أَرومُ اِنتِصافي مِن رِجالٍ أَباعِدٍ

أَرومُ اِنتِصافي مِن رِجالٍ أَباعِدٍ

وَنَفسِيَ أَعدى لي مِنَ الناسِ أَجمَعا

وَنَفسِيَ أَعدى لي مِنَ الناسِ أَجمَعا

I seek redress from men who are strangers,

I yearn for justice from distant men,

Yet my own self is a greater enemy to me than all mankind.

Yet my soul is more hostile to me than all people combined.

إِذا لَم تَكُن نَفسُ الفَتى مِن صَديقِهِ

إِذا لَم تَكُن نَفسُ الفَتى مِن صَديقِهِ

فَلا يُحدِثَن في خِلَّةِ الغَيرِ مَطمَعا

فَلا يُحدِثَن في خِلَّةِ الغَيرِ مَطمَعا

If a man's own self is not his friend,

When a young man's soul is not true to his friend,

Then let him harbor no hope in another's friendship.

Let him not arouse in others' isolation any hopes.