يا زمنا ضمّني وضمّهم

يا زمنا ضمّني وضمّهم

إما بهم أو فبي إلى سقر

إما بهم أو فبي إلى سقر

O time that brought me and them together,

O time, trap me and trap them,

Take either them or me to Saqar.

Either with them or me to hellfire.

بهم ولا بي فإنهم سفل

بهم ولا بي فإنهم سفل

مال بهم غيهم إلي الكدر

مال بهم غيهم إلي الكدر

Them, not me, for they are base;

With them not me, for they are the dregs,

Their waywardness has led them toward murk.

Inclined to them without them to misery.

تبرمي بالحياة بينهم

تبرمي بالحياة بينهم

تبرّم المستحير عن صخر

تبرّم المستحير عن صخر

My vexation with life among them

You are vexed with life among them,

Is that of one baffled by rock.

Vexed are the bewildered from the rock.

أفنيت ساداتهم وخيرتهم

أفنيت ساداتهم وخيرتهم

ثمّت خليتني مع الغرر

ثمّت خليتني مع الغرر

You destroyed their masters and their finest,

I have wasted their best and finest,

Then left me with the simpletons.

Then left me with the scoundrels.

إن قلت شعرا تضاحكوا هزؤا

إن قلت شعرا تضاحكوا هزؤا

وبتّ من جهلهم على غرر

وبتّ من جهلهم على غرر

If I recite verse, they laugh together in mockery,

If I recite poetry they laugh mockingly,

And I spend the night endangered by their ignorance.

And I remain in their ignorance upon the scoundrels.

لا حذر منهم بمعرفتي

لا حذر منهم بمعرفتي

مع فطنتي بالخلاص والحذر

مع فطنتي بالخلاص والحذر

My knowledge offers no safeguard against them,

No caution from them in my knowledge,

Despite my skill in escape and caution.

With my wisdom of salvation and caution.

في صور الناس لا سقوا مطرا

في صور الناس لا سقوا مطرا

وكيف للظالمين بالمطر

وكيف للظالمين بالمطر

In human forms—may no rain water them!

In the images of people who did not drink rain,

And how should wrongdoers come by rain?

And how can the oppressors have rain?

حتى إذا ما بلوت قيمتهم

حتى إذا ما بلوت قيمتهم

وجدتهم في القياس كالبقر

وجدتهم في القياس كالبقر

At last, when I tested their worth,

Until when I tested their value,

I found them, by comparison, like cattle.

I found them in measure like cattle.

جنايتي إن جنيت تلزمني

جنايتي إن جنيت تلزمني

وإن جنوا بالقضاء والقدر

وإن جنوا بالقضاء والقدر

My offense, if I commit one, is mine to bear;

My crime if I commit is binding upon me,

But if they offend, it is by decree and destiny.

And if they commit by destiny and decree.

فما لهذا الحديث من نظر

فما لهذا الحديث من نظر

مخالف للكتاب والخبر

مخالف للكتاب والخبر

So what sense is there in such talk,

So there is no consideration in this talk,

Which contradicts the Book and tradition?

Contrary to the Scripture and Tradition.