صَبَرْتُ عَلَى رَيْبِ هَذَا الزَّمَانِ

صَبَرْتُ عَلَى رَيْبِ هَذَا الزَّمَانِ

وَلَوْلا الْمَعَاذِرُ لَمْ أَصْبِرِ

وَلَوْلا الْمَعَاذِرُ لَمْ أَصْبِرِ

I endured the vicissitudes of this age,

I endured the doubts of this age,

And but for extenuating reasons, I would not have endured.

And had it not been for excuses, I would not have endured.

فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّي جَهِلْتُ الصَّوَابَ

فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّي جَهِلْتُ الصَّوَابَ

وَلَكِنْ هَمَمْتُ فَلَمْ أَقْدِرِ

وَلَكِنْ هَمَمْتُ فَلَمْ أَقْدِرِ

So do not think I was ignorant of the right course;

So think not that I was ignorant of what's right,

But I resolved to act, yet could not.

But I aspired, yet could not attain.

ثَنَتْ عَزْمَتِي ثَوْرَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

ثَنَتْ عَزْمَتِي ثَوْرَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

وَغَلَّتْ يَدِي فَتْرَةُ الْعَسْكَرِ

وَغَلَّتْ يَدِي فَتْرَةُ الْعَسْكَرِ

The uprising of the corrupters bent my resolve,

The rebellion of the corrupt deterred my resolve,

And the army’s slackness shackled my hand.

And the slackening of the troops tied my hands.

وَكُنَّا جَمِيعاً فَلَمَّا وَقَعْتُ

وَكُنَّا جَمِيعاً فَلَمَّا وَقَعْتُ

صَبَرْتُ وَغَادَرَنِي مَعْشَرِي

صَبَرْتُ وَغَادَرَنِي مَعْشَرِي

And we were all together; then, when I fell,

We were all together, but when it came down to it,

I endured, and my companions abandoned me.

I endured, while my comrades abandoned me.

وَلَوْ أَنَّنِي رُمْتُ إِعْنَاتَهُمْ

وَلَوْ أَنَّنِي رُمْتُ إِعْنَاتَهُمْ

لَقُلْتُ مَقَالَةَ مُسْتَبْصِرِ

لَقُلْتُ مَقَالَةَ مُسْتَبْصِرِ

And had I sought to cause them hardship,

Had I sought their support in this

I would have spoken the words of one with clear insight.

I’d have said words of a clear-sighted man.

وَلَكِنَّنِي حِينَ جَدَّ الْخِصَامُ

وَلَكِنَّنِي حِينَ جَدَّ الْخِصَامُ

رَجَعْتُ إِلَى كَرَمِ الْعُنْصُرِ

رَجَعْتُ إِلَى كَرَمِ الْعُنْصُرِ

But I, when the quarrel grew serious,

But when discord grew harsh,

Returned to the nobility of my stock.

I returned to the nobility of endurance.