وَلي مَولىً أَساءَ فَلَم أَسِمهُ

وَلي مَولىً أَساءَ فَلَم أَسِمهُ

بِمَيسَمِ مَن أَساءَ وَلَم أُسَمِّه

بِمَيسَمِ مَن أَساءَ وَلَم أُسَمِّه

I have a patron who wronged me, yet I did not brand him

I have a master who did me wrong, but I will not name him

with a wrongdoer's mark, nor did I name him.

With the traits of one who did wrong while I do not name him

وَقَد عَجِبَ الوَرى وَاللَهُ يُبقي

وَقَد عَجِبَ الوَرى وَاللَهُ يُبقي

لِيَ الإِحسانَ مِن عَدلي وَظُلمِه

لِيَ الإِحسانَ مِن عَدلي وَظُلمِه

And people have marveled, while God preserves

The world is amazed, and Allah will maintain

for me the merit of doing good, through my justice and his injustice.

For me the kindness from his justice and injustice

أُعَرِّضُ بِالمِطالِ وَما جَناهُ

أُعَرِّضُ بِالمِطالِ وَما جَناهُ

فَيَمزُجُهُ وَيَأخُذُني بِجُرمِه

فَيَمزُجُهُ وَيَأخُذُني بِجُرمِه

I hint at his stalling and the wrong he has done,

I turn away using excuses, and that which he attained from me

so he mixes it up and blames me for his own offense.

He mixes it and takes me for his crime

وَيَحسِبُني أَخَذتُ المَطلَ عَنهُ

وَيَحسِبُني أَخَذتُ المَطلَ عَنهُ

فَها أَنا ضارِبٌ فيهِ بِسَهمِه

فَها أَنا ضارِبٌ فيهِ بِسَهمِه

And he thinks I have learned stalling from him—

And he thinks I have taken the excuses from him

so here I am, taking part in it with his own arrow.

Yet here I am, striking him with his own arrow

فَلا تَركَن إِلى صَبري وَمَيلي

فَلا تَركَن إِلى صَبري وَمَيلي

عَلى نَفسي وَلَو كُنتُ اِبنَ أُمِّه

عَلى نَفسي وَلَو كُنتُ اِبنَ أُمِّه

So do not rely on my patience and my bias

So do not rely on my patience and my inclination

against myself, even if I were his mother's son.

Upon myself even if I were his mother's son

فَقَد يَعدو الحَميمُ عَلى أَخيهِ

فَقَد يَعدو الحَميمُ عَلى أَخيهِ

فَيَأخُذُ حَقَّهُ مِنهُ اِبنُ عَمِّه

فَيَأخُذُ حَقَّهُ مِنهُ اِبنُ عَمِّه

For a close kinsman may assail his brother,

For intimacy may attack its brother

and his cousin then takes his due from him.

So the cousin takes his right from him