تَرَفّعت عَن أَبناء عَصري بوحدَتي

تَرَفّعت عَن أَبناء عَصري بوحدَتي

وَلَم أَدع خلّاً في الأَنام لِنجدَتي

وَلَم أَدع خلّاً في الأَنام لِنجدَتي

I rose above the sons of my age through my solitude,

I have risen above the people of my time in my solitude,

And called upon no friend among mankind to aid me.

And left no friend among men to come to my aid,

فَإِنّيَ مُذ جرّبتُ أَهلَ مَودَّتي

فَإِنّيَ مُذ جرّبتُ أَهلَ مَودَّتي

تَفَكَّرتُ في يَومَي رَخائي وَشدّتي

تَفَكَّرتُ في يَومَي رَخائي وَشدّتي

For since I put those I held dear to the test,

For since I tested those I thought were friends,

I reflected on both my days of ease and my days of hardship,

I have thought about my days of ease and hardship,

وَنادَيتُ في الأَحياء هَل مِن مُساعِدِ

وَنادَيتُ في الأَحياء هَل مِن مُساعِدِ

فَلم ألف فيهم غَير حاكٍ وَصامِتٍ

فَلم ألف فيهم غَير حاكٍ وَصامِتٍ

And called out among the living: 'Is there anyone to help?'

And called out among the living, “Is there anyone to help me?”

Yet I found among them only a talker and a silent one,

But found among them none but chatterers and mutes,

وَمُعتَذِرٍ شاكٍ وَمُغض وَباهِتِ

وَمُعتَذِرٍ شاكٍ وَمُغض وَباهِتِ

وَكَم سمتهم عَوني لآتٍ وَفائِتٍ

وَكَم سمتهم عَوني لآتٍ وَفائِتٍ

And one making excuses, one complaining, one averting his gaze, and one bewildered.

Excusers, doubters, sullen faces, and pale.

And how often I asked them to help me with what lay ahead and what had passed!

How often did I aid them when help was late!

فَلم أَرَ فيما ساءني غَير شامتِ

فَلم أَرَ فيما ساءني غَير شامتِ

وَلَم أَرَ فيما سَرّني غَير حاسِدِ

وَلَم أَرَ فيما سَرّني غَير حاسِدِ

Yet in what distressed me I saw only someone gloating,

Yet when misfortune struck me I saw none but those who rejoiced,

And in what pleased me I saw only someone envious.

And when good fortune came to me I saw none but the envious.