يُعاتِبُني في الدينِ قَومي وَإِنَّما

يُعاتِبُني في الدينِ قَومي وَإِنَّما

دُيونيَ في أَشياءَ تُكسِبُهُم حَمدا

دُيونيَ في أَشياءَ تُكسِبُهُم حَمدا

My people reproach me over debt, yet

My people blame me for my debts though

my debts are only for things that win them praise.

My debts are for things that bring them praise

أَلَم يَرَ قَومي كَيفَ أوسِرَ مَرَّة

أَلَم يَرَ قَومي كَيفَ أوسِرَ مَرَّة

وَأُعسِرُ حَتّى تَبلُغَ العُسرَةُ الجَهدا

وَأُعسِرُ حَتّى تَبلُغَ العُسرَةُ الجَهدا

Have my people not seen how I prosper at times,

Didn't my people see how once I was rich

and fall into poverty until hardship becomes extreme?

And how I'm now so poor I've reached the end of hardship

فَما زادَني الإِقتارُ مِنهُم تَقَرُّباً

فَما زادَني الإِقتارُ مِنهُم تَقَرُّباً

وَلا زادَني فَضلُ الغِنى مِنهُم بُعدا

وَلا زادَني فَضلُ الغِنى مِنهُم بُعدا

So poverty has brought me no closer to them,

Neither when I was without did being close to them help me

nor has abundant wealth taken me farther from them.

Nor when I had wealth did it make me more distant from them

أَسُدُّ بِهِ ما قَد أَخَلّوا وَضَيَّعوا

أَسُدُّ بِهِ ما قَد أَخَلّوا وَضَيَّعوا

ثُغورَ حُقوقٍ ما أَطاقوا لَها سَدّا

ثُغورَ حُقوقٍ ما أَطاقوا لَها سَدّا

With it I close what they have left open and neglected—

I block the gaps they neglected and abandoned

breaches in obligations they were unable to close.

The rights they couldn't fortify

وَفي جَفنَةٍ ما يُغلَق البابُ دونها

وَفي جَفنَةٍ ما يُغلَق البابُ دونها

مُكلَّلةٍ لَحماً مُدَفِّقةٍ ثَردا

مُكلَّلةٍ لَحماً مُدَفِّقةٍ ثَردا

And for a great bowl to which the door is never barred,

With a mare crowned with meat overflowing with fat

crowned with meat and overflowing with broth-soaked bread.

That no door is closed to

وَفي فَرَسٍ نَهدٍ عَتيقٍ جَعَلتُهُ

وَفي فَرَسٍ نَهدٍ عَتيقٍ جَعَلتُهُ

حِجاباً لِبَيتي ثُمَّ أَخدَمتُه عَبدا

حِجاباً لِبَيتي ثُمَّ أَخدَمتُه عَبدا

And for a sturdy, nobly bred horse that I have made

And an old, full-chested horse that I made

a shield for my house, then assigned a slave to tend it.

A screen for my house, then served as a slave

وَإِن الَّذي بَيني وَبَين بَني أَبي

وَإِن الَّذي بَيني وَبَين بَني أَبي

وَبَينَ بَني عَمّي لَمُختَلِفُ جِدّا

وَبَينَ بَني عَمّي لَمُختَلِفُ جِدّا

And indeed, the dealings between me and my father's sons

What's between me, my paternal cousins

and my paternal uncle's sons are very unequal:

And my maternal cousins is very different

أَراهُم إِلى نَصري بِطاءً وَإِن هُمُ

أَراهُم إِلى نَصري بِطاءً وَإِن هُمُ

دَعَوني إِلى نَصرٍ أَتيتُهُم شَدّا

دَعَوني إِلى نَصرٍ أَتيتُهُم شَدّا

I see them slow to come to my aid, but if they

I see them slow to help me, though they

call on me for help, I come to them at a run.

Call me for help and I come to them quickly

فَإِن يَأكُلوا لَحمي وَفَرتُ لحومَهُم

فَإِن يَأكُلوا لَحمي وَفَرتُ لحومَهُم

وَإِن يَهدِموا مَجدي بنيتُ لَهُم مَجدا

وَإِن يَهدِموا مَجدي بنيتُ لَهُم مَجدا

So if they eat my flesh, I keep their flesh whole;

If they eat my flesh, I hunt meat for them

and if they tear down my glory, I build glory for them.

If they destroy my glory, I build glory for them

وَإِن ضَيَّعوا غيبي حَفظتُ غيوبَهُم

وَإِن ضَيَّعوا غيبي حَفظتُ غيوبَهُم

وَإِن هُم هَوَوا غَييِّ هَوَيتُ لَهُم رُشدا

وَإِن هُم هَوَوا غَييِّ هَوَيتُ لَهُم رُشدا

And if they neglect my honor while I am absent, I guard theirs while they are absent;

If they publicize my secrets, I protect their secrets

and if they wish me to stray, I wish them right guidance.

If they desire my ruin, I desire their guidance

وَلَيسوا إِلى نَصري سِراعاً وَإِن هُمُ

وَلَيسوا إِلى نَصري سِراعاً وَإِن هُمُ

دَعوني إِلى نَصيرٍ أَتَيتُهُم شَدّا

دَعوني إِلى نَصيرٍ أَتَيتُهُم شَدّا

And they are not swift to come to my aid, but if they

They're not quick to help me, though they

call on me as a helper, I come to them at a run.

Call me for help and I come to them quickly

وَإِن زَجَروا طَيراً بِنَحسٍ تَمرُّ بي

وَإِن زَجَروا طَيراً بِنَحسٍ تَمرُّ بي

زَجَرتُ لَهُم طَيراً تَمُرُّ بِهِم سَعدا

زَجَرتُ لَهُم طَيراً تَمُرُّ بِهِم سَعدا

And if they read ill omens in birds passing me,

If they dispel a bird of ill omen passing me

I read good omens for them in birds passing them.

I dispel for them a bird of good fortune passing them

وَإِن هَبطوا غوراً لِأَمرٍ يَسؤني

وَإِن هَبطوا غوراً لِأَمرٍ يَسؤني

طَلَعتُ لَهُم ما يَسُرُّهُمُ نَجدا

طَلَعتُ لَهُم ما يَسُرُّهُمُ نَجدا

And if they descend to low ground for something that grieves me,

If they descend into a pit for something that harms me

I climb to high ground for them, seeking what delights them.

I ascend for them what makes them happy, freshly found

فَإِن قَدحوا لي نارَ زندٍ يَشينُني

فَإِن قَدحوا لي نارَ زندٍ يَشينُني

قَدَحتُ لَهُم في نار مكرُمةٍ زَندا

قَدَحتُ لَهُم في نار مكرُمةٍ زَندا

So if they kindle for me a fire with a firestick that shames me,

So if they light for me a firebrand that disgraces me

I strike a firestick for them to kindle a fire of honor.

I light for them in a fire of honor a flame