أَما في هَذِهِ الدُنيا كَريمُ

تَزولُ بِهِ عَنِ القَلبِ الهُمومُ

Is there not in this world a noble soul,

Through whom the heavy burdens of the heart might fade?

أَما في هَذِهِ الدُنيا مَكانٌ

يُسَرُّ بِأَهلِهِ الجارُ المُقيمُ

Is there not in this world a dwelling place,

Where the neighbor finds joy in those who reside within?

تَشابَهَتِ البَهائِمُ وَالعِبِدّى

عَلَينا وَالمَوالي وَالصَميمُ

The beasts and the bondsmen have become alike to us,

Indistinguishable are the freedmen and those of pure blood.

وَما أَدري أَذا داءٌ حَديثٌ

أَصابَ الناسَ أَم داءٌ قَديمُ

And I know not if this is a newfound plague,

That has stricken mankind, or a malady of old.

حَصَلتُ بِأَرضِ مِصرَ عَلى عَبيدٍ

كَأَنَّ الحُرَّ بَينَهُمُ يَتيمُ

I find myself in Egypt's land amidst a throng of slaves,

Where the freeborn man walks like an orphan in their midst.

كَأَنَّ الأَسوَدَ اللابِيَّ فيهِم

غُرابٌ حَولَهُ رَخَمٌ وَبومُ

As if that black man of the lava fields among them,

Were a crow encircled by vultures and by owls.

أُخِذتُ بِمَدحِهِ فَرَأَيتُ لَهواً

مَقالي لِلأُحيمِقِ يا حَليمُ

I was driven to praise him, yet saw it as mere folly,

To say to a petty fool, "O wise and prudent one."

وَلَمّا أَن هَجَوتُ رَأَيتُ عِيّاً

مَقالي لِاِبنِ آوى يا لَئيمُ

And when I turned to satire, I found it weak of speech,

To say to a scavenging jackal, "O you vile wretch."

فَهَل مِن عاذِرٍ في ذا وَفي ذا

فَمَدفوعٌ إِلى السَقَمِ السَقيمُ

Is there anyone to excuse me in this turn and in that?

For the one already sick is driven further to disease.

إِذا أَتَتِ الإِساءَةُ مِن لَئيمٍ

وَلَم أُلُمِ المُسيءَ فَمَن أَلومُ

If an offense proceeds from one of base nature,

And I blame not the offender, whom then shall I blame?