كَأَنّي لَم أَبُثَّكُما دَخيلي

وَلَم تَرَيا وُلوعي مِن ذُهولي

It's as if I never confided my troubles to you both,

Nor did you see my burning agitation and anxiety.

وَتَركي مُقلَتي تَحمى وَتَدمى

فَتَدمَعُ في الحُقوقِ وَفي الفُضولِ

I left my eyelids burning and bleeding,

To shed tears unjustly and excessively.

كِلاني إِنَّ راحاتي تَأَتَّت

لِقَلبي في البُكاءِ وَفي العَويلِ

My respite came to my heart through weeping and wailing,

And in Alexandria the plan of a house was drawn,

وَبِالإسكَندَرِيّةِ رَسمُ دارٍ

عَفَت فَعَفَوتُ مِن صَبري وَحولي

Which when it collapsed, I was patient and strong.

I remembered in it and through it my forgotten torments,

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ وَفيهِ مُنسِياتي

عَزايَ مُسَعِّراتِ لَظى غَليلي

My burning regrets inflamed the calamities I bore.

It continues to revive sorrow and longing

وَما زالَت تُجِدُّ أَسىً وَشَوقاً

لَهُ وَعَلَيهِ إِخلاقُ الطُلولِ

For it and for the morals of enduring men.

I have missed you for so long with every kind of loss,

فَقَدتُكَ مِن زَمانٍ كُلَّ فَقدٍ

وَغالَت حادِثاتِكَ كُلُّ غولِ

And news of your affairs overwhelmed all resolution.

Its setbacks erased the paths of meaning,

مَحَت نَكَباتُهُ سُبُلَ المَعاني

وَأَطفَأَ لَيلُهُ سُرُجَ العُقولِ

And its night extinguished the lamps of reason.

So the intelligent cannot comprehend its wonders,

فَما حِيَلُ الأَريبِ بِمُدرِكاتٍ

عَجائِبَهُ وَلا فِكَرُ الأَصيلِ

Nor can the astute conceive its meaning.

If the unveiling of it were published for Khalil,

فَلَو نُشِرَ الخَليلُ لَهُ لَعَفَّت

رَزاياهُ عَلى فِطَنِ الخَليلِ

Its mysteries would elude the understanding of Khalil.

Live in comfort or cease to tend to my rights,

أَعَيّاشُ اِرعَ أَو لا تَرعَ حَقّي

وَصِل أَو لا تَصِل أَبَداً وَسيلي

Connect or never connect my line.

When I see you and who sees you straying,

أَراكَ وَمَن أَراكَ الغَيَّ رُشداً

سَتَلبَسُ حُلَّتَي قالٍ وَقيلِ

You will wear the garb of uncertainty and speculation.

Epic poems forget the reading of your father,

مَلاحِمُ مِن لُبابِ الشِعرِ تُنسي

قِراةَ أَبيكَ كُتبَ أَبي قَبيلِ

The books of my father's tribe.

If I were like you, would hope be expected,

أَمِثلُكَ يُرتَجى لَولا تَنائي

أُموري وَاِلتِياثي في حَويلي

Given my confused affairs and worries surround me?

The fancy of postponed ambition misleads me,

تَوَهُّمُ آجِلِ الطَمَعِ المُفيتي

تَيَقُّنُ عاجِلِ اليَأسِ المَنيلِ

The certainty of present despair at hand thwarts me.

A hope that displaced the breadth of my heart,

رَجاءٌ حَلَّ مِن عَرَصاتِ قَلبي

مَحَلَّ البُخلِ مِن قَلبِ البَخيلِ

As miserliness occupies the heart of the miser.

And a view that shook my good faith until

وَرَأيٌ هَزَّ حُسنَ الظَنِّ حَتّى

جَرى ماءاهُ في عَرضي وَطولي

Its waters flowed over my honor and integrity.

So my stance awaiting you brings benefit

فَأَجدى مَوقِفي بِنَداكَ جَدوى

وُقوفِ الصَبِّ بِالطَلَلِ المُحيلِ

Like the early morning rain on arid ruins.

And I bent my wishes within my own breast,

وَأَعكَفتُ المُنى في ذاتِ صَدري

عُكوفَ اللَحظِ في الخَدِّ الأَسيلِ

As sight lingers on the soft cheek.

I once took pride in contentment more than the content,

وَكُنتُ أَعَزَّ عِزّاً مِن قَنوعٍ

تَعَوَّضَهُ صَفوحٌ عَن جَهولِ

Who forfeited ignorance for great disgrace.

So I became more abject than the subtle meaning,

فَصِرتُ أَذَلَّ مِن مَعنىً دَقيقٍ

بِهِ فَقرٌ إِلى ذِهنٍ جَليلِ

Which in its poverty needs a brilliant mind.

So I don't know whether it's me who strayed

فَما أَدري عَمايَ عَنِ اِرتِيادي

دَهاني أَم عَماكَ عَنِ الجَميلِ

Or you who abandoned excellence.

When did the harvest ripen and branches thrive

مَتى طابَت جَنىً وَزَكَت فُروعٌ

إِذا كانَت خَبيثاتِ الأُصولِ

If their roots were rotten?

I blamed you for neglect yet you are vain,

نَدَبتُكَ لِلجَزيلِ وَأَنتَ لَغوٌ

ظَلَمتُكَ لَستَ مِن أَهلِ الجَزيلِ

Wronging you, for you don't deserve neglect.

Though both your parents are from Yemen,

كِلا أبَوَيكَ مِن يَمَنٍ وَلَكِن

كِلا أَبَوَي نَوالِكَ مِن سَلولِ

The origins of your fortune are from thieves.

Go slowly, your ignorance will soon pass,

رُوَيدَكَ إِنَّ جَهلَكَ سَوفَ يَجلو

لَكَ الظَلماءَ عَن خِزيٍ طَويلِ

Leaving you in long disgrace.

When you plot against me, reduce it, for your fires

وَأَقلِل إِنَّ كَيدَكَ حينَ تَصلى

بِنيراني أَقَلُّ مِنَ القَليلِ

Are fewer than the few.

The bitterness of this abode will pardon you

مَراراتُ المُقامِ عَلَيكَ تَعفو

وَتَذهَبُ في حَلاواتِ الرَحيلِ

And disappear in the sweetness of departure.

I will moan knowing no cure will heal

سَأَظعَنُ عالِماً أَن لَيسَ بُرءٌ

لِسُقمي كَالوَسيجِ وَكَالذَميلِ

My sickness, like knots or shackles.

Even if your hand were a thousand seas

وَلَو كانَت يَمينُكَ أَلفَ بَحرٍ

يَفيضُ لِكُلِّ بَحرٍ أَلفُ نيلِ

Overflowing, each sea pouring a thousand Niles.