أَيّها اللّائمُ الّذي لا يملُّ الل

أَيّها اللّائمُ الّذي لا يملُّ الل

لومَ صبحاً حتّى يلومَ عَشِيّا

لومَ صبحاً حتّى يلومَ عَشِيّا

O reproacher, who never tires of

O you who blame incessantly from dawn till dusk,

reproach in the morning, until he reproaches at evening.

You blamed me for dwelling on those who vilified me,

لُمتَنِي أنْ نَبَوْتُ عمّنْ رماني

لُمتَنِي أنْ نَبَوْتُ عمّنْ رماني

ثمّ لم أقضِ أنْ أكون رَمِيّا

ثمّ لم أقضِ أنْ أكون رَمِيّا

You blamed me for recoiling from the one who shot at me,

Yet I did not decide to be their target.

and then not choosing to become a target.

Blame is more deserved by fate apart from you,

وحقيقٌ باللّومِ دونك دهرٌ

وحقيقٌ باللّومِ دونك دهرٌ

لا أرى فيه صاحباً مَرْضِيّا

لا أرى فيه صاحباً مَرْضِيّا

Time, rather than you, deserves the blame:

I see in it no pleasing companion.

I see no friend within it who satisfies me.

How often did time show me before you one with whom

كم أراني الزّمانُ قبلك مَن كُنْ

كم أراني الزّمانُ قبلك مَن كُنْ

تُ خَليّاً منه فعدتُ شَجِيّا

تُ خَليّاً منه فعدتُ شَجِيّا

How many before you has Time shown me whom I

I was intimate, but he turned away.

was carefree without, only to become grief-stricken!

I have always been forbearing of its failings,

لم أزلْ مُغضِياً على هَفَواتٍ

لم أزلْ مُغضِياً على هَفَواتٍ

منه لو جُزْنَني لكنتُ غبيا

منه لو جُزْنَني لكنتُ غبيا

I have never ceased overlooking faults

Else, had it saddened me, I would be a fool.

of his; had they escaped my notice, I would have been a fool.

If a friend had kept faith, and blackness of hair

لو وفى صاحبٌ وفى لي سوادٌ

لو وفى صاحبٌ وفى لي سوادٌ

زارَ فَوْدَيَّ منذُ كنتُ صَبيّا

زارَ فَوْدَيَّ منذُ كنتُ صَبيّا

Had any friend kept faith, the dark hair would have kept faith with me—

Had visited my temples since I was a boy,

the hair that visited my temples ever since I was a boy.

It would have kept away when I fell into error

شطّ عنّي لمّا اِرعَوَيتُ وقد كا

شطّ عنّي لمّا اِرعَوَيتُ وقد كا

ن مقيماً أيّامَ كنتُ غَوِيّا

ن مقيماً أيّامَ كنتُ غَوِيّا

It went far from me when I came to my senses, though it had

In days when I was a wanton youth.

stayed with me in the days when I was wayward.

We asked for your loyalty but despaired

قد سلَوْنا وفاءَكمْ ويَئِسْنا

قد سلَوْنا وفاءَكمْ ويَئِسْنا

أنْ نرى منكمْ عطاءً هَنِيّا

أنْ نرى منكمْ عطاءً هَنِيّا

We have ceased longing for your faithfulness and despaired

Of ever seeing from you a gentle gift.

of seeing from you a gift that brings delight.

We grew weary of your cures and realized

وسئمنا علاجكمْ وعلمنا

وسئمنا علاجكمْ وعلمنا

أنّ بين الضّلوعِ داءً دوِيّا

أنّ بين الضّلوعِ داءً دوِيّا

And we have tired of trying to cure you and learned

That within the ribs lies an internal wound.

that between the ribs lies a grievous malady.

It promises righteousness, then defaults.

يَعِدُ البِرَّ ماطِلاً فإذا أوْ

يَعِدُ البِرَّ ماطِلاً فإذا أوْ

عَدَ يوماً شرّاً أتاك وحَيّا

عَدَ يوماً شرّاً أتاك وحَيّا

He promises kindness, yet puts it off; but if he threatens

When it appoints a day, it comes with evil ready.

evil one day, it comes swiftly to you.

You justified yourselves with a pretense of good

علّلونا بظاهرٍ من جميلٍ

علّلونا بظاهرٍ من جميلٍ

ودعوا مضمرَ القلوبِ خَفِيّا

ودعوا مضمرَ القلوبِ خَفِيّا

They placated us with an outward show of kindness,

And left hidden the secret thoughts of your hearts.

and left what their hearts harbored concealed.

So one tried by us will not repeat

فبعيدٌ عن المجرّبِ مِنّا

فبعيدٌ عن المجرّبِ مِنّا

أنْ يُعيدَ العدوَّ شيءٌ وَلِيّا

أنْ يُعيدَ العدوَّ شيءٌ وَلِيّا

For the seasoned among us find it far-fetched

His enemy's act however friendly.

that anything could turn an enemy back into a friend.

Can I forget those who preserved honor

أتَراني أنسى حفاظَ كِرامٍ

أتَراني أنسى حفاظَ كِرامٍ

كان بالي منهمْ زماناً رَخِيّا

كان بالي منهمْ زماناً رَخِيّا

Do you think I would forget the loyalty of noble men,

And were gentle to me long ago?

thanks to whom my mind was at ease for a time?

They warded blows off me and dammed

قارعوا عنِّيَ الخطوبَ وسدّوا

قارعوا عنِّيَ الخطوبَ وسدّوا

يومَ سيلِ المكروهِ عنّي الأَتِيّا

يومَ سيلِ المكروهِ عنّي الأَتِيّا

They battled calamities on my behalf and blocked

The day the unwanted befell me.

the torrent from reaching me when misfortune flooded.

They stood between them and my enemies-

وَاِنتَضوا بينهمْ وبين أعادي

وَاِنتَضوا بينهمْ وبين أعادي

يَ طِوالَ الخطيِّ والمَشْرَفِيّا

يَ طِوالَ الخطيِّ والمَشْرَفِيّا

And between themselves and my enemies they drew

Both tall and glorious protectors.

long Khatti spears and Mashrafi swords.

How much their enemies afflicted them!

كم بلاهمْ أعداءُهمْ فأصابوا

كم بلاهمْ أعداءُهمْ فأصابوا

مَحْتِداً أمْلَساً وعِرضاً نقيّا

مَحْتِداً أمْلَساً وعِرضاً نقيّا

How often their enemies tested them and found

Yet they met blameless, pure repute.

an unblemished lineage and unsullied honor,

Their way refutes the hostile speech

وخِلالاً تكذّبُ الكَلِمَ العَوْ

وخِلالاً تكذّبُ الكَلِمَ العَوْ

راءَ فيهم أو اللّسانَ البَذِيّا

راءَ فيهم أو اللّسانَ البَذِيّا

and virtues that give the lie to malicious words

Or the slanderous tongue about them.

about them, or to the obscene tongue.

You see their promises and expenditures-

وترى وعدَهمْ وبذلَهمُ الأْم

وترى وعدَهمْ وبذلَهمُ الأْم

والَ هذا نَزْراً وذاك سَنِيّا

والَ هذا نَزْراً وذاك سَنِيّا

And you see their promises and their giving of

This meagre, that ample.

wealth: scant promises, but lavish gifts.

The strong man among them is weakened

يضعفُ المرءُ منهمُ في يدِ الحق

يضعفُ المرءُ منهمُ في يدِ الحق

قِ وإن كان في اللِّقاءِ قوِيّا

قِ وإن كان في اللِّقاءِ قوِيّا

Each man among them is meek in the hand of

At truth though mighty in battle.

justice, though he is strong in battle.

You see him shameless in war's turmoil,

وتراهُ الوَقاحَ في حَوْمَةِ الحرْ

وتراهُ الوَقاحَ في حَوْمَةِ الحرْ

بِ وفي حَوْمَةِ السؤالِ حَييّا

بِ وفي حَوْمَةِ السؤالِ حَييّا

And you see him bold in the thick of

Yet modest in asking.

war, yet bashful in the arena of petition.

May God not favor me when their pact

لا رَعى اللَّهُ لي متى لم يجد عَهْ

لا رَعى اللَّهُ لي متى لم يجد عَهْ

دَهُمُ في جوانحي مَرْعِيّا

دَهُمُ في جوانحي مَرْعِيّا

May God not watch over me if He does not find their covenant

No longer rages in my breast,

cherished within my breast.

I am one who knows not to ride

أَنا مَن قَد عَلِمت لا أركبُ الظَّه

أَنا مَن قَد عَلِمت لا أركبُ الظَّه

رَ المُوَطّا حتى يكون عَلِيّا

رَ المُوَطّا حتى يكون عَلِيّا

I am the man you know: I do not ride a

A lofty, prancing horse,

back made easy to mount unless it is lofty.

And when part of earth lacks room for me

وإذا جانبٌ من الأرض لم يس

وإذا جانبٌ من الأرض لم يس

طِعْ مقامي اِستعطتُ عنهُ مُضِيّا

طِعْ مقامي اِستعطتُ عنهُ مُضِيّا

And if some region of the earth cannot

I move on quickly,

bear my stay, I take departure in its place.

And when talk requires it, no word

وَمَتى ما اِقتضى كلامِيَ أمرٌ

وَمَتى ما اِقتضى كلامِيَ أمرٌ

لم أكنْ بالمقالِ فيه عَيِيّا

لم أكنْ بالمقالِ فيه عَيِيّا

And whenever a matter calls for my speech,

Finds me at a loss.

I am not tongue-tied in speaking of it.