أَخ لِيَ أبثثتُه كُربَة

أَخ لِيَ أبثثتُه كُربَة

فَما رامَ حَتى اِشتَكاها إِليّا

فَما رامَ حَتى اِشتَكاها إِليّا

A brother of mine—I confided a sorrow to him;

A brother of mine, I burdened him with sorrows

He did not leave until he complained of it to me.

Yet he did not intend to complain of them to me

وَحَتّى لأقبلتُ أُبدي العَزاء

وَحَتّى لأقبلتُ أُبدي العَزاء

لِكَي يَتَعَزّى فَيَأبى عليّا

لِكَي يَتَعَزّى فَيَأبى عليّا

I even came forward, offering consolation,

Until I went to give consolation

So that he might take comfort, but he refused me,

So he may find solace, but he refused me

إِلى أَن بَخِلتُ بِأَسبابِه

إِلى أَن بَخِلتُ بِأَسبابِه

وَكانَ بِذلك طَبّا مَلِيّا

وَكانَ بِذلك طَبّا مَلِيّا

Until I withheld the means that enabled him—

Until I became stingy with his causes

And he was skilled and adept at that.

And so he became very sick