon, lowest of stars in size

yet seen as the greatest of them in brilliance.

Yet it looks the most dazzling among them