قُلتُ السَعادَةُ في المُنى فَرَدَدتَني

قُلتُ السَعادَةُ في المُنى فَرَدَدتَني

وَزَعِمتَ أَنَّ المَرءَ آفَتُهُ المُنى

وَزَعِمتَ أَنَّ المَرءَ آفَتُهُ المُنى

I said, 'Happiness lies in wishes,' but you contradicted me.

I said that happiness lies in desires, but you refuted me,

I said, "Happiness lies in wishes," but you rebuffed me,

And you claimed that wishes are a person's bane.

And claimed that for man, desires are his ruin.

And claimed that man’s affliction lies in wishes.

وَرَأَيتُ في ظِلِّ الغِنى تِمثالَها

وَرَأَيتُ في ظِلِّ الغِنى تِمثالَها

وَرَأَيتَ أَنتَ البُؤسَ في ظِلِّ الغِنى

وَرَأَيتَ أَنتَ البُؤسَ في ظِلِّ الغِنى

And I saw its image in the shadow of wealth.

I saw her statue in the shade of riches,

And within the shadow of wealth, I saw its image,

And you yourself saw misery in the shadow of wealth.

While you saw misery in the shade of riches.

While you saw, in the shadow of wealth, only misery.

ما لي أَقولُ بِأَنَّها قَد تُقتَنى

ما لي أَقولُ بِأَنَّها قَد تُقتَنى

فَتَقولُ أَنتَ بِأَنَّها لا تُفتَنى

فَتَقولُ أَنتَ بِأَنَّها لا تُفتَنى

Why is it that I say it may be acquired,

Why should I say that she can be attained,

Why do I say that it may be acquired,

Yet you yourself say it cannot be acquired?

When you say that she cannot be tempted?

While you say that it cannot be won?

وَأَقولُ إِن خُلِقَت فَقَد خُلِقَت لَنا

وَأَقولُ إِن خُلِقَت فَقَد خُلِقَت لَنا

فَتَقولُ إِن خُلِقَت فَلِم تُخلَق لَنا

فَتَقولُ إِن خُلِقَت فَلِم تُخلَق لَنا

And I say, 'If it was created, then it was indeed created for us.'

And I say that if she was created, she was created for us,

And I say, "If it was created, it was created for us,"

Then you say, 'If it was created, why should it be created for us?'

Yet you say that if she was created, why was she created for us?

And you say, "If it was created, it was not created for us."

وَأَقولُ إِنّي مُؤمِنٌ بِوُجودِها

وَأَقولُ إِنّي مُؤمِنٌ بِوُجودِها

فَتَقولُ ما أَحراكَ أَن لا تُؤمِنا

فَتَقولُ ما أَحراكَ أَن لا تُؤمِنا

And I say, 'I do believe in its existence.'

And I say that I believe in her existence,

And I say that I am a believer in its existence,

Then you say, 'How fitting it is for you not to believe!'

But you say what drives me to not believe?

And you say, "How fitting it is for you not to believe."

وَأَقولُ سِرٌّ سَوفَ يُعلَنُ في غَدٍ

وَأَقولُ سِرٌّ سَوفَ يُعلَنُ في غَدٍ

فَتَقولُ لا سِرُّ هُناكَ وَلا هُنا

فَتَقولُ لا سِرُّ هُناكَ وَلا هُنا

And I say, 'It is a secret that will be revealed tomorrow.'

And I say it's a mystery soon to be revealed,

And I say, "It is a secret that will be revealed tomorrow,"

Then you say, 'There is no secret there or here.'

Yet you say there is no mystery here or there.

And you say, "There is no secret there, nor here."

يا صاحِبي هَذا حِوارٌ باطِلٌ

يا صاحِبي هَذا حِوارٌ باطِلٌ

لا أَنتَ أَدرَكتَ الصَوابَ وَلا أَنا

لا أَنتَ أَدرَكتَ الصَوابَ وَلا أَنا

O my friend, this is a futile dialogue.

My friend, this is a futile dialogue,

O my friend, this is a futile dialogue;

Neither you nor I have grasped what is right.

For neither you have grasped the truth, nor I.

Neither you have grasped the truth, nor have I.