كَيْفَ إِذَا مَوْلَاكَ لَمْ يَصِلْكا

وَقَطَع الأَرْحامَ قَطْعاً بَتْكَا

How is it when your master does not help you

And severs ties completely severed

يَبْرِي مَعَ البارِي وَلَمْ يَرِشْكا

وَالأَرْضُ لَوْ تَمْلِكُ لَمْ تَسَعْكا

He is acquitted with the Creator but did not sprinkle you

And if the earth were to possess you, it would not contain you

وَلا تَهَيَّبْهُ وَلَمْ يَهَبْكا

ما لِامْرِءٍ أَفَّكَ قَوْلاً إِفْكا

Do not fear him though he did not gift you

No man unravels a word of falsehood

تَلْبِيقَ زُورٍ وَاقْتِرافاً بَشْكا

وَكُلَّ نَمّامٍ يُرِيدُ النَزْكا

Fastening of lies and committing of shame

And every slanderer intending to be chaste

لا تَرَكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مَسْكا

حاسَبَهُ اللَّهُ حساباً ضَنْكا

God left him no provision

God took him to account a distressing account

بِذاك إِنْ كان الكَذُوب أَرْكا

عَلَيَّ أَعْلاقَ الشَرِيك الشَرْكا

If indeed the liar was disabled

Upon me the most abject partner associated

كُنْتَ إِذَا عَضَّ الخُصُومُ المَحْكا

وَعَيَّ أَعْيَا أَمْرِهِمْ فَالْتَكَّا

You were if the adversaries began the struggle

And the matter of theirs was muddled so you lurched

لَمْ تَدَعِ الأَمْرَ الخَلِيطَ لَبْكا

إِذِ الضَلِيعُ بِالضَلِيعِ اصطَكَّا

You did not leave the mixed matter crying

When the wronged begin to clash with the wronged

لَمْ تَكُ أَنَّاناً وَلا مُلْتَكّا

يا ابْنَ الرَفِيعِ حَسَباً وَسَمْكا

You were not conceited nor entangled

O son of the eminent lineage and complacency

فِي الأَكْرَمِينَ مَعْدِناً وَبُنْكا

ماذا تَرَى رَأْيَ أَخٍ قَدْ عَكّا

Among the generous a mine and essence

What do you see the opinion of a brother who limped

عاذَ بِحاجاتٍ فَلّاقَى مَعْكا

حَتَّى هَلَكْتَ أَوْ رَهِبْتَ الهُلْكا

Seeking needs so he clung with you

Until you perished or feared destruction

وَحَمَلَ الدَيْنُ عَلَيَّ البَرْكا

وَجَرَّ أَرْحاءٍ دَهَكْنَ دَهْكا

And debt carried upon me kneeing

And dragged a woman sweeping sweep

أَهْلَكَنِي أَلَّا يَزالَ يَلْكا

صاحِبُ دَيْنٍ لا يَنِي مِحَكّا

Destroying me not ceasing ravaging

A companion of debt not ceasing eroding

أَعْرُكُهُ عَنِّي فَيَأْبَى العَرْكا

سَوْقَ الأَجِيرِ المُتْعِب الأَفَكَّا

I divert him from me but he refuses diverting

Driving the hired worker, the exhausted wanderer

فَقَدْ أَبَى إِلّا رُكُوباً حَكّا

بِالحَرْكِ مِنْهُ أَنْ يُنَحّى حَرْكا

But he refused except insisting harming

By his movement to be turned away moving

حَتَّى كَأَنِّي مُسْتَغِبٌّ وَعْكا

مِنْ داءِ شَكْوَى أَوْ أُرَى مُنْفَكّا

As if I am disgraced and impaired

From the disease of complaining or shown delivered

فَقَدْ رأَيْتُ باكِياً وَضِحْكا

فَوَالَّذِي أَضْحَكَ ثُم أَبْكَى

So I have seen crying and laughing

By Him who made me laugh then cry

ما كُنْتُ أَخْتارُ خَلِيلاً عَنْكا

وَذاكَ حَقٌّ لا يَكُونُ شَكَّا

I would not choose a friend other than you

And that is a right not becoming doubted

أَحْسِبُ عِنْدَ الجِدِّ أَنِّي مِنْكا

فَقَدْ ذَكَرْتُ لَوْ قَطَعْتُ سِلْكا

I reckon seriously that I am from you

So I remembered if I severed the twine

غُلَيْمَةً مِنَ الدُخانِ رُمْكا

ما إِنْ عَدَا أَصْغَرُهُمْ أَنْ زَكّا

A coal from smoke thrown

That even their littlest embellished

مِثْلَ الفِراخِ يَأْمُلُونَ مِنْكا

عَوْدَ رَبِيعٍ وَوَلِيّاً سَفْكا

Like chicks hoping from you

A fresh spring and a pouring blood-letter

قَدْ كُنْتَ تُبْلِي مِنْكَ جَوْداً سَهْكا

إِذَا العَناجِيجُ مَهَكْنَ مَهْكا

You were exerting generosity pouring from you

When the chicken cheep cheeping

لَوْلا تَرَى ما لَا يَكُونُ رِكّا

مِنْكَ لَقَدْ عَلَّمْتُ هَمِّي الفَتْكا

If not you see what does not happen standing

From you I have taught my spirit raiding

فَرُمْتُ رُوماً أَوْ غَزَوتُ التُرْكا

عَلَى المَطايا أَوْ عَلَوْتُ الفُلْكا

So I launched as a Roman or invaded the Turks

On steeds or ascended a ship

أَوْ هَتَكَت أَيْدِي المَطايَا هَتْكا

لَيْلاً تُدانِي لَيْلَهُ فَاسْتَكّا

Or the hands of riders plunged plundering

At night neighboring its night so it clung

عَلَى زِوَرّاتٍ أُغِرْنَ دَمْكا

يَنْضُون أَثْباجَ رِمالٍ وُرْكا

To delusions, I was tempted by their blood

Galloping the sands wildly muddled

أَوْ جاوَزَتْ مِنْ أَرْضِ كَلْبٍ بِرْكا

شُهْباً تَرَى الثَلْجَ عَلَيْها شَبْكا

Or passed from the land of Kalb kneeing

Meteors which you see the snow upon braiding

إِن الَّذِي رابَكَ لَم أَرِبْكا

فَإِنْ تَدَعْ جَهْدِي فَلَم أَدَعْكا

Indeed, the one who doubted you I did not doubt

So if you leave my endeavor but I did not leave you

حُبّاً وَنُصْحاً وَثَناءً مِسْكا

فَرِحْتُ أَنْ زادَكَ رَبِّي مُلْكا

Love, advice, and pure commendation

I rejoiced that my Lord increased your kingdom

فَازْدَدْتَ لِي تَناسِياً وَتَرْكا

وَقُلْتَ إِذْ كانَ العَطاءُ بَكّا

But you increased against me forgetting and abandoning

And said: Since generosity wept

أَمَا أَمَا ما هِيَ إِلّا تِلْكا

Isn't it just those