يا رَبِّ كَيفَ بَلَوتَني بِعِصابَةٍ

يا رَبِّ كَيفَ بَلَوتَني بِعِصابَةٍ

ما فيهِمِ فَضلٌ وَلا إِفضالُ

ما فيهِمِ فَضلٌ وَلا إِفضالُ

O my Lord, how have You tried me with a band

O Lord, how You have tested me with a gang

possessing neither merit nor generosity?

Who have no merit or generosity

مُتَنافِري الأَوصافِ يَصدُقُ فيهِمُ ال

مُتَنافِري الأَوصافِ يَصدُقُ فيهِمُ ال

هاجي وَتَكذُبُ فيهِمِ الآمالُ

هاجي وَتَكذُبُ فيهِمِ الآمالُ

Discordant in their traits, they bear out the

Of discordant traits, the slanderer speaks truly of them

satirist, while hopes of them prove false.

And hopes are belied in them

غَطّى الثَراءُ عَلى عُيوبِهِم وَكَم

غَطّى الثَراءُ عَلى عُيوبِهِم وَكَم

مِن سَوءَةٍ غَطّى عَليها المالُ

مِن سَوءَةٍ غَطّى عَليها المالُ

Wealth has covered their faults; and many

Prosperity has covered their flaws, and how much

a disgrace has money concealed.

Evil is covered by wealth

جُبَناءُ ما اِستَنجَدتَهُم لِمُلِمَّةٍ

جُبَناءُ ما اِستَنجَدتَهُم لِمُلِمَّةٍ

لُؤَماءُ ما اِستَجدَيتَهُم بُخّالُ

لُؤَماءُ ما اِستَجدَيتَهُم بُخّالُ

Cowards whenever you seek their help in a calamity;

Cowards, never seek their help in adversity

base and miserly whenever you ask them for charity.

Stingy, never seek from them generosity

فَوُجوهُهُم عُوَدٌ عَلى أَموالِهِم

فَوُجوهُهُم عُوَدٌ عَلى أَموالِهِم

وَأكُفُّهُم مِن دونِها أَقفالُ

وَأكُفُّهُم مِن دونِها أَقفالُ

So their faces are wooden staves over their wealth,

Their faces are but façades upon their money

and their hands are locks barring access to it.

And without it, their palms are locks

هُم في الرَخاءِ إِذا ظَفِرتَ بِنِعمَةٍ

هُم في الرَخاءِ إِذا ظَفِرتَ بِنِعمَةٍ

آلٌ وُهُم عِندَ الشَدائِدِ آلُ

آلٌ وُهُم عِندَ الشَدائِدِ آلُ

In prosperity, when you gain a blessing, they are

In ease, when you gain a blessing, they are kin

kin; yet in hardship they are a mirage.

In hardship, they are strangers