وَتاهَ سَعيدٌ أَن أُعيرَ رِئاسَةً

وَتاهَ سَعيدٌ أَن أُعيرَ رِئاسَةً

وَقُلِّدَ أَمراً كانَ دونَ رِجالِهِ

وَقُلِّدَ أَمراً كانَ دونَ رِجالِهِ

And Sa‘id grew haughty because he was lent a position of leadership,

Lost is Sa'eed though honored with command

And was entrusted with an office, though beneath the men fit for it.

And charged with that which was beyond his hand

فَأَدبَرَ عَنّي عِندَ إِقبالِ حَظِّهِ

فَأَدبَرَ عَنّي عِندَ إِقبالِ حَظِّهِ

وَغَيَّرَ حالي عِندَهُ حُسنُ حالِهِ

وَغَيَّرَ حالي عِندَهُ حُسنُ حالِهِ

So he turned away from me as his fortune turned toward him,

So he turned from me when fortune smiled on him

And his prosperity changed my standing with him.

And changed my state when his was fair and trim

وَضاقَ عَلى حَقّي بِعَقبِ اِتِّساعِهِ

وَضاقَ عَلى حَقّي بِعَقبِ اِتِّساعِهِ

فَأَوسَعتُهُ عُذراً لِضيقِ اِحتِمالِهِ

فَأَوسَعتُهُ عُذراً لِضيقِ اِحتِمالِهِ

And he grew tight-fisted over my due just after his means expanded,

And straitened was my right after its width

So I excused him generously for his scant forbearance.

So I excused him for his narrow greed

فَلَيتَ أَبا عُثمانَ أَمسَكَ تيهَهُ

فَلَيتَ أَبا عُثمانَ أَمسَكَ تيهَهُ

كَإِمساكِهِ عِندَ الحُقوقِ بِمالِهِ

كَإِمساكِهِ عِندَ الحُقوقِ بِمالِهِ

So, if only Abu ‘Uthman would restrain his arrogance,

Would that Abu Uthman had curbed his straying

As he holds on to his money in the face of rightful claims.

As he curbed his grip on wealth and money-paying

وَيَزوَرُّ عَنّي كُلَّما جِئتُ زائِراً

وَيَزوَرُّ عَنّي كُلَّما جِئتُ زائِراً

كَأَنّيَ قَد شارَكتُهُ في عِيالِهِ

كَأَنّيَ قَد شارَكتُهُ في عِيالِهِ

And he turns away from me whenever I come to visit,

And he estranges himself whenever I come visiting

As though I had shared his family with him.

As if I had shared in provisioning his family