أَخِلّائي أَذُمُّكُمُ إِلَيكُم

أَخِلّائي أَذُمُّكُمُ إِلَيكُم

وَكُنتُ بِمَدحِكُم قَمِناً خَليقا

وَكُنتُ بِمَدحِكُم قَمِناً خَليقا

My friends, I reproach you to your faces,

My friends, I complain of you to yourselves,

My friends, I speak my blame of you to you,

And I was fit and well suited to praise you.

And I was decent in praising you.

Though I was worthy to have sung your praise.

فَلا وَأَبيكُمُ ما الفَضلُ دَأبي

فَلا وَأَبيكُمُ ما الفَضلُ دَأبي

إِذا ما لَم أَجِد مِنكُم صَديقا

إِذا ما لَم أَجِد مِنكُم صَديقا

No, by your father, generosity is not my way

No, by your lives, excellence is not my habit,

No, by your fathers, kindness is not my habit,

When I find no friend among you.

If I do not find a friend among you.

If I can find no true friend in your midst.

إِذا اِستَبطَأتُكُم عَنَّفتُموني

إِذا اِستَبطَأتُكُم عَنَّفتُموني

وَقُلتُم إِنَّ فيهِ لِذاكَ ضيقا

وَقُلتُم إِنَّ فيهِ لِذاكَ ضيقا

Whenever I found you slow, you rebuked me,

When I am slow to see you, you rebuke me

When I found you slow to help, you chastised me,

And said, “Indeed, he has little patience for that.”

And say, “There is confinement in that, indeed.”

And said, "For this, his spirit is too narrow."

فَأُقسِمُ لَو تَكونونَ الأُسارى

فَأُقسِمُ لَو تَكونونَ الأُسارى

وَكُنتُ أَنا المُخَلّى وَالطَليقا

وَكُنتُ أَنا المُخَلّى وَالطَليقا

So I swear, if you were captives,

So I swear, if you were to become captives,

Yet I swear, if you were the ones in chains,

And I myself were released and free,

And I was the one freed and unconfined,

And I the one set loose and roaming free,

إِذَن لَجَهِدتُ فَوقَ الجَهدِ حَتّى

إِذَن لَجَهِدتُ فَوقَ الجَهدِ حَتّى

أُطيقَ خَلاصَكُم أَو لا أُطيقا

أُطيقَ خَلاصَكُم أَو لا أُطيقا

Then I would strive beyond my utmost strength, until

Then I would strive, beyond all effort,

I would have struggled beyond all struggle until

I could secure your release—or could not.

To manage your release, whether able or not.

I forced your rescue or could strive no more.

فَلا وَاللَهِ أَذخَرُكُم هِجاءً

فَلا وَاللَهِ أَذخَرُكُم هِجاءً

وَشَتماً ما بَقيتُ وَلا عُقوقا

وَشَتماً ما بَقيتُ وَلا عُقوقا

So, by God, I shall spare you no satire,

No, by Allah, I will not hoard reproach

So no, by God, I shall not spare you satire,

Nor abuse, as long as I live, nor disloyalty.

Or insult, so long as I live, nor disobedience.

Nor insults while I live, nor sharp disdain.