أمَا والذي تُبْلى لَدَيْهِ السّرائِرُ

أمَا والذي تُبْلى لَدَيْهِ السّرائِرُ

لَما كنْتُ أرْضى الخَسْفَ لوْلا الضّرائِرُ

لَما كنْتُ أرْضى الخَسْفَ لوْلا الضّرائِرُ

Lo, by Him before whom secrets are laid bare,

By Him in whose presence secrets are disclosed,

I would not accept humiliation were it not for pressing needs.

Had I not feared dire consequences, I’d wish ruin on my slanderers;

غَدَوْتُ لضيْمِ ابْنِ الرّبيبِ فريسَةً

غَدَوْتُ لضيْمِ ابْنِ الرّبيبِ فريسَةً

أمَا ثارَ منْ قوْمي لنَصْريَ ثائِرُ

أمَا ثارَ منْ قوْمي لنَصْريَ ثائِرُ

I have become prey to Ibn al-Rabib's oppression.

I was made the victim of the young lord’s tyranny,

Has no champion among my people risen to my aid?

Though none of my people rose to defend me.

إذا التَمَسَتْ كفّي لديْهِ جِرايَتي

إذا التَمَسَتْ كفّي لديْهِ جِرايَتي

كأني جانٍ أو بقتْهُ الجَرائِرُ

كأني جانٍ أو بقتْهُ الجَرائِرُ

Whenever my hand seeks my stipend from him,

When I stretched out my palms before him, craving my due,

it is as though I were an offender whom crimes had ruined.

I was as one possessed, or stained with dishonor.

وما كانَ ظنّي أن أنالَ جِرايةً

وما كانَ ظنّي أن أنالَ جِرايةً

يُحكَّمُ منْ جرّائِها فيّ جائِرُ

يُحكَّمُ منْ جرّائِها فيّ جائِرُ

Nor had I imagined I would receive a stipend

Little did I think I would get nothing

because of which a tyrant is given authority over me.

But an unjust judgment from his unjust clerks.

متَى جادَ بالدّينارِ أخْضَرَ زائِفاً

متَى جادَ بالدّينارِ أخْضَرَ زائِفاً

ودارَتُهُ دارَتْ علَيْها الدّوائِرُ

ودارَتُهُ دارَتْ علَيْها الدّوائِرُ

Whenever he gives a dinar, green and counterfeit,

When the dirham gleamed green though false,

calamities have turned upon its round face.

Passed from hand to hand, destiny revolved.

وقدْ أخْرَجَ التّعْنيتُ كيسَ مَرارَتي

وقدْ أخْرَجَ التّعْنيتُ كيسَ مَرارَتي

ورقّتْ لبَلْوايَ النّفوسُ الأخايِرُ

ورقّتْ لبَلْوايَ النّفوسُ الأخايِرُ

And harassment has indeed forced out my gall sac,

Grief has brought forth from me the bile of bitterness,

and the noblest souls have felt pity for my affliction.

And noble souls are tried by ordeals.

تذكّرْتُ بيْتاً في العِذارِ لبَعْضِهِمْ

تذكّرْتُ بيْتاً في العِذارِ لبَعْضِهِمْ

لهُ مثَلٌ بالحُسْنِ في الأرْضِ سائِرُ

لهُ مثَلٌ بالحُسْنِ في الأرْضِ سائِرُ

I remembered someone's verse about the down on a cheek,

I recalled some verses satirizing one of them:

whose beauty is proverbial throughout the land:

He had in beauty on earth no peer.

وما اخْضَرّ ذاكَ الخَدُّ نَبْتاً وإنّما

وما اخْضَرّ ذاكَ الخَدُّ نَبْتاً وإنّما

لكَثْرَةِ ما شُقّتْ عليْهِ المَرائِرُ

لكَثْرَةِ ما شُقّتْ عليْهِ المَرائِرُ

“And that cheek did not turn green from growing hair, but rather

That cheek turned green not from fresh growth

because so many gallbladders were split open over it.”

But from the tears his tyrannies drew forth.

وجاهُ ابْنِ مرْزوقٍ لديّ ذَخيرَةٌ

وجاهُ ابْنِ مرْزوقٍ لديّ ذَخيرَةٌ

وللشّدّةِ العُظْمى تعَدُّ الذّخائِرُ

وللشّدّةِ العُظْمى تعَدُّ الذّخائِرُ

And Ibn Marzuq's influence is a resource I hold in reserve,

To me the house of Ibn Marzuq is a treasury;

and reserves are prepared for the gravest hardship.

For mighty straits it provides the wherewithal.

ولوْ كانَ يدْري ما دَهاني لَساءَهُ

ولوْ كانَ يدْري ما دَهاني لَساءَهُ

وأنْكَرَ ما صارَتْ إليْهِ المَصائِرُ

وأنْكَرَ ما صارَتْ إليْهِ المَصائِرُ

And if he knew what had befallen me, it would grieve him,

If he but knew what pains have wasted me,

and he would deplore what matters have come to.

He would disavow how destiny has turned.