أَنا غرسُ بيتكِ إِن أَرَدْ

أَنا غرسُ بيتكِ إِن أَرَدْ

تَ فأَظِمه أَو شِئْتَ فاسْقِهْ

تَ فأَظِمه أَو شِئْتَ فاسْقِهْ

I am a sapling of your house; if you wish,

make it thirst—or, if you wish, water it.

وكذا بِصَدِّك إِن أَرد

وكذا بِصَدِّك إِن أَرد

ت فأَفنِه أَو شِئْتَ أَبْقِهْ

ت فأَفنِه أَو شِئْتَ أَبْقِهْ

And likewise, through your rejection, if you wish,

destroy it—or, if you wish, keep it alive.

وكذاك نَعِّمْه إِذا

وكذاك نَعِّمْه إِذا

أَبقيتَه أَوْ لاَ فأَشْقِهْ

أَبقيتَه أَوْ لاَ فأَشْقِهْ

And likewise, give it comfort if

you keep it alive—or else make it wretched.

رقَّيتَهُ وحطَطْتَهُ

رقَّيتَهُ وحطَطْتَهُ

هَوْناً فليْتَ أَنَّك لم ترَقِّهْ

هَوْناً فليْتَ أَنَّك لم ترَقِّهْ

You raised him up and brought him low

in humiliation; would that you had not raised him.

ووقيته لكن رضا

ووقيته لكن رضا

ك فليت أنك لم توقه

ك فليت أنك لم توقه

And you shielded him—but from your favor;

would that you had not shielded him.

عوّضتَه من قُرْبِه

عوّضتَه من قُرْبِه

ودنوّ موضعِهِ بسُحْقِه

ودنوّ موضعِهِ بسُحْقِه

You compensated him for his closeness

and the nearness of his station—with remoteness.

وجَعَلْتَه غَرضاً لنبلِ

وجَعَلْتَه غَرضاً لنبلِ

زَمَانِهِ الرَّامي وَرشْقِه

زَمَانِهِ الرَّامي وَرشْقِه

And you made him a target for the arrows

of his time, the archer, and its volleys.

والسعدُ طارِقُ همِّه

والسعدُ طارِقُ همِّه

بالجِدِّ في تَطْبيقِ طُرْقِه

بالجِدِّ في تَطْبيقِ طُرْقِه

And good fortune knocks at his sorrow,

earnestly closing off his paths.

وَفَتَقْتَ أَمراً أَنت بَعْدَ

وَفَتَقْتَ أَمراً أَنت بَعْدَ

اللهِ مأَمولٌ لرَتْقِهْ

اللهِ مأَمولٌ لرَتْقِهْ

And you opened a breach; you, after

God, are looked to for mending it.

هَذَا بِلا ذنبٍ أَتا

هَذَا بِلا ذنبٍ أَتا

هُ جَزَيتَهُ عنه بِحَقِّهْ

هُ جَزَيتَهُ عنه بِحَقِّهْ

All this, though he committed no fault

for which you repaid him as it deserved.

هو عبدُ أَنْعُمِكَ التي

هو عبدُ أَنْعُمِكَ التي

لا ذاقَ منها طعمَ عِتْقِه

لا ذاقَ منها طعمَ عِتْقِه

He is the slave of your bounties—

may he never taste freedom from them—

ورقيقُ جودِك لا رأَيـ

ورقيقُ جودِك لا رأَيـ

ـتَ خروجَهُ من تَحتِ رقِّه

ـتَ خروجَهُ من تَحتِ رقِّه

and the bondsman of your generosity; may you never see

him emerge from his bondage.

يَشْكُو وَقَدْ أَعرضْتَ

يَشْكُو وَقَدْ أَعرضْتَ

ضيقةَ أَرضِه وظلامَ أُفْقِه

ضيقةَ أَرضِه وظلامَ أُفْقِه

He complains, now that you have turned away,

of his earth's narrowness and his horizon's darkness.

فاعْطِف عَلَيْهِ فإِنَّ عَطْ

فاعْطِف عَلَيْهِ فإِنَّ عَطْ

فَك إِن أَتى فلِمُسْتَحِقِّه

فَك إِن أَتى فلِمُسْتَحِقِّه

So show him kindness, for your kindness,

if it comes, reaches one who deserves it.

وارْفُقْ به فسواكَ يَبـ

وارْفُقْ به فسواكَ يَبـ

ـخَلُ من مَودّتِه برفْقِه

ـخَلُ من مَودّتِه برفْقِه

And be gentle with him, for anyone but you

is stingy with the tenderness of his affection.

وامْنُنْ عليه قبل مَحْـ

وامْنُنْ عليه قبل مَحْـ

ـقِ فؤادِهِ هَمّاً ومَحْقِه

ـقِ فؤادِهِ هَمّاً ومَحْقِه

And bestow favor on him before the destruction

of his heart by sorrow—and his own destruction.

يا غيثَه يا أُسَّ بيـ

يا غيثَه يا أُسَّ بيـ

ـتِ حياتِه يا بابَ رِزْقِه

ـتِ حياتِه يا بابَ رِزْقِه

O his life-giving rain, O foundation of the house

of his life, O gateway to his livelihood!