أنتمْ عليَّ وإنْ لم

تدروا أرقُّ وأحْنى

You burden me, though you

Do not know I'm frailer, more bent

أردتُ أنْ تحملوا اليو

مَ فوق ظَهْرِيَ مَنّا

I wished you’d carry today

Upon your back some of my weight

فعفتُمُ وأَبيتم

شُحّاً عليَّ وَجُبْنا

But you refused, and preferred

Greedily, cowardly, to abstain

فَكنتمُ باِتّفاقٍ

خيراً لنا الآن منّا

So by unanimous accord

You now are better for me, than I

وما غُبِنّا بل اِنتمْ

بذاك أظهرُ غُبْنا

And I've not been cheated, but you

Have by this shown clearer cheating

وما أسَاتُ ولكنْ

أحسنتُ بالسّوءِ ظَنّا

I've not done wrong, but rather

I've thought well, though suspecting ill

ظَننتُكُم لِمُلمٍّ

عَوْناً وفي الخوفِ أمْنا

I thought you for one brought low

A helper, and in fear, safety

حَتّى خبرتُ فكنتمْ

كاللّفظ ما فيه مَعْنى

Till I found you were like words

Without in them any meaning