أَبا عَلِيٍّ عَلِيٌّ لَيسَ يُنصِفُهُ

أَبا عَلِيٍّ عَلِيٌّ لَيسَ يُنصِفُهُ

وَعَدتُهُ فَأَبِن لي فيمَ تُخلِفُهُ

وَعَدتُهُ فَأَبِن لي فيمَ تُخلِفُهُ

O Abu Ali, Ali is not being treated fairly.

O Abul Ali, Ali is not done justice

I promised him; so explain to me why you fail him.

And I promised him, so explain to me why you go against him

قَد كانَ وُدُّكَ رَوضاً في جَوانِبِهِ

قَد كانَ وُدُّكَ رَوضاً في جَوانِبِهِ

زَهرُ اِفتِقادِكَ يَجنيهِ وَيَقطِفُهُ

زَهرُ اِفتِقادِكَ يَجنيهِ وَيَقطِفُهُ

Your affection was once a garden, along whose borders

Your love was like a garden with flowers blooming

were the blossoms of your attentiveness, which he gathered and plucked.

The fragrance of your care would nurture and pick them

وَكان جاهُكَ مَمدوداً عَلَيهِ إِذا

وَكان جاهُكَ مَمدوداً عَلَيهِ إِذا

رَنا إِلَيهِ الأَذى غَطّاهُ رَفرَفُهُ

رَنا إِلَيهِ الأَذى غَطّاهُ رَفرَفُهُ

And your influence was spread above him; whenever

And your status was stretched over it, so if

harm gazed toward him, its canopy sheltered him.

Harm came its way, it would cover and protect it

فَلِمَ قَدِمتَ عَلىتَشتيتِ وَصلِكَ لي

فَلِمَ قَدِمتَ عَلىتَشتيتِ وَصلِكَ لي

مِن بَعدِ ما كُنتَ مَجهوداً تُؤَلِّفُهُ

مِن بَعدِ ما كُنتَ مَجهوداً تُؤَلِّفُهُ

Why, then, did you set about breaking your bond with me,

So why have you come to scatter your connection with me

after you had worn yourself out knitting it together?

After you had struggled to bring us together

إِن كُنتَ حُلتَ لِحالٍ لَستُ أَعرِفُهُ

إِن كُنتَ حُلتَ لِحالٍ لَستُ أَعرِفُهُ

فَإِنَّني لَكَ خِلٌّ أَنتَ تَعرِفُهُ

فَإِنَّني لَكَ خِلٌّ أَنتَ تَعرِفُهُ

If you have changed because of a circumstance I do not know,

If you have changed for a reason I do not recognize

then I am a close friend to you, one you know.

Then know I am a friend you recognize