مَن لِيَ أَن أُقيمَ في بَلَدٍ

مَن لِيَ أَن أُقيمَ في بَلَدٍ

أُذكَرُ فيهِ بِغَيرِ ما يَجِبُ

أُذكَرُ فيهِ بِغَيرِ ما يَجِبُ

Who will help me dwell in a town

Who will allow me to live in a country

where I am spoken of otherwise than I deserve?

Where I am known for other than what I must be

يُظَنُّ بِيَ اليُسرُ وَالدِيانَةُ وَالعِل

يُظَنُّ بِيَ اليُسرُ وَالدِيانَةُ وَالعِل

مُ وَبَيني وَبَينَها حُجُبُ

مُ وَبَيني وَبَينَها حُجُبُ

I am credited with wealth, piety, and knowledge,

Where ease, faith and knowledge are assumed of me

yet veils stand between me and them.

While veils lie between it and me

كُلُّ شُهوري عَلَيَّ واحِدَةٌ

كُلُّ شُهوري عَلَيَّ واحِدَةٌ

لا صَفَرٌ يُتَّقى وَلا رَجَبُ

لا صَفَرٌ يُتَّقى وَلا رَجَبُ

All my months are alike to me:

Every month weighs the same on me

neither Safar nor Rajab is feared.

No Safar to beware nor Rajab to await

أَقرَرتُ بِالجَهلِ وَاِدَّعى فَهَمي

أَقرَرتُ بِالجَهلِ وَاِدَّعى فَهَمي

قَومٌ فَأَمري وَأَمرُهُم عَجَبُ

قَومٌ فَأَمري وَأَمرُهُم عَجَبُ

I confessed my ignorance, yet understanding was claimed for me

I admitted ignorance though they credited understanding to me

by some people; so my case and theirs are a wonder.

A people whose affair and mine are absurd

وَالحَقُّ أَنّي وَأَنَّهُم هَدرٌ

وَالحَقُّ أَنّي وَأَنَّهُم هَدرٌ

لَستُ نَجيباً وَلا هُمُ نُجُبُ

لَستُ نَجيباً وَلا هُمُ نُجُبُ

And the truth is that I and they are of no account:

Indeed, both they and I are nonsense

I am not distinguished, nor are they.

I am no noble nor are they nobles

وَالحالُ ضاقَت عَن ضَمِّها جَسَدي

وَالحالُ ضاقَت عَن ضَمِّها جَسَدي

فَكَيفَ لي أَن يَضُمَّهُ الشَجَبُ

فَكَيفَ لي أَن يَضُمَّهُ الشَجَبُ

And my circumstances have grown too strait to embrace my body;

My condition has narrowed to contain my body

so how can sorrow embrace it?

So how can the thicket contain it?

ما أَوسَعَ المَوتَ يَستَريحُ بِهِ الجِس

ما أَوسَعَ المَوتَ يَستَريحُ بِهِ الجِس

مُ المُعَنّى وَيَخفُتُ اللَجَبُ

مُ المُعَنّى وَيَخفُتُ اللَجَبُ

How vast is death! In it the body finds rest,

How vast is death, to find rest in it does the body

worn by suffering, and the clamor subsides.

Meaning takes hold and ardour dims