إِلَى اللهِ أَشْكُو أَنَّنِي بَيْنَ مَعْشَرٍ

سَواءٌ لَدَيْهِمْ طَيِّبٌ وَخَبِيثُ

I complain to God that I am among a people

Among whom good and evil are equal to them

لَهُمْ أَلْسُنٌ إِنْ رُمْنَ أَمْراً بَلَغْنَهُ

مِنَ النَّفْسِ مَصْنُوعٌ لَهُنَّ حَدِيثُ

They have tongues that if a matter reaches them

From the soul it is fabricated for them to say

تَرِثُّ عَلَى قُرْبِ الوِدادِ عُهُودُهُمْ

وَكَيْفَ يَدُومُ الشَّيءُ وَهْوَ رَثِيثُ

Their covenants of friendship crumble

Upon the nearness of affection, and how can something endure while it is feeble?

فَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي سالِفِ الدَّهْرِ مَحْتدٌ

قَدِيمٌ وَلا فِي الْمَكْرُمَاتِ حَدِيثُ

They have no precedent in the history of the past

Neither old nor new in noble deeds

بَرِمْتُ بِهِمْ حَتَّى سَئِمْتُ مَكَانَتِي

وَأَنْكَرْتُ طِيبَ الْعَيْشِ وَهْوَ دَمِيثُ

I have become bored with them until I hated my status

And I disliked the sweetness of life while it is vile

إِذا لم يُغِثْنِي اللهُ مِنْهُمْ بِفَضْلِهِ

فَمَا لِيَ بَيْنَ الْعَالَمِينَ مُغِيثُ

If God does not help me against them with His grace

Then I have no helper among all creatures