سألْتُ فأعطيتُمْ قليلاً فلم يكن

سألْتُ فأعطيتُمْ قليلاً فلم يكن

غناي ولا استبقى مُرِوتي على فَقْرِي

غناي ولا استبقى مُرِوتي على فَقْرِي

I asked, and you gave a little, but it did not

I asked and you gave me little, it was not enough

free me from want or preserve my dignity despite my poverty.

Nor did it quench my poverty and need

بذلتُم من المعروفِ ما فلّ عِفتي

بذلتُم من المعروفِ ما فلّ عِفتي

وقيّدَ تَبْكيري وضعْضعَ من قدري

وقيّدَ تَبْكيري وضعْضعَ من قدري

You bestowed kindness that blunted my self-restraint,

You gave some good but it was too petite

and fettered my setting out early and diminished my standing.

And stifled my early hopes and all my dreams

فلمْ تصنعُوا الحُسنى ولمْ تفعلوا التي

فلمْ تصنعُوا الحُسنى ولمْ تفعلوا التي

أداوي بشكواها الحرارة في صدري

أداوي بشكواها الحرارة في صدري

So you neither did good nor did that which

You did not do the right, the good, the best

I could complain of to soothe the burning in my breast.

That I complain of to soothe my aching chest

فلا لذة الشكوى ولا فرحةُ الغنى

فلا لذة الشكوى ولا فرحةُ الغنى

وألْمظتمُوني لمظةً ثَبَّطت صَبري

وألْمظتمُوني لمظةً ثَبَّطت صَبري

Thus neither the pleasure of complaint nor the joy of wealth was mine,

No joy in complaints, no bliss in wealth

and you gave me a mere taste that sapped my patience.

You gave me pain that crushed my patience health

جُزيتُمْ جزاءَ المانِع الخيرَ كله

جُزيتُمْ جزاءَ المانِع الخيرَ كله

فإنكُمُ أقسى وآلم من دهري

فإنكُمُ أقسى وآلم من دهري

May you be repaid as one who withholds all good is repaid,

May you be rewarded as misers of all good

for you are harsher and more hurtful than my fate.

For you are crueller than my harsh fate could