قُلتُ السَعادَةُ في المُنى فَرَدَدتَني

وَزَعِمتَ أَنَّ المَرءَ آفَتُهُ المُنى

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

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

And claimed that for man, desires are his ruin.

And claimed that man’s affliction lies in wishes.

وَرَأَيتُ في ظِلِّ الغِنى تِمثالَها

وَرَأَيتَ أَنتَ البُؤسَ في ظِلِّ الغِنى

I saw her statue in the shade of riches,

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

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

فَتَقولُ أَنتَ بِأَنَّها لا تُفتَنى

Why should I say that she can be attained,

Why do I say that it may be acquired,

When you say that she cannot be tempted?

While you say that it cannot be won?

وَأَقولُ إِن خُلِقَت فَقَد خُلِقَت لَنا

فَتَقولُ إِن خُلِقَت فَلِم تُخلَق لَنا

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,"

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

فَتَقولُ ما أَحراكَ أَن لا تُؤمِنا

And I say that I believe in her existence,

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

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

فَتَقولُ لا سِرُّ هُناكَ وَلا هُنا

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

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

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

لا أَنتَ أَدرَكتَ الصَوابَ وَلا أَنا

My friend, this is a futile dialogue,

O my friend, this is a futile dialogue;

For neither you have grasped the truth, nor I.

Neither you have grasped the truth, nor have I.