إِلَى اللهِ أَشْكُو أَنَّنِي بَيْنَ مَعْشَرٍ

إِلَى اللهِ أَشْكُو أَنَّنِي بَيْنَ مَعْشَرٍ

سَواءٌ لَدَيْهِمْ طَيِّبٌ وَخَبِيثُ

سَواءٌ لَدَيْهِمْ طَيِّبٌ وَخَبِيثُ

To God I complain that I am among a people

I complain to God that I am among a people

To whom the good and the vile are alike.

Among whom good and evil are equal to them

لَهُمْ أَلْسُنٌ إِنْ رُمْنَ أَمْراً بَلَغْنَهُ

لَهُمْ أَلْسُنٌ إِنْ رُمْنَ أَمْراً بَلَغْنَهُ

مِنَ النَّفْسِ مَصْنُوعٌ لَهُنَّ حَدِيثُ

مِنَ النَّفْسِ مَصْنُوعٌ لَهُنَّ حَدِيثُ

They have tongues that, if they seek an end, attain it;

They have tongues that if a matter reaches them

Their speech is fabricated from within the soul.

From the soul it is fabricated for them to say

تَرِثُّ عَلَى قُرْبِ الوِدادِ عُهُودُهُمْ

تَرِثُّ عَلَى قُرْبِ الوِدادِ عُهُودُهُمْ

وَكَيْفَ يَدُومُ الشَّيءُ وَهْوَ رَثِيثُ

وَكَيْفَ يَدُومُ الشَّيءُ وَهْوَ رَثِيثُ

Their pledges grow threadbare, though affection is recent;

Their covenants of friendship crumble

And how can a thing endure when it is threadbare?

Upon the nearness of affection, and how can something endure while it is feeble?

فَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي سالِفِ الدَّهْرِ مَحْتدٌ

فَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي سالِفِ الدَّهْرِ مَحْتدٌ

قَدِيمٌ وَلا فِي الْمَكْرُمَاتِ حَدِيثُ

قَدِيمٌ وَلا فِي الْمَكْرُمَاتِ حَدِيثُ

For they have no lineage in bygone ages

They have no precedent in the history of the past

That is ancient, nor any new one in noble deeds.

Neither old nor new in noble deeds

بَرِمْتُ بِهِمْ حَتَّى سَئِمْتُ مَكَانَتِي

بَرِمْتُ بِهِمْ حَتَّى سَئِمْتُ مَكَانَتِي

وَأَنْكَرْتُ طِيبَ الْعَيْشِ وَهْوَ دَمِيثُ

وَأَنْكَرْتُ طِيبَ الْعَيْشِ وَهْوَ دَمِيثُ

I grew vexed with them until I wearied of my station,

I have become bored with them until I hated my status

And found life's sweetness strange, though life was easy.

And I disliked the sweetness of life while it is vile

إِذا لم يُغِثْنِي اللهُ مِنْهُمْ بِفَضْلِهِ

إِذا لم يُغِثْنِي اللهُ مِنْهُمْ بِفَضْلِهِ

فَمَا لِيَ بَيْنَ الْعَالَمِينَ مُغِيثُ

فَمَا لِيَ بَيْنَ الْعَالَمِينَ مُغِيثُ

If God does not rescue me from them by His grace,

If God does not help me against them with His grace

Then I have no rescuer among all humankind.

Then I have no helper among all creatures