يَا مُذِيقِي غُصَّةَ الْكَمَدِ

مُشْعِلاً لِلنَّارِ في كَبِدِي

O you who taste the bitterness of sorrow,

Kindling a fire in my liver,

أَلِذَنْبٍ كَانَ هَجْرُكَ لِي

أَوْ دَلاَلَ الْغُنْجِ والْغِيَدِ

Was it because of a sin of mine

That you ignored me, or just whim and caprice?

حِيْنَ أَزْمَعْتَ الرَّحِيلَ ضُحىً

أَزْمَعَتْ رُوحِي عَنِ الْجَسَدِ

When you decided to leave at dawn,

My soul left my body.

ما أُبالِي مَا يَفُوتُ إِذَا

ظَفِرَتْ بِالوَصْلِ مِنْكَ يَدِي

I care not what I lose if

My hand attains your reunion.

قُلْ لِخيْرِ النَّاسِ كُلِّهِمِ

لا أُحاشِي فيهِ مِنْ أَحَدِ

Say to the best of all people,

I exclude no one from this,

الَّذِي يَرْضَى الإِلهُ بِهِ

مُذْهِباً لِلْغَيِّ بِالرَّشْدِ

He with whom God is pleased,

Dispelling harm with righteousness.

حَاسِدِي في حُسْنِ فِعْلِكِ بِي

غَيْرُ مَعْذُولٍ عَلَى الْحَسَدِ

My enviers of your good deeds towards me

Are not to be blamed for their envy.

قَدْ دَهَتْنِي الآنَ دَاهِيةٌ

وَسْمُهَا بَاقٍ عَلَى الأَبَدِ

I am now infected by a chronic disease,

Whose poison endures forever.

أَنْتَ يَا أَعْلَى المُلُوكِ يَداً

عُدَّتِي فِيهَا وَمُعْتَمَدِي

You, O highest of kings, are

My asset therein and my reliance.

تَوْبَتِي قَدْ ذَلَّ جانِبُها

بِيعَ مِنْها النَّوْمُ بِالسَهَدِ

My repentance is weakened,

In it sleep is sold for wakefulness.

ضَعَّفَ الحرمَانُ قُوَّتَها

بَعْدَ حُسْنِ الأَيْدِ والجَلَدِ

Deprivation has weakened its strength

After the beauty of support and endurance.

لا تُطِعْ فِينَا الْوُشَاةَ فَقَدْ

جَعَلُونَا ضُحْكَةَ الْبَلَدِ

Do not obey those who slander about us,

For they have made us the joke of the town,

حِينَ فَازُوا دُونَنَا بِيَدٍ

مِنْكَ واسْتَوْلَوا عَلَى الأَمَدِ

When they won against us by a hand

From you and took control of the term.

وَرَأَيْناهَا مُعَايَنَةً

إِنَّ هَذَا مُنْتهَى الْكَمِدِ

And we saw it in reality—

This is the utmost sorrow.

بَعْدَ أَنْ كُنَّا بِفَضْلِكَ فِي

طِيبِ عَيْشٍ دُونَهُمْ رَغِدِ

After we had been, by your grace,

In a good life without them, comfortable.

فَأَنِلْنا مَا أَنَلْتَهُمُ

خَمْسَةً تُوفِي عَلَى الْعَدَدِ

So give us what you gave them—

Five that fulfill the number.

أوْ فَزِدْنَا مِثْلَ عَادَتِنا

لَيْس غَمْرُ الْجُودِ كَالثَّمَدِ

Or add to us as is your custom,

The rain of generosity is not like the drizzle.

عِنْدَنا مِنْ فِعْلِهِمْ تِرَةٌ

فَأَزِلْها الْيَوْمَ بِالْقَوَدِ

In our view their action is a blemish—

Remove it today with fire.

لَمْ تَزَلْ بِالْبَذْلِ تَبْدَأُنَا

فاجْعَلَنْها الآنَ دُونَ غَدِ

You have always begun by giving us,

So make it now rather than tomorrow.

وَلْيَكُنْ إِنْ شِئْتَ مُكْتَتماً

إِنَّنا مِنْهُمْ عَلَى رَصَدِ

And if you wish, keep it confidential,

For we are watching them.

وَأَزِلْ نَحْساً بِرُؤْيَتِهِمْ

طَالعاً مِنْهُمْ بِمُفْتَقَدِ

And remove the bad omen of seeing them,

An ascendant evil and misfortune.

وَعَلَيْهِمْ لا عَلَيْكَ بِهِمْ

دابرَاتُ السُّوءِ وَالنَّكَدِ

And upon them, not you, is the blame for them,

The reversals of evil and sorrow.