الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لَيسَ لي كاتِب

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ لَيسَ لي كاتِب

وَلا عَلى بابِ مَنزِلي حاجِب

وَلا عَلى بابِ مَنزِلي حاجِب

Praise be to God, I have no secretary,

Praise be to Allah, I have no scribe

nor a doorkeeper at the door of my home,

Nor a guard at the door of my house

وَلا حِمارٌ إِذا عَزَمتُ عَلى

وَلا حِمارٌ إِذا عَزَمتُ عَلى

رُكوبِهِ قيلَ جَحظَةٌ راكِب

رُكوبِهِ قيلَ جَحظَةٌ راكِب

nor a donkey that, should I decide to

Nor a donkey when I decide to ride

ride it, would prompt the words, "Jahza is riding."

It is said a scrawny one is riding

وَلا قَميصٌ يَكونُ لي بَدَلاً

وَلا قَميصٌ يَكونُ لي بَدَلاً

مَخافَةً مِن قَميصِيَ الذاهِب

مَخافَةً مِن قَميصِيَ الذاهِب

Nor a shirt to serve me as a spare,

Nor a shirt that would serve as a replacement

for fear my own shirt may be lost.

For fear of my shirt being lost

وَأُجرَةُ البَيتِ فَهيَ مُقرِحَةٌ

وَأُجرَةُ البَيتِ فَهيَ مُقرِحَةٌ

أَجفانَ عَيني بِالوابِلِ الساكِب

أَجفانَ عَيني بِالوابِلِ الساكِب

And the house rent—it ulcerates

And the rent of the house makes sore

my eyelids with a streaming downpour.

My eyelids with pouring rain

إِن زارَني صاحِبٌ عَزَمتُ عَلى

إِن زارَني صاحِبٌ عَزَمتُ عَلى

بَيعِ كِتابٍ لِشَبعَةِ الصاحِب

بَيعِ كِتابٍ لِشَبعَةِ الصاحِب

If a friend visits me, I resolve to

If a friend visits me, I decide

sell a book to satisfy the friend's hunger.

To sell a book for a bite for my friend

أَصبَحتُ في مَعشَرٍ تَشَمُّتُهُم

أَصبَحتُ في مَعشَرٍ تَشَمُّتُهُم

فَرضٌ مِنَ اللَهِ لازِبٌ واجِب

فَرضٌ مِنَ اللَهِ لازِبٌ واجِب

I find myself among a company whose gloating

I have lived among people whom

is a duty from God, binding and obligatory.

I tolerate by Allah’s command

فيهِم صَديقٌ في عُرسِهِ عَجَبٌ

فيهِم صَديقٌ في عُرسِهِ عَجَبٌ

إِذا تَأَمَّلتَ أَمرَها عاجِب

إِذا تَأَمَّلتَ أَمرَها عاجِب

Among them is a friend whose wife is a wonder,

Among them a friend whose wedding is wondrous

astonishing when you ponder her condition.

If you look into it, it is wondrous

تَحسَبُها حُرَّةً وَحافِرُها

تَحسَبُها حُرَّةً وَحافِرُها

أَرَقُّ مِن شِعرِ خالِدِ الكاتِب

أَرَقُّ مِن شِعرِ خالِدِ الكاتِب

You would take her for a freeborn woman, yet her hoof

You would think her a free woman yet her ankles

is thinner than the verse of Khalid al-Katib.

Are smoother than the writing of Khalid the scribe