عَدِّ العِتابَ فَما أَعَدتُ عِتابا

عَدِّ العِتابَ فَما أَعَدتُ عِتابا

وَكَفَيتُكَ الإِقلالَ وَالإِطنابا

وَكَفَيتُكَ الإِقلالَ وَالإِطنابا

Set reproach aside, for I have repeated none,

Count not my reproach, for I have not reproached

And spared you both brevity and prolixity.

And I have spared you abundant blame or praise

وَإِذا السَحائِبُ لَم تُغِثكَ بِقَطرَةٍ

وَإِذا السَحائِبُ لَم تُغِثكَ بِقَطرَةٍ

أَلحَقتَ في نَسَبِ السَحابِ سَرابا

أَلحَقتَ في نَسَبِ السَحابِ سَرابا

And when the clouds do not succor you with a drop,

If the clouds failed to give you a single drop

You have added a mirage to the clouds' lineage.

You deemed the very clouds a mirage

وَوَضَعتُ قَدرَكَ أَن يَكونَ سَحابَةً

وَوَضَعتُ قَدرَكَ أَن يَكونَ سَحابَةً

وَرَفَعتُ قَدري أَن يَكونَ تُرابا

وَرَفَعتُ قَدري أَن يَكونَ تُرابا

And I have lowered your standing beneath that of a cloud,

I made your worth to be but as a cloud

And raised my own above that of dust.

And raised my own worth to be but dust

وَبَذَلتَ لي مَلَقاً وَقُلتَ كَرامَةً

وَبَذَلتَ لي مَلَقاً وَقُلتَ كَرامَةً

أَسدَلتَها دونَ الرَجاءِ حِجابا

أَسدَلتَها دونَ الرَجاءِ حِجابا

And you offered me flattery and said, 'With pleasure!'

You offered me a gift and called it generosity

You drew it down as a veil barring hope.

Lowering a veil before any hope

أَفَلا تَخافُ مِنَ القَوافي أَنَّها

أَفَلا تَخافُ مِنَ القَوافي أَنَّها

أَمسَت عَلَيكَ كَما عَلِمتَ غضابا

أَمسَت عَلَيكَ كَما عَلِمتَ غضابا

Do you not, then, fear the rhymes, seeing that they

Do you not fear the meter will turn

Have become angry with you, as you know?

Against you in anger, as you know

رَوَّقتُ فيكُم لِلمَدائِحِ خَمرَةً

رَوَّقتُ فيكُم لِلمَدائِحِ خَمرَةً

فَجَزَيتُموني بِالوُعودِ حَبابا

فَجَزَيتُموني بِالوُعودِ حَبابا

I clarified a wine of praise in your honor,

I flavored praise-wine for you all

So you repaid me with promises—froth.

Yet you rewarded me with merely promises

ناشَدتُكُم لا تَجعَلوا الأَقلامَ في ال

ناشَدتُكُم لا تَجعَلوا الأَقلامَ في ال

أَيدي إِلى أَعراضِكُم نُشّابا

أَيدي إِلى أَعراضِكُم نُشّابا

I implored you: do not turn the pens in the

I implored you, let not pens in hands

hands into arrows aimed at your honor.

Become ready to attack your honor

إِن قيلَ قَد كانَ الرَجاءُ لِجودِكُم

إِن قيلَ قَد كانَ الرَجاءُ لِجودِكُم

خَطَأً فَإِنَّ اليَأسَ كانَ صَوابا

خَطَأً فَإِنَّ اليَأسَ كانَ صَوابا

If it is said that hope for your generosity was indeed

If it be said that hoping in your kindness

A mistake, then despair was right.

Was wrong, then despair was right

أَنذَرتُ مِن خَيلِ القَوافي غارَةً

أَنذَرتُ مِن خَيلِ القَوافي غارَةً

تَدَعُ القُبورَ وَأَهلَها أَسلابا

تَدَعُ القُبورَ وَأَهلَها أَسلابا

I warned of a raid by the cavalry of rhymes,

I warned of a raid by the steeds of meter

That will leave the graves and their dwellers as spoils.

That would leave neither tombs nor people intact