وَقَالُوا عَلَيْكَ وَسِيْطَ الأُمُورِ

فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ أَكْرَهُ الأَوْسَطَا

They said to me, "You are the mediator of things."

I said to them, "I dislike being in the middle,

إِذَا لَم أَكُنْ فِي ذُرَى شَامِخٍ

وَلاَ فِي حَضِيْضٍ وَطِيءِ الوِطَا

If I am not in a towering lineage,

Nor in lowliness with short steps.

وَحَاوَلْت مِنَ مُرْتَقًى هَائِلٍ

تَوَسُّطَهُ خِفْتُ أَنْ أَسْقُطَا

And if I tried from a tremendous slope

To mediate its middle, I'd fear I'd slip.

وَخَيْرٌ مِنَ العَنَقِ المُسْبَطِرِّ

إِذَا أَعْوَزَ السَّيْرُ قَصْرُ الخُطَى

Better than a stretched neck

When the path goes askew is shortening one's steps.

فَمَا المَنْعُ حِيْنَ يَفُوتُ الكَثِيْ

رُ أَحْسَنَ مِنْ مُسْتَقَلِّ العَطَا

What's the issue when abundance passes me by?

It's better than a dependent's morsel."