وحاسد غاظه فضلي فأرغمه

وحاسد غاظه فضلي فأرغمه

خبث الطبيعة أن يوليه نكرانا

خبث الطبيعة أن يوليه نكرانا

And an envious man, angered by my merit, was compelled

My envious rival, his excellence provoked him,

by the baseness of his nature to deny it.

His wicked nature made him repay me with ingratitude.

يا أحقر الناس في عيني وأسمجهم

يا أحقر الناس في عيني وأسمجهم

إني لآنف أن أدعوك إنسانا

إني لآنف أن أدعوك إنسانا

O most contemptible of men in my eyes, and most repulsive of them,

O most despicable and foolish of people in my eyes,

Indeed, I disdain to call you a human being.

I now refuse to call you a human.

هلا علمت بمن في الناس تحسده

هلا علمت بمن في الناس تحسده

لا يرتضيك لتحت النعل ميدانا

لا يرتضيك لتحت النعل ميدانا

Have you not learned that the one you envy among men

If only you knew whom among people you envy,

does not deem you fit even as ground beneath his sandal?

He would not accept you as dirt beneath his sandal.

إن كنت تجهل ضوء الشمس من حسدٍ

إن كنت تجهل ضوء الشمس من حسدٍ

فليس مثلك كل الناس عميانا

فليس مثلك كل الناس عميانا

If, out of envy, you do not recognize the sun's light,

If you do not see the sun's light out of envy,

then not all people are blind like you.

Not all people are as blind as you.

فعش ذليلاً ومت ما دمت ذا كمدٍ

فعش ذليلاً ومت ما دمت ذا كمدٍ

يشكو الضنى تارة والنار أحيانا

يشكو الضنى تارة والنار أحيانا

So live abased and die, as long as you remain filled with anguish,

So live in disgrace and die suffused with resentment,

complaining of wasting sickness at times, and of fire at others.

Complaining at times of poverty, at others of fire.