يأبى ليَ الضَّيْم فرْعيَ السامي

إلى المعالي وأصْليَ النامي

My lofty spirit refuses oppression

And strives for the heights and growth

إني إذا ما الصديقُ أكرمني

ثُمَّ غدا يستردُّ إكرامي

When a friend honors me

Then takes back the honor

جعلتُ من لذِّتي مُراغمتي

إيِّاه حتى يملَّ إرغامي

I find pleasure in resisting him

Until he is weary of forcing me

وليس إلا بهجره أبداً

والضنِّ عن بابه وإلمامي

I only shun him forever

Shut my door and ignore him

ورفع نفسي عن استماحته

ببذلِ وجهي له وإعظامي

Raise myself above begging him

By humbling and praising myself before him

ومنعِهِ لذَّةَ التَّعتُّبِ بال

عدلِ عليه في كل أحكامي

And deny him the pleasure of reproach

Dealing with him justly in all my affairs

ولا يراني هناك أندبُهُ

بقرْعِ سنِّي وعضِّ إبْهامي

He will not see me complain of him

By gnashing my teeth and biting my thumb

وكنتُ لا أصنع الصنيع أرى

في عقبه ذِلَّتي للوَّامي

I would not have done the favor, had I known

It would later humble me before the blamer

أُخرجُ من خاطري معاهدَهُ

بعد اشتغالي به وإغرامي

I dismiss from my mind the pact

After becoming preoccupied and infatuated with him

حتى أراه لدى التذكر وال

تذكيرِ حلماً مِنْ بعضِ أحلامي

Until I see him in recollection as nothing but

A dream from some of my dreams

وما من الحلمِ أن أُقِرَّ على ال

ظُلْم وأسبابِه لظلّامي

It is not dreamlike for me to accept

Injustice and causes of darkness for my oppressor

أوصلني الحلمُ بالتشحط للْ

قسْمِ إذا كان شرّ أقسامي

The dream led me to wriggle out

When the portion was the worst of portions

وكَيْفَ أُغضي على الدَّنِيَّةِ والْ

فُرسُ خؤولي والرومُ أعمامي

How can I overlook evil and baseness

While my horse is restless and the Romans encircle me

وقد تَتَوَّجْتُ من ولاء أبي ال

عباس تاجاً يسْمُو به السَّامي

I was crowned by the loyalty of Abu al-Abbas

With a crown elevated by the most high

يا قاتل الله عصبة جَعَلتْ

إجرامَ دهري إليَّ إجرامي

Oh killer of God, the gang who made

My lifetime's sins my own

من ضنَّ عنِّي ببذلِ نائلهِ

ضنَنتُ عنه ببذلِ أيامي

Who was miserly with me in granting his bounty

I was miserly with him by giving my days

تالله لا تلتقي الثلاثة وَصْ

ليه وإثراؤه وإعدامي

By God, the three will not coincide

His friendship, enrichment, and killing me

قد كنتُ بالله مُشركاً وثناً

فزال شركي وصحَّ إسلامي

I was to God an idolator and idol

My idolatry passed and my Islam became sound

أستغفرُ الله من عبادتِهم

فإنها منْ عظيم آثامي

I seek God's forgiveness for worshipping them

It was among my gravest sins

طالتْ صلاتي لهم ورافدَها

صَوْمي من مالهم وإحرامي

Prolonged was my prayer for them, and its provision

My fast from their wealth and consecration

أستغفِرُ الله كم وكم رجُل

أعْظَمْته وهو دون إعظامي

I seek God's forgiveness - how often a man

I exalted when he was below my exaltation

ثم تبيَّنْتُ أنه غرضٌ

ليسَ من اللائي يقْصِدُ الرامي

Then I realized he had an intention

Not of those who seek the lover

من جامد الكف حين تسأله

وخائن الحبلِ عندَ إعصامي

Of one whose palm was frozen when asked

And betrayer of the rope during my reliance

وضاحكٍ بي وليس يُضْحِكهُ

شيءٌ سوى أنَّ ظِلْفِيَ الدَّامي

And laughing at me, though nothing

Amused him but my flowing tears

يضْحَكُ من كل ما بكيتُ لهُ

كأن لذَّاته بآلامي

Laughing at all I cried for

As if my pain was his pleasure

لو احتَجَجْنا في مَحْفلٍ لدرَى

أنْ ليسَ إلزامُهُ كإلزامي

If we disputed in a gathering, it would be clear

His argument is not like my argument

واللَّهِ لا صحَّ باطني لأخٍ

يُصحُّهُ الله عندَ إسقامي

By God, the insides of a brother are not sound

Who God makes sound during my illness

وما خليلي الخليلُ يُعجبُهُ

تَرْكيَ أموالَهُ وإجمامي

My friend is not pleased that I

Leave his money and refrain

وما أُراني يفوزُ مُطَّرحي

وما أُراني يخيبُ مُعتامي

I do not see myself succeeding, discarded

Nor do I see myself failing, hopeful