أبا هاشِمٍ إنِّي إلى ما يَنَالُهُ

بَنُو الوُدِّ مِثْلِي من نَدَاكَ فَقِيرُ

O Abu Hashim, I am in need

Of kindness from you like others of noble birth.

فإنْ تُولِني مِنْكَ الجَميلَ فإنَّنِي

عَليهِ وإنْ طَالَ الزَّمَانُ شَكُورُ

If you grant me your generosity, I will be

Grateful, though time passes on.

فَإنْ أنتَجِعْ جَدْوَاكَ حَسْبُ فإنَّنِي

بِمَنْ يَشْتَري حَمْدَ الرِّجَالِ خَبيرُ

If you refuse your bounty, that will suffice, for I

Can discern who buys men's praise.

كَفَى لَكَ أَنْ خَلَّيتَني لِمَعاشِرٍ

عَظيمُهمُ حَاشَا عُلاَكَ حَقِيرُ

It is enough that you left me among

A great people, though you count me insignificant.

سَئِمتُ مَقَامِي بينَ أَظْهرِهِمْ فَرِشْ

جَنَاحِي لَعَلِّي حَيثُ شِئْتُ أطَيرُ

I grow weary of staying among them, so I spread

My wings, hoping to fly wherever I wish.

فإنْ رِشْتَ يَوماً من جَنَاحِي فإنَّنِي

عَلَى نَيلِ أسْبَابِ السَّمَاءِ قَديرُ

If you someday pluck a feather from my wing, know that I

Have power to attain the means to soar on high.

أحينَ مَلأْتَ الرَّاحَتَينِ اطَّرحْتني

أشَارَ بِذَا يوماً عَلَيكَ مُشِيرُ

When you have filled both my palms, you cast me aside

As one advised you to do so one day.

فإنْ أُطَّرَحْ بَعدَ الكَمَالِ فإنَّمَا

تُحَامي العُيُونُ البَدْرَ وهو كَبيرُ

If I'm cast down after rising high, eyes still

Guard the full moon though it is great.

وأكثرُ ما تَسْمو لَهُ أعيُنُ الوَرَى

وتَرْمُقُهُ الأبْصَارُ وهو صَغِيرُ

Most eyes of all creation gaze up

And watch it, small though it seems.

إلى اللَّهِ أشْكُو ويلكم جَوْرَ رِيحِكِمْ

وهَلْ لِي عَلَيها إنْ شَكَوْتُ نَصيرُ

To God I complain of the injustice of your winds.

If I complain, who will aid me?

أَرَاهَا علَى غَيْرِي تَهُبُّ إذَا سَرَتْ

قَبُولاً ومَسْرَاهَا عَليَّ دَبُورُ

I see it blow favorably on others when it stirs,

Welcoming them, but its journey upon me is away.

وأفناؤُكُم إلاَّ عَلَيَّ رَحيبةٌ

وغَيثُكُمُ إلاَّ عَليَّ مَطِيرُ

Your shelter is not wide for me,

And your rain does not pour down on me.

أَمَا وأَبي ما ضِقْتُ يَوماً بِخُطَّةٍ

كَصَدِّكُمُ والدَّائرَاتُ تَدُورُ

No! By my father, never have I been troubled by a plot

Like your rejection, though times cycle on.

عَلاَمَ وشُكْرِي فِيكَ يَقْطُرُ مَاؤُهُ

طَرِيٌّ وسَهْمُ الذَّبِّ عَنكَ طَرِيرُ

My gratitude still drips its water to you,

Though your arrows of blame shoot swift from you,

عَلَى أنَّني لَمْ آتِ ما يوجِبُ الجَفَا

وكَانَ أسَى الحرِّ الكَرِيمِ غَفُورُ

Although I did nothing deserving coldness,

And the noble man's grief was forgiving.

فَدُومُوا على هَذَا الجَفَاءِ فإنَّنِي

علَى الوِدِّ ما أرْسَى وقَرَّ ثَبِيرُ

So persist in this rejection, for I

Will not cease kindness and gentility.