1. How is it when your master does not help you
And severs ties completely severed
١. كَيْفَ إِذَا مَوْلَاكَ لَمْ يَصِلْكا
وَقَطَع الأَرْحامَ قَطْعاً بَتْكَا
2. He is acquitted with the Creator but did not sprinkle you
And if the earth were to possess you, it would not contain you
٢. يَبْرِي مَعَ البارِي وَلَمْ يَرِشْكا
وَالأَرْضُ لَوْ تَمْلِكُ لَمْ تَسَعْكا
3. Do not fear him though he did not gift you
No man unravels a word of falsehood
٣. وَلا تَهَيَّبْهُ وَلَمْ يَهَبْكا
ما لِامْرِءٍ أَفَّكَ قَوْلاً إِفْكا
4. Fastening of lies and committing of shame
And every slanderer intending to be chaste
٤. تَلْبِيقَ زُورٍ وَاقْتِرافاً بَشْكا
وَكُلَّ نَمّامٍ يُرِيدُ النَزْكا
5. God left him no provision
God took him to account a distressing account
٥. لا تَرَكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مَسْكا
حاسَبَهُ اللَّهُ حساباً ضَنْكا
6. If indeed the liar was disabled
Upon me the most abject partner associated
٦. بِذاك إِنْ كان الكَذُوب أَرْكا
عَلَيَّ أَعْلاقَ الشَرِيك الشَرْكا
7. You were if the adversaries began the struggle
And the matter of theirs was muddled so you lurched
٧. كُنْتَ إِذَا عَضَّ الخُصُومُ المَحْكا
وَعَيَّ أَعْيَا أَمْرِهِمْ فَالْتَكَّا
8. You did not leave the mixed matter crying
When the wronged begin to clash with the wronged
٨. لَمْ تَدَعِ الأَمْرَ الخَلِيطَ لَبْكا
إِذِ الضَلِيعُ بِالضَلِيعِ اصطَكَّا
9. You were not conceited nor entangled
O son of the eminent lineage and complacency
٩. لَمْ تَكُ أَنَّاناً وَلا مُلْتَكّا
يا ابْنَ الرَفِيعِ حَسَباً وَسَمْكا
10. Among the generous a mine and essence
What do you see the opinion of a brother who limped
١٠. فِي الأَكْرَمِينَ مَعْدِناً وَبُنْكا
ماذا تَرَى رَأْيَ أَخٍ قَدْ عَكّا
11. Seeking needs so he clung with you
Until you perished or feared destruction
١١. عاذَ بِحاجاتٍ فَلّاقَى مَعْكا
حَتَّى هَلَكْتَ أَوْ رَهِبْتَ الهُلْكا
12. And debt carried upon me kneeing
And dragged a woman sweeping sweep
١٢. وَحَمَلَ الدَيْنُ عَلَيَّ البَرْكا
وَجَرَّ أَرْحاءٍ دَهَكْنَ دَهْكا
13. Destroying me not ceasing ravaging
A companion of debt not ceasing eroding
١٣. أَهْلَكَنِي أَلَّا يَزالَ يَلْكا
صاحِبُ دَيْنٍ لا يَنِي مِحَكّا
14. I divert him from me but he refuses diverting
Driving the hired worker, the exhausted wanderer
١٤. أَعْرُكُهُ عَنِّي فَيَأْبَى العَرْكا
سَوْقَ الأَجِيرِ المُتْعِب الأَفَكَّا
15. But he refused except insisting harming
By his movement to be turned away moving
١٥. فَقَدْ أَبَى إِلّا رُكُوباً حَكّا
بِالحَرْكِ مِنْهُ أَنْ يُنَحّى حَرْكا
16. As if I am disgraced and impaired
From the disease of complaining or shown delivered
١٦. حَتَّى كَأَنِّي مُسْتَغِبٌّ وَعْكا
مِنْ داءِ شَكْوَى أَوْ أُرَى مُنْفَكّا
17. So I have seen crying and laughing
By Him who made me laugh then cry
١٧. فَقَدْ رأَيْتُ باكِياً وَضِحْكا
فَوَالَّذِي أَضْحَكَ ثُم أَبْكَى
18. I would not choose a friend other than you
And that is a right not becoming doubted
١٨. ما كُنْتُ أَخْتارُ خَلِيلاً عَنْكا
وَذاكَ حَقٌّ لا يَكُونُ شَكَّا
19. I reckon seriously that I am from you
So I remembered if I severed the twine
١٩. أَحْسِبُ عِنْدَ الجِدِّ أَنِّي مِنْكا
فَقَدْ ذَكَرْتُ لَوْ قَطَعْتُ سِلْكا
20. A coal from smoke thrown
That even their littlest embellished
٢٠. غُلَيْمَةً مِنَ الدُخانِ رُمْكا
ما إِنْ عَدَا أَصْغَرُهُمْ أَنْ زَكّا
21. Like chicks hoping from you
A fresh spring and a pouring blood-letter
٢١. مِثْلَ الفِراخِ يَأْمُلُونَ مِنْكا
عَوْدَ رَبِيعٍ وَوَلِيّاً سَفْكا
22. You were exerting generosity pouring from you
When the chicken cheep cheeping
٢٢. قَدْ كُنْتَ تُبْلِي مِنْكَ جَوْداً سَهْكا
إِذَا العَناجِيجُ مَهَكْنَ مَهْكا
23. If not you see what does not happen standing
From you I have taught my spirit raiding
٢٣. لَوْلا تَرَى ما لَا يَكُونُ رِكّا
مِنْكَ لَقَدْ عَلَّمْتُ هَمِّي الفَتْكا
24. So I launched as a Roman or invaded the Turks
On steeds or ascended a ship
٢٤. فَرُمْتُ رُوماً أَوْ غَزَوتُ التُرْكا
عَلَى المَطايا أَوْ عَلَوْتُ الفُلْكا
25. Or the hands of riders plunged plundering
At night neighboring its night so it clung
٢٥. أَوْ هَتَكَت أَيْدِي المَطايَا هَتْكا
لَيْلاً تُدانِي لَيْلَهُ فَاسْتَكّا
26. To delusions, I was tempted by their blood
Galloping the sands wildly muddled
٢٦. عَلَى زِوَرّاتٍ أُغِرْنَ دَمْكا
يَنْضُون أَثْباجَ رِمالٍ وُرْكا
27. Or passed from the land of Kalb kneeing
Meteors which you see the snow upon braiding
٢٧. أَوْ جاوَزَتْ مِنْ أَرْضِ كَلْبٍ بِرْكا
شُهْباً تَرَى الثَلْجَ عَلَيْها شَبْكا
28. Indeed, the one who doubted you I did not doubt
So if you leave my endeavor but I did not leave you
٢٨. إِن الَّذِي رابَكَ لَم أَرِبْكا
فَإِنْ تَدَعْ جَهْدِي فَلَم أَدَعْكا
29. Love, advice, and pure commendation
I rejoiced that my Lord increased your kingdom
٢٩. حُبّاً وَنُصْحاً وَثَناءً مِسْكا
فَرِحْتُ أَنْ زادَكَ رَبِّي مُلْكا
30. But you increased against me forgetting and abandoning
And said: Since generosity wept
٣٠. فَازْدَدْتَ لِي تَناسِياً وَتَرْكا
وَقُلْتَ إِذْ كانَ العَطاءُ بَكّا
31. Isn't it just those
٣١. أَمَا أَمَا ما هِيَ إِلّا تِلْكا