رَأَيتُ زِياداً صَدَّ عَنّي وَرَدَّني

رَأَيتُ زِياداً صَدَّ عَنّي وَرَدَّني

وَما كانَ خَيّاباً مِنَ القَومِ سائِلُه

وَما كانَ خَيّاباً مِنَ القَومِ سائِلُه

I saw Ziyad turn away from me and rebuff me,

I saw Ziyad turn away from me and repel me

yet no petitioner of his among the people had ever been disappointed.

Yet he was no denier of requests among the people when asked

يُنَفِّذُ حاجاتِ الرِجالِ وَحاجَتي

يُنَفِّذُ حاجاتِ الرِجالِ وَحاجَتي

كَداءِ الجَوى في جَوفِهِ لا يُزايلُه

كَداءِ الجَوى في جَوفِهِ لا يُزايلُه

He fulfills men's needs, while my need

Fulfilling the wants of men - and my own want

is like the sickness of consuming anguish in his belly, never leaving him.

Like the inner burning of acute fever that does not leave him

فَلا أَنا ناسٍ ما نَسيتُ فَيائِسٌ

فَلا أَنا ناسٍ ما نَسيتُ فَيائِسٌ

وَلا أَنتَ راءٍ ما أُريكَ فَفاعِلُه

وَلا أَنتَ راءٍ ما أُريكَ فَفاعِلُه

So I will not forget what I once forgot and thereby give up hope,

So neither have I forgotten what I forgot, and am despairing

nor do you see what I show you and then act upon it.

Nor are you seeing what I will show you and do

وَفي اليأسِ حَزمٌ لِلقَويِّ وَراحَةٌ

وَفي اليأسِ حَزمٌ لِلقَويِّ وَراحَةٌ

مِنَ الأَمرِ لا يُنسى وَلا المَرءُ نائِلُه

مِنَ الأَمرِ لا يُنسى وَلا المَرءُ نائِلُه

And in despair lie prudence for the strong and relief

And in despair there is composure for the strong and comfort

from a matter that cannot be forgotten, yet a man cannot attain.

From the matter neither forgotten nor attained by man