وما زلت متبوعا بكل ضغينةٍ

وما زلت متبوعا بكل ضغينةٍ

وما زلت محسوداً بكل لسان

وما زلت محسوداً بكل لسان

And I am still pursued by every grudge,

I am still followed by every grudge,

And I am still envied by every tongue.

I am still envied by every tongue.

رأوا رجلاً لا يسلكون طريقه

رأوا رجلاً لا يسلكون طريقه

ولا لهم بالسبق منه يدان

ولا لهم بالسبق منه يدان

They saw a man whose path they do not follow,

They saw a man who does not walk their path,

Nor have they the strength to outstrip him.

Nor do they have any power to outpace him.

فعابوا ورابو بالكلام وأكثروا

فعابوا ورابو بالكلام وأكثروا

واخطوا طريق الحق بعد بيان

واخطوا طريق الحق بعد بيان

So they found fault and cast aspersions with words, and spoke at length,

So they blamed and doubted with words aplenty,

And strayed from the path of truth after it was made clear.

And missed the path of truth after it was made clear.

ولو لم يكن فضل لنفسي أعدّه

ولو لم يكن فضل لنفسي أعدّه

سوى أن قحطانا أبي لكفاني

سوى أن قحطانا أبي لكفاني

And even if I had no merit to count as my own,

If I had no virtues to count for myself

Except that Qahtan is my father, that would suffice me.

Other than that Qahtan is my father, that would suffice me.

قوارص ما تنفك منهم كناية

قوارص ما تنفك منهم كناية

وإن كنتُ صعباً لا ينال عناني

وإن كنتُ صعباً لا ينال عناني

Biting insinuations never cease to come from them,

Relentless mockers never cease their taunts against me,

Though I am hard to tame, with reins no one can reach.

Though I am unassailable and cannot be restrained.

ولو أن واشٍ باليمامة داروُه

ولو أن واشٍ باليمامة داروُه

وداري باعلا حضرموت أتاني

وداري باعلا حضرموت أتاني

Even if a tale-bearer's home were in al-Yamamah,

If a resident of Washsh in Yamamah were brought to me,

And my home in upper Hadramawt, he would come to me.

Or if I came to a native of the High Hazramut,

وإني لا ستحييك والبعد بيننا

وإني لا ستحييك والبعد بيننا

كما كنتُ استحييك حين تراني

كما كنتُ استحييك حين تراني

And I am indeed shy before you, though distance lies between us,

I would not be shy of you despite the distance between us,

Just as I was shy before you when you saw me.

As I used to be shy when I met your gaze.

كأن رقيباً منك يَرقب خاطري

كأن رقيباً منك يَرقب خاطري

وآخر يرعى ناظري ولساني

وآخر يرعى ناظري ولساني

As though a watcher of yours watches my thoughts,

It is as if a watcher from you keeps watch over my inner thoughts

And another watches over my gaze and my tongue.

While another attends to my eyes and tongue.