حُرٌّ وَمَذهَبُ كُلِّ حُرٍّ مَذهَبي

حُرٌّ وَمَذهَبُ كُلِّ حُرٍّ مَذهَبي

ما كُنتُ بِالغاوي وَلا المُتَعَصِّبِ

ما كُنتُ بِالغاوي وَلا المُتَعَصِّبِ

I am free, and every free person's creed is mine.

Free is the creed of every free man

I am a free man, and the creed of every free soul is my own; never have I been a misguider nor a fanatic.

I have never been wayward or fanatical.

I was neither a transgressor nor a bigot

I truly rage when the noble are assailed by those beneath them, and I blame the one who feels no anger.

إِنّي لَأَغضَبُ لِلكَريمِ يَنوشُهُ

إِنّي لَأَغضَبُ لِلكَريمِ يَنوشُهُ

مَن دونَهُ وَأَلومُ مَن لَم يَغضَبِ

مَن دونَهُ وَأَلومُ مَن لَم يَغضَبِ

Indeed, I grow angry for the noble man assailed

I get angry for the noble one who suffers injustice

I love every refined soul, even if he be my foe, and I show mercy to everyone who is uncouth.

by one beneath him, and I blame whoever feels no anger.

From other than him, and I blame those who don't get angry

My heart refuses to incline toward harm, for the love of inflicting pain is the nature of the scorpion.

وَأُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُهَذَّبٍ وَلَو اَنَّهُ

وَأُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُهَذَّبٍ وَلَو اَنَّهُ

خَصمي وَأَرحَمُ كُلَّ غَيرِ مُهَذَّبِ

خَصمي وَأَرحَمُ كُلَّ غَيرِ مُهَذَّبِ

And I love every well-mannered person, even if he is

And I love every polite person even if he is

It is within my power to return evil for evil, were I content with a flash of deceptive lightning.

my adversary, and I pity every ill-mannered person.

My opponent, and I pity every rude person

It suffices the offender to feel and say within his secret soul: "Would that I had not sinned."

يَأبى فُؤادي أَن يَميلَ إِلى الأَذى

يَأبى فُؤادي أَن يَميلَ إِلى الأَذى

حُبُّ الأَذِيَّةِ مِن طِباعِ العَقرَبِ

حُبُّ الأَذِيَّةِ مِن طِباعِ العَقرَبِ

My heart refuses to incline toward harm;

My heart refuses to incline towards harm

I am not deceived by fine robes and ornaments; how many a mangy, sick soul hides within such robes!

the love of harming is part of the scorpion's nature.

For harming is the nature of beasts

Your eyes, gazing at his raiment, dwell in a garden, yet your hands, seeking his morals, find but a barren waste.

لي أَن أَرُدَّ مَساءَةً بِمَساءَةٍ

لي أَن أَرُدَّ مَساءَةً بِمَساءَةٍ

لَو أَنَّني أَرضى بِبَرقٍ خُلَّبِ

لَو أَنَّني أَرضى بِبَرقٍ خُلَّبِ

I may repay an offense with an offense,

I do not have it in me to return harm with harm

When you look upon him, you see a dignified elder, but when you speak to him, he is revealed as a child.

if I am content with lightning that brings no rain.

Even if I was content with fleeting lightning

Truly, if calamity befalls my companion, I defend him with my very tooth and claw.

حَسبُ المُسيءِ شُعورُهُ وَمَقالُهُ

حَسبُ المُسيءِ شُعورُهُ وَمَقالُهُ

في سِرِّهِ يا لَيتَني لَم أُذنِبِ

في سِرِّهِ يا لَيتَني لَم أُذنِبِ

Enough for the wrongdoer are his own awareness and his words

The realization of the wrongdoer is enough

I bind his weak arm with my own strong arm, and I shield his exposed shoulder with my own.

to himself: 'Oh, if only I had not sinned!'

In his conscience "I wish I had not sinned"

I look upon his faults as though I see them not, yet I perceive his virtues even if they remain unrecorded.

أَنا لا تَغُشُّنِيَ الطَيالِسُ وَالحُلى

أَنا لا تَغُشُّنِيَ الطَيالِسُ وَالحُلى

كَم في الطَيالِسِ مِن سَقيمٍ أَجرَبِ

كَم في الطَيالِسِ مِن سَقيمٍ أَجرَبِ

I am not deceived by cloaks and ornaments.

Do not let clothes and adornments fool me

I blame my own soul before him should it err, and if he wrongs me, I do not offer reproach.

How many sickly, scab-ridden men there are in cloaks!

How many in fine clothes are miserable wretches

I draw close to my companion, yet if arrogance struts within his bearing, I draw close no more.

عَيناكَ مِن أَثوابِهِ في جَنَّةٍ

عَيناكَ مِن أَثوابِهِ في جَنَّةٍ

وَيَداكَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ في سَبسَبِ

وَيَداكَ مِن أَخلاقِهِ في سَبسَبِ

Your eyes are in a garden because of his garments,

Your eyes see him in heavenly clothes

Within my conscience, I dwell in a fortress; and in my virtues, I walk as one in a royal procession.

and your hands are in a barren plain because of his character.

Yet your hand feels the coarseness of his character

So if the fool deems me beneath him, it is only as one sees the reflection of a star within the water.

وَإِذا بَصَرتَ بِهِ بَصَرتَ بِأَشمَطٍ

وَإِذا بَصَرتَ بِهِ بَصَرتَ بِأَشمَطٍ

وَإِذا تُحَدِّثُهُ تَكَشَّفَ عَن صَبي

وَإِذا تُحَدِّثُهُ تَكَشَّفَ عَن صَبي

And when you look at him, you see a grizzled man;

When you look at him, you look at a grim face

and when you speak to him, he reveals himself as a boy.

When you talk to him, a foolish boy is revealed

إِنّي إِذا نَزَلَ البَلاءُ بِصاحِبي

إِنّي إِذا نَزَلَ البَلاءُ بِصاحِبي

دافَعتُ عَنهُ بِناجِذي وَبِمِخلَبي

دافَعتُ عَنهُ بِناجِذي وَبِمِخلَبي

Indeed, when calamity descends upon my friend,

When misfortune befalls my friend

I defend him with my molar and my claw.

I defend him with my claws and fangs

وَشَدَدتُ ساعِدَهُ الضَعيفُ بِساعِدي

وَشَدَدتُ ساعِدَهُ الضَعيفُ بِساعِدي

وَسَتَرتُ مَنكِبَهُ العَرِيَّ بِمَنكِبي

وَسَتَرتُ مَنكِبَهُ العَرِيَّ بِمَنكِبي

And I strengthen his weak forearm with my forearm,

I strengthen his weak arm with my arm

and cover his bare shoulder with my shoulder.

And cover his bare shoulder with my shoulder

وَأَرى مَساوِءَهُ كَأَنِّيَ لا أَر

وَأَرى مَساوِءَهُ كَأَنِّيَ لا أَر

وَأَرى مَحاسِنَهُ وَإِن لَم تُكتَبِ

وَأَرى مَحاسِنَهُ وَإِن لَم تُكتَبِ

And I see his faults as though I did not see them,

And I see his flaws as though I don't see

and I see his virtues even if they are not written down.

And his virtues even if they aren't written

وَأَلومُ نَفسي قَبلَهُ إِن أَخطَأَت

وَأَلومُ نَفسي قَبلَهُ إِن أَخطَأَت

وَإِذا أَساءَ إِلَيَّ لَم أَتَعَتَّبِ

وَإِذا أَساءَ إِلَيَّ لَم أَتَعَتَّبِ

And I blame myself before blaming him, if I err;

And I blame myself before him if I make a mistake

and when he wrongs me, I offer no reproach.

And if he wrongs me I do not hold a grudge

مُتَقَرِّبٌ مِن صاحِبي فَإِذا مَشَت

مُتَقَرِّبٌ مِن صاحِبي فَإِذا مَشَت

في عَطفِهِ الغَلواءُ لَم أَتَقَرَّبِ

في عَطفِهِ الغَلواءُ لَم أَتَقَرَّبِ

I draw close to my friend; but should there walk

I get close to my friend but if

arrogance in his bearing, I draw no closer.

Extremism creeps into his kindness, I don't get close

أَنا مِن ضَميري ساكِنٌ في مَعقِلٍ

أَنا مِن ضَميري ساكِنٌ في مَعقِلٍ

أَنا مِن خِلالي سائِرٌ في مَوكِبِ

أَنا مِن خِلالي سائِرٌ في مَوكِبِ

Through my conscience, I dwell in a stronghold;

I live peacefully in the fortress of my conscience

through my virtues, I walk in a procession.

I walk proudly in the procession of my morals

فَإِذا رَآني ذو الغَباوَةِ دونَهُ

فَإِذا رَآني ذو الغَباوَةِ دونَهُ

فَكَما تَرى في المَاءِ ظِلَّ الكَوكَبِ

فَكَما تَرى في المَاءِ ظِلَّ الكَوكَبِ

So if a fool sees me beneath him,

So when the ignorant see me lower than them

it is just as you see a star's reflection in the water.

It's like seeing the reflection of a planet in water