مَن مُجيري وَمَن يُجيرُ عَلى ذي

مَن مُجيري وَمَن يُجيرُ عَلى ذي

جَبَروتٍ تَخشى المُلوكُ سُطاهُ

جَبَروتٍ تَخشى المُلوكُ سُطاهُ

Who is my protector, and who will shield me against one

Who can protect me, who can give refuge

of tyrannical might, whose assaults kings fear?

From one whose tyranny makes kings afraid?

ظالِمٌ إِن مَدَحتُهُ لَم أَنَل خَي

ظالِمٌ إِن مَدَحتُهُ لَم أَنَل خَي

راً وَإِن لَم أَمدَحهُ خِفتُ أَذاهُ

راً وَإِن لَم أَمدَحهُ خِفتُ أَذاهُ

A tyrant: if I praise him, I gain no good;

Oppressor - if I praise him, I gain no good,

and if I do not praise him, I fear his harm.

And if I don't praise him, I fear his harm.

فَهوَ لا يَشتَري المَديحَ وَلا يَس

فَهوَ لا يَشتَري المَديحَ وَلا يَس

مَحُ أَنّي أَبيعُهُ مِن سِواهُ

مَحُ أَنّي أَبيعُهُ مِن سِواهُ

For he does not buy praise, nor does he permit

So he neither buys praise nor allows

me to sell it to anyone other than him.

That I sell it to others but him alone.

لَيتَهُ تارِكي كَفافاً فَلا أَر

لَيتَهُ تارِكي كَفافاً فَلا أَر

جوهُ في حالَةٍ وَلا أَخشاهُ

جوهُ في حالَةٍ وَلا أَخشاهُ

If only he would leave me be, so I would neither hope

If only he would leave me barely self-sufficient -

for anything from him in any circumstance, nor fear him.

Then I would neither wish for him nor fear him!