عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ الناسَ لا خَيرَ عِندَهُم

عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ الناسَ لا خَيرَ عِندَهُم

فَجانَبتُهُم مِن جائِدينَ وَبُخّالِ

فَجانَبتُهُم مِن جائِدينَ وَبُخّالِ

I learned that there is no good in people,

I learned that people have no good in them,

So I shunned them, generous and miserly alike.

So I shunned the stingy and the misers.

إِذا قُلتَ جَدّي قُلتُ هَبني دَفَنتُهُ

إِذا قُلتَ جَدّي قُلتُ هَبني دَفَنتُهُ

كَجَدّي وَخالي هامِدٌ في ثَرى خالِ

كَجَدّي وَخالي هامِدٌ في ثَرى خالِ

If you speak of my fortune, I say: suppose I have buried it,

When you say "My grandfather," I say "Bury me with him,"

Like my grandfather; and my maternal uncle lies lifeless in desolate earth.

Like my grandfather and uncle rotting in barren soil.

تُحَلَّ بِتَقوى أَو تُحَلَّ بَعِفَّةٍ

تُحَلَّ بِتَقوى أَو تُحَلَّ بَعِفَّةٍ

فِذلِكَ خيرٌ مِن سِوارٍ وخَلخالِ

فِذلِكَ خيرٌ مِن سِوارٍ وخَلخالِ

Be adorned with piety, or be adorned with chastity;

Be adorned with piety or chastity,

For that is better than a bracelet and an anklet.

That is better than bracelets and anklets.