إِذا مَرَّ أَعمى فَاِرحَموهُ وَأَيقِنوا

إِذا مَرَّ أَعمى فَاِرحَموهُ وَأَيقِنوا

وَإِن لَم تُكَفَّوا أَنَّ كُلَّكُم أَعمى

وَإِن لَم تُكَفَّوا أَنَّ كُلَّكُم أَعمى

When a blind man passes me, have mercy on him, and know for certain—

If a blind man passes, show him mercy, and know for certain—

even if you have not been made equals—that every one of you is blind.

Even if you have not lost your sight—that all of you are blind.

وَما زالَ نِعمَ الرَأيُ لي أَنَّ مَنزِلي

وَما زالَ نِعمَ الرَأيُ لي أَنَّ مَنزِلي

كَأَنِّيَ فيهِ مُضمِرٌ كَنَّ في نِعما

كَأَنِّيَ فيهِ مُضمِرٌ كَنَّ في نِعما

It has always remained an excellent judgment of mine: that my dwelling

And I have always thought it wisest to remain in my home,

is as though I were in it a lean-trained steed sheltered among ostriches.

As though within it I were an implicit pronoun hidden in 'niʿma' ('excellent is').

غَدَوتُ اِبنَ وَقتي ما تَقَضّى نَسيتُهُ

غَدَوتُ اِبنَ وَقتي ما تَقَضّى نَسيتُهُ

وَما هُوَ آتٍ لا أُحِسُّ لَهُ طَعما

وَما هُوَ آتٍ لا أُحِسُّ لَهُ طَعما

I have become a child of my present moment: whatever has passed, I forget;

I have become a son of the present; what has passed, I have forgotten.

and whatever is yet to come, I taste no flavor of it.

And what is yet to come—I sense no taste of it.

وَقالَ أُناسٌ ما لِأَمرٍ حَقيقَةٌ

وَقالَ أُناسٌ ما لِأَمرٍ حَقيقَةٌ

فَهَل أَثبَتوا أَن لا شَقاءَ وَلا نُعمى

فَهَل أَثبَتوا أَن لا شَقاءَ وَلا نُعمى

Some people have said, “My affair has no reality.”

And some people have said, 'Nothing has any reality.'

But have they proved that neither misery nor bliss exists?

Have they then established that there is neither misery nor bliss?

وَشَكَّكَ في الإيجابِ وَالنَفيِ مَعشَرٌ

وَشَكَّكَ في الإيجابِ وَالنَفيِ مَعشَرٌ

حَيارى جَرَت خَيلُ الضَلالِ بِهِم سَعما

حَيارى جَرَت خَيلُ الضَلالِ بِهِم سَعما

A band cast doubt upon affirmation and negation—

And a group has cast doubt on affirmation and negation,

bewildered, the steeds of error swept them away headlong.

Bewildered, as the horses of error carried them at full speed.

فَنَحنُ وَهُم في مَزعَمٍ وَتَشاجُرٍ

فَنَحنُ وَهُم في مَزعَمٍ وَتَشاجُرٍ

وَيَعلَمُ رَبُّ الناسِ أَكذَبَنا زَعما

وَيَعلَمُ رَبُّ الناسِ أَكذَبَنا زَعما

Thus we and they are caught amid claims and wrangling,

So we and they are making claims and wrangling,

and the Lord of humankind knows which of us is the greater liar in his claim.

And the Lord of humankind knows which of us makes the falsest claims.