أبا حسن كدرت ماء صفائي

أبا حسن كدرت ماء صفائي

وعاملتني عن صحبتي بجفاء

وعاملتني عن صحبتي بجفاء

O Abu Hasan, you have muddied the water of my goodwill,

Abu Hasan you have troubled my serenity

and repaid my companionship with coldness.

And treated me harshly instead of companionship

وأوضحت لي نهج العقوق وإنما

وأوضحت لي نهج العقوق وإنما

نهتني عنه نخوتي ووفائي

نهتني عنه نخوتي ووفائي

You showed me the path of disloyalty, but only

You made clear to me the path of disobedience, yet

my pride and loyalty kept me from it.

My pride and loyalty forbid it to me

مدحتك لا أبغي ثواباً وإنما

مدحتك لا أبغي ثواباً وإنما

لحرمة ود بيننا وإخاء

لحرمة ود بيننا وإخاء

I praised you, seeking no reward, but only

I praised you not seeking reward, but

out of respect for the affection and brotherhood between us.

For the sanctity of love and brotherhood between us

ولو كنت غير الله أرجو لحاجة

ولو كنت غير الله أرجو لحاجة

لطمت بكف اليأس وجه رجاتي

لطمت بكف اليأس وجه رجاتي

And had I looked to anyone but God to meet a need,

And if it were not Allah I hoped for in need

I would have slapped the face of my hope with despair's palm.

I would have struck the face of my hopes with the palm of despair

فناديت بي بين الورى وأريتني

فناديت بي بين الورى وأريتني

بصورة شحاذ من الشعراء

بصورة شحاذ من الشعراء

Then you called attention to me before the world and portrayed me

So I called out among all people and you showed me

as a beggar among the poets.

In the image of a beggar poet

ثواب أتى كرهاً بغير إرادتي

ثواب أتى كرهاً بغير إرادتي

فنكس راياتي وسفه رائي

فنكس راياتي وسفه رائي

A reward that came against my will, without my consent,

A reward that came unwillingly without my will

thus cast down my banners and belittled my judgment.

So it lowered my banners and deemed my opinion foolish

خفضت لواء الحمد من بعد رفعه

خفضت لواء الحمد من بعد رفعه

وحلت بنان العتب عقد ولائي

وحلت بنان العتب عقد ولائي

You lowered the banner of praise after it had been raised,

After raising the banner of praise I lowered it

and the fingers of reproach untied the knot of my allegiance.

And the pearls of reproach broke the necklace of my loyalty

وكسلت عزمي فيك بعد نشاطه

وكسلت عزمي فيك بعد نشاطه

فأصبحت أثني من عنان ثنائي

فأصبحت أثني من عنان ثنائي

And you slackened my resolve toward you after its vigor,

And my determination in you weakened after its vigor

so now I draw back the rein of my praise.

So the rein of my praise became slack

وما كنت آبى الدرهم الفرد لو أتى

وما كنت آبى الدرهم الفرد لو أتى

إلى منزلي في سترة وخفاء

إلى منزلي في سترة وخفاء

And I would not have refused a single dirham, had it come

And I would not refuse the single coin if it came

to my home discreetly and in secrecy,

To my home in secrecy and concealment

ولم يتحدث بيننا كل خامل

ولم يتحدث بيننا كل خامل

أشرف من مقداره بهجاتي

أشرف من مقداره بهجاتي

and had not every nobody among us gossiped,

And no insignificant one has conversed between us

rising above his station by lampooning me.

Nobler than the delights of my spirit