أَشهَدُ أَنّي رَجُلٌ ناقِصٌ

أَشهَدُ أَنّي رَجُلٌ ناقِصٌ

لا أَدَّعي الفَضلَ وَلا أَنتَحِل

لا أَدَّعي الفَضلَ وَلا أَنتَحِل

I testify that I am an imperfect man.

I bear witness that I'm an imperfect man

I claim no excellence, nor do I falsely assume it.

I claim no virtue, no borrowed fame

جِئتُ كَما شاءَ الَّذي صاغَني

جِئتُ كَما شاءَ الَّذي صاغَني

وَمَن يَصِفني بِجَميلٍ يُحَل

وَمَن يَصِفني بِجَميلٍ يُحَل

I came into being as the One who fashioned me willed.

I came as He who shaped me planned

And whoever describes me favorably makes an absurd claim.

And he who praises me does falsely claim

تَزَوَّجَ الشَيخُ فَأَلفَيتُهُ

تَزَوَّجَ الشَيخُ فَأَلفَيتُهُ

كَأَنَّهُ مُثقَلُ إِبلٍ وَحِل

كَأَنَّهُ مُثقَلُ إِبلٍ وَحِل

The old man married, and so I found him

The old man married, and I met him

Like a heavily laden camel mired in mud.

As if bowed down by a laden camel train

وَعِرسُهُ في تَعَبٍ دائِمٍ

وَعِرسُهُ في تَعَبٍ دائِمٍ

لا تَخضُبُ الكَفَّ وَلا تَكتَحِل

لا تَخضُبُ الكَفَّ وَلا تَكتَحِل

And his wife is in constant toil;

His wedding but unending weariness

She neither dyes her palm nor applies kohl.

No henna does his hand adorn, no kohl his eyes stain

مَلَّت وَإِن أَحسَنَ أَيّامَهُ

مَلَّت وَإِن أَحسَنَ أَيّامَهُ

تَقولُ في النَفسِ مَتى يَرتَحِل

تَقولُ في النَفسِ مَتى يَرتَحِل

She has grown weary, even if he is kind throughout his days.

She's tired of him, though good his days appear

She says to herself: When will he depart?

Her heart whispers "When will he leave again?"

لَو ماتَ لَاِستَبدَلتُ مِنهُ فَتىً

لَو ماتَ لَاِستَبدَلتُ مِنهُ فَتىً

إِنّي أَراهُ مُحرِماً لا يَحِلّ

إِنّي أَراهُ مُحرِماً لا يَحِلّ

If he died, I would take a young man in his place.

If he passed, for him I'd replace a virile youth

Indeed, I see him in ritual consecration, never released.

To me he seems forbidden, pure and chaste

وَيَثبُتُ اللَهُ وَسُلطانُهُ

وَيَثبُتُ اللَهُ وَسُلطانُهُ

وَكُلُّ أَمرٍ غَيرَهُ يَضمَحِل

وَكُلُّ أَمرٍ غَيرَهُ يَضمَحِل

And God and His sovereignty endure,

God and His reign eternal remain

And everything other than Him fades away.

While all else fades and loses strength and fame