جعلَ اللَّهُ رزقَ كُلِّ عدوٍّ

جعلَ اللَّهُ رزقَ كُلِّ عدوٍّ

لي بكفٍّ لبعضِ مَن لا أُسمِّي

لي بكفٍّ لبعضِ مَن لا أُسمِّي

May God place the livelihood of every enemy

May God make the livelihood of every enemy

of mine in the hand of someone I will not name—

In the palm of one I will not name,

كفِّ مَن لا يهزُّ عِطفيهِ يوماً

كفِّ مَن لا يهزُّ عِطفيهِ يوماً

لمديحٍ ولا يُبالي بذمِّ

لمديحٍ ولا يُبالي بذمِّ

the hand of one who never sways his sides

The palm of one who never wavers to praise me

at praise, nor cares about blame.

And cares not for blame,

يتلقَّى الرجاءَ منهُ بوجهٍ

يتلقَّى الرجاءَ منهُ بوجهٍ

راشحِ الخدِّ والجبينِ بسُمِّ

راشحِ الخدِّ والجبينِ بسُمِّ

He meets hopes placed in him with a face

Who looks to me with hope

whose cheek and brow ooze venom.

With a smiling face and bright brow,

جئتُه زائراً فما زالَ يَشكُو

جئتُه زائراً فما زالَ يَشكُو

ليَ حتّى حسبتُه سيُدمِّي

ليَ حتّى حسبتُه سيُدمِّي

I came to visit him, and he kept complaining

I visited him, still he complained to me

to me until I thought he would bleed.

Till I thought he would make me cry.

أَلفَ اللُّؤمَ فيه من كلِّ طرفٍ

أَلفَ اللُّؤمَ فيه من كلِّ طرفٍ

مُعرِقاً فيهِ بَينَ خالٍ وعَمِّ

مُعرِقاً فيهِ بَينَ خالٍ وعَمِّ

Baseness has made its home in him from every side,

Misery found him from every side,

deep-rooted in him, between maternal and paternal uncles.

Tormenting him between an uncle and a cousin.

قد نَهاني النَّصيحُ عنهُ مراراً

قد نَهاني النَّصيحُ عنهُ مراراً

بأبي أَنتَ مِن نصيحٍ وأُمِّي

بأبي أَنتَ مِن نصيحٍ وأُمِّي

The sincere adviser has warned me against him repeatedly—

Good advice has warned me against him many times:

May my father and mother be your ransom—what a sincere adviser you are!

"By my father and mother, you are sincere and wise."