أَشَرتُ عَليكَ فَاِستَغشَشتَ نُصحي

أَشَرتُ عَليكَ فَاِستَغشَشتَ نُصحي

لِظَنِّكَ أَنَّ مَقصودي أَذاكا

لِظَنِّكَ أَنَّ مَقصودي أَذاكا

I offered you counsel, but you deemed my counsel deceitful,

I advised you, but you deemed my counsel deceitful,

because you thought my aim was to do you harm.

because you thought my purpose was to harm you.

وَأَغراكَ الخِلافُ بِضِدِّ قَولي

وَأَغراكَ الخِلافُ بِضِدِّ قَولي

فَكانَ الفِعلُ مِنكَ بِضِدِّ ذاكا

فَكانَ الفِعلُ مِنكَ بِضِدِّ ذاكا

Contrariness enticed you to oppose my words,

And contrariness tempted you to oppose my words,

and so your deed was the very opposite of that.

so you acted contrary to that counsel.

وَشاروني العُداةُ وَبايَعوني

وَشاروني العُداةُ وَبايَعوني

فَأَنجَحَ حُسنُ رَأيي في عِداكا

فَأَنجَحَ حُسنُ رَأيي في عِداكا

Your enemies consulted me and swore allegiance to me,

The enemies consulted me and pledged allegiance to me,

and among your foes my sound judgment proved successful.

so my sound judgment proved successful among your foes.

فَصِرتُ إِذا خَطَبتَ جَميلَ رَأيي

فَصِرتُ إِذا خَطَبتَ جَميلَ رَأيي

أُشيرُ بِما أَرى فيهِ هَواكا

أُشيرُ بِما أَرى فيهِ هَواكا

So now, whenever I court my judgment’s fairest counsel,

So now, whenever you seek my good counsel,

I recommend whatever I see accords with your desire.

I advise what I see accords with your wishes.

وَلَم أَتَبِع خُطاكَ لِضُعفِ رَأيِي

وَلَم أَتَبِع خُطاكَ لِضُعفِ رَأيِي

وَلا أَنّي أُريدُ بِهِ رَداكا

وَلا أَنّي أُريدُ بِهِ رَداكا

I did not follow your footsteps through weakness of judgment,

And I did not follow your footsteps out of weakness in my judgment,

nor because I seek thereby to win your favor;

nor because I desire your ruin through it;

وَلَكِنّي أُحاذِرُ مِنكَ سُخطاً

وَلَكِنّي أُحاذِرُ مِنكَ سُخطاً

فَأَتبَعُ كُلَّ ما فيهِ رِضاكا

فَأَتبَعُ كُلَّ ما فيهِ رِضاكا

rather, it is wrath from you that I fear,

but I fear your displeasure,

and so I follow everything in which your pleasure lies.

so I follow whatever pleases you.