إِجتَنِبِ الناسَ وَعِش واحِداً

إِجتَنِبِ الناسَ وَعِش واحِداً

لا تَظلِمِ القَومَ وَلا تُظلَمِ

لا تَظلِمِ القَومَ وَلا تُظلَمِ

Avoid people and live alone.

Avoid people and live alone

Do not wrong the people, nor be wronged.

Do not wrong others, nor be wronged

وَجَدتُ دُنياكَ وَإِن ساعَفَت

وَجَدتُ دُنياكَ وَإِن ساعَفَت

لا بُدَّ مِن وَقعَتِها الصَيلَمِ

لا بُدَّ مِن وَقعَتِها الصَيلَمِ

I have found that, even if your world favors you,

I found your world, though it was kind to me

Its devastating calamity is inevitable.

It could not help but make me stumble

لَو بُعِثَ المَنصورُ نادى أَيا

لَو بُعِثَ المَنصورُ نادى أَيا

مَدينَةَ التَسليمِ لا تَسلَمي

مَدينَةَ التَسليمِ لا تَسلَمي

If al-Mansur were resurrected, he would cry: “O

If al-Mansur were revived, he would cry out

City of Salutation, may you never be safe!

"O city of peace, you are not safe!"

قَد سَكَن القَفرَ بَنو هاشِمٍ

قَد سَكَن القَفرَ بَنو هاشِمٍ

وَاِنتَقَلَ المُلكُ إِلى الدَيَلمِ

وَاِنتَقَلَ المُلكُ إِلى الدَيَلمِ

The sons of Hashim have settled in the wilderness,

The Abbasids rest in their graves

And sovereignty has passed to the Daylamites.

While the kingdom has passed to the Buyids

لَو كُنتُ أَدري أَنَّ عُقباهُمُ

لَو كُنتُ أَدري أَنَّ عُقباهُمُ

لِذاكَ لَم أَقتُل أَبا مُسلِمِ

لِذاكَ لَم أَقتُل أَبا مُسلِمِ

Had I known that their eventual fate

Had I known their future troubles

Would come to that, I would not have killed Abu Muslim.”

I would not have killed Abu Muslim

قَد خَدَمَ الدَولَةَ مُستَنصِحاً

قَد خَدَمَ الدَولَةَ مُستَنصِحاً

فَأَلبَسَتهُ شِيَةَ العِظلِمِ

فَأَلبَسَتهُ شِيَةَ العِظلِمِ

He had served the dynasty, trusting its good faith,

He served the state with good counsel

And it clothed him in the hue of indigo.

Yet was clothed in the garb of great sin

ما دامَ غَيرُ اللَهِ مِن دائِمٍ

ما دامَ غَيرُ اللَهِ مِن دائِمٍ

فَاِغضَب عَلى الأَقدارِ أَو سَلِّمِ

فَاِغضَب عَلى الأَقدارِ أَو سَلِّمِ

Nothing endures except God;

As long as it is not God who endures

So rage at fate's decrees, or submit.

Then rage at fate or resign yourself

طَوَّفتَ في الآفقِ عَصراً فَما

طَوَّفتَ في الآفقِ عَصراً فَما

أَسفَرَت مِن حِندِسِكَ المُظلِمِ

أَسفَرَت مِن حِندِسِكَ المُظلِمِ

You roamed the horizon for an age, yet never

You roamed the horizons for a time but

Emerged into light from your murky darkness.

Your dark clouds yielded no clear sky

سَأَلتَ أَقواماً فَلَم تُلفِ مَن

سَأَلتَ أَقواماً فَلَم تُلفِ مَن

يَهديكَ مِن رُشدٍ إِلى مَعلَمِ

يَهديكَ مِن رُشدٍ إِلى مَعلَمِ

You questioned people, but found no one

You asked people but found none

Who could guide you to a signpost of sound judgment.

To guide you rightly to a signpost

فَاِحلَم عَنِ الجاهِلِ مُستَكبِراً

فَاِحلَم عَنِ الجاهِلِ مُستَكبِراً

فَالعَينُ إِن تَلقَ الكَرى تَحلَمِ

فَالعَينُ إِن تَلقَ الكَرى تَحلَمِ

So bear with the fool in proud disdain;

So be patient with the arrogant fool

For the eye, if it meets slumber, dreams.

For the eye, should it meet disdain, bears it calmly

إِنَّ وَفاةَ النِكسِ في جُبنِهِ

إِنَّ وَفاةَ النِكسِ في جُبنِهِ

مِثلُ وَفاةِ الفارِسِ المُعلَمِ

مِثلُ وَفاةِ الفارِسِ المُعلَمِ

Indeed, the craven's death in his cowardice

Indeed, the death of the coward in his fear

Is like the death of the knight bearing his battle insignia.

Is like the death of the valiant warrior