إِنّي إِذا ما المَرءُ بَيَّنَ شَكَّهُ

إِنّي إِذا ما المَرءُ بَيَّنَ شَكَّهُ

وَبَدَت عَواقِبُهُ لِمَن يَتَأَمَّلُ

وَبَدَت عَواقِبُهُ لِمَن يَتَأَمَّلُ

Indeed, when a man makes his doubt plain,

When a man makes clear his doubts,

and the consequences for him become clear to whoever reflects,

And the consequences appear to one who contemplates,

وَتَبَرَّأَ الضُعَفاءُ مِن إِخوانِهِم

وَتَبَرَّأَ الضُعَفاءُ مِن إِخوانِهِم

وَأَلَحَّ مِن حَرِّ الصَميمِ الكَلكَلُ

وَأَلَحَّ مِن حَرِّ الصَميمِ الكَلكَلُ

and the weak disown their brothers,

And the weak disown their brothers,

and the breast bears down relentlessly in the searing heat,

And pressing misfortune strikes at the heart's core,

أَدعُ الَّتي هِيَ أَرمَقُ الحالاتِ بي

أَدعُ الَّتي هِيَ أَرمَقُ الحالاتِ بي

عِندَ الحَفيظَةِ لِلَّتي هِيَ أَجمَلُ

عِندَ الحَفيظَةِ لِلَّتي هِيَ أَجمَلُ

I forsake the course that best preserves my life,

I leave that which is most wretched in my state

when honor is roused, for the one that is nobler.

For that which is most beautiful in the prudent woman's eyes.