إِلَى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو أَخَاً جَافِياً

يُضِيْعُ فَأَحْفَظُ فِيْهِ الصَّنِيْعَهْ

To God I complain of a brother estranged,

Who turns away so I cherish good will;

إِذَا مَا الوُشَاةُ سَعَوا نَحْوَهُ

أَصَاخَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِأُذْنٍ سَمِيْعَهْ

When slanderers work to lead him astray,

He inclines his ear, attentive and keen.

وَتَظْهَرُ لِي مِنْهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوِمٍ

خَلاَئِقُ مُسْتَنْكَرَاتٌ فَظِيْعَهْ

Each day brings more proof of his scorn toward me—

Acts of contempt too unseemly to feel.

كَثُرْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأمْلَلْتُهُ

وَكُلُّ كَثِيْرٍ عَدُوُّ الطَّبِيْعَهْ

I’ve lavished him with love until I’m replete,

For all excess is a burden to bear.

وَإِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ أَنَّ المَلُو

لَ لَيْسَ بِمُرُضِيْهِ إِلاَّ القَطِيْعَهْ

I know that ignoring him serves me far better

Than bandaging wounds that will never heal.

وَلَكِنَّ نَفْسِي إِذَ اسْتُكْرِهَتْ

عَلَى الهَجْرِ لِيْسَتْ لَهُ مُسْتَطِيْعَهْ

But when my soul shrinks from such bitterness,

I find I’m too weak to completely forswear.