أيا من قد رأى نصبي

أيا من قد رأى نصبي

إليك أشكو من الوصب

إليك أشكو من الوصب

O you who have seen my suffering,

O you who sees my affliction

to you I complain of my pain,

To you I complain of torment

بقومٍ قد بليت بهم

بقومٍ قد بليت بهم

كبلوى الجسم بالجرب

كبلوى الجسم بالجرب

from a people I have been plagued with,

By a people with whom I was afflicted

as a body is plagued with scabies.

Like the affliction of the body with scabies

فأعقلهم يخادعني

فأعقلهم يخادعني

فأهرب وهو في طلبي

فأهرب وهو في طلبي

For their wisest deceives me,

Their wise ones deceive me

so I flee while he pursues me.

So I flee while they chase me

ورأسهمُ ينافقني

ورأسهمُ ينافقني

فماذا الظن بالذنب

فماذا الظن بالذنب

And their head plays the hypocrite with me—

And their leader pretends with me

what, then, should one expect of the tail?

So what can one expect of the guilt

حسبت سرابهم ماءً

حسبت سرابهم ماءً

فأهلكني من اللَغب

فأهلكني من اللَغب

I took their mirage for water,

I thought their mirage was water

so it brought me to ruin through exhaustion.

So they destroyed me with yearning

لأمرٍ ما أتيتُهمُ

لأمرٍ ما أتيتُهمُ

فلا تسأل عن السبب

فلا تسأل عن السبب

For some purpose I came to them;

For something I did not give them

so do not ask about the reason.

So do not ask about the reason

ظننتهمُ ذوي نسبٍ

ظننتهمُ ذوي نسبٍ

وجدتهمُ ذوي نصب

وجدتهمُ ذوي نصب

I thought them men of noble lineage;

I thought they were of noble origin

I found them men of trouble.

I found them to be of evil intention

فأبتُ وقد رضيتُ بما

فأبتُ وقد رضيتُ بما

بُليتُ به من التعب

بُليتُ به من التعب

So I returned, content with the

So I refused though I was content with what

weariness with which I had been afflicted.

I was afflicted with of fatigue

فرحت ولا أصدق ما

فرحت ولا أصدق ما

نجوت به من العطب

نجوت به من العطب

I rejoiced, and I cannot believe how

I was happy and could not believe what

I escaped from ruin.

I was saved from of ruin