إِنّي أُجالِسُ مَعشَراً

إِنّي أُجالِسُ مَعشَراً

نَوكى أَخَفُّهُمُ ثَقيلُ

نَوكى أَخَفُّهُمُ ثَقيلُ

Indeed, I keep company with a band

I sit with a group

of fools, whose lightest is heavy.

Whose lightest member burdens me,

قَومٌ إِذا جالَستُهُم

قَومٌ إِذا جالَستُهُم

صَدِئَت بِقُربِهِمُ العُقولُ

صَدِئَت بِقُربِهِمُ العُقولُ

A people—whenever I sit with them,

People whose company

minds rust in their presence.

Dulls even keen minds.

لا يُفهِموني قَولَهُم

لا يُفهِموني قَولَهُم

وَيَدِقُّ عَنهُم ما أَقولُ

وَيَدِقُّ عَنهُم ما أَقولُ

They do not make their speech clear to me,

I cannot follow their talk

and what I say is too subtle for them.

Nor can they follow mine,

فَهُمُ كَثيرٌ بي وَأَع

فَهُمُ كَثيرٌ بي وَأَع

لَمُ أَنَّني بِهِمُ قَليلُ

لَمُ أَنَّني بِهِمُ قَليلُ

So through me they are many, and I

So I am one, yet feel alone

know that through them I am few.

Among their multitude.