اللَهُ يَشهَدُ أَنّي جاهِلٌ وَرَعٌ

اللَهُ يَشهَدُ أَنّي جاهِلٌ وَرَعٌ

فَليَحضُرِ الناسُ إِقراري وَإِشهادي

فَليَحضُرِ الناسُ إِقراري وَإِشهادي

God bears witness that I am ignorant and pious;

God bears witness that I am ignorant and devout

so let the people attend my admission and my calling God to witness.

So let people attend my admission and testimony

هَذا وَرُبَّ صَديقٍ لي أَفادَ غِنىً

هَذا وَرُبَّ صَديقٍ لي أَفادَ غِنىً

زَهِدتُ فيهِ عَلى عُدمي وَإِزهادي

زَهِدتُ فيهِ عَلى عُدمي وَإِزهادي

That said, many a friend of mine has acquired wealth;

This, while many a friend of mine brought me wealth

I shunned him despite my poverty and destitution.

I abstained from it in my poverty and abstinence

أَعمى البَصيرَةِ لا يَهديهِ ناظِرُهُ

أَعمى البَصيرَةِ لا يَهديهِ ناظِرُهُ

إِذا كُلُّ أَعمى لَدَيهِ مِن عَصاً هادِ

إِذا كُلُّ أَعمى لَدَيهِ مِن عَصاً هادِ

One blind in insight is not guided by his eye,

The blind of insight is not guided by his onlooker

while every blind man has, in a staff, a guide.

Since every blind man to him has a guiding stick

وَقدَ عَلِمتُ إِذا سُهِّدتُ مِن حَذَرٍ

وَقدَ عَلِمتُ إِذا سُهِّدتُ مِن حَذَرٍ

أَن لَيسَ يَنفي خُطوبَ الدَهرِ تَسهادي

أَن لَيسَ يَنفي خُطوبَ الدَهرِ تَسهادي

And I have learned, when kept awake by fear,

And I knew when I felt secure from caution

that my sleeplessness does not ward off the calamities of time.

That nothing repels the woes of fate but my vigilance