غَذوَتُكَ مولوداً وَعُلتُكَ يافِعاً

غَذوَتُكَ مولوداً وَعُلتُكَ يافِعاً

تُعَلُّ بِما أُحنيَ عَلَيكَ وَتَنهلُ

تُعَلُّ بِما أُحنيَ عَلَيكَ وَتَنهلُ

I nourished you as a newborn and supported you as a youth.

You were a newborn that I nourished, and a youth that I raised,

You drink again and take your first draught from my tender care for you.

You learn from what I bend over you and drink from me,

إِذا لَيلَةٌ نابَتكَ بِالشَكو لَم

إِذا لَيلَةٌ نابَتكَ بِالشَكو لَم

أَبِت لِشَكواكَ إِلّا ساهِراً أَتَمَلمَلُ

أَبِت لِشَكواكَ إِلّا ساهِراً أَتَمَلمَلُ

If a night afflicted you with suffering, I would not

If a night comes upon you complaining, I do not refuse your complaints, staying up restless,

spend it, because of your suffering, except awake and tossing restlessly.

It's as if it is I who is stricken instead of you with what you are stricken with, so my eyes tear up,

كَأَني أَنا المَطروقُ دونَكَ بِالَذي

كَأَني أَنا المَطروقُ دونَكَ بِالَذي

طُرِقَت بِهِ دوني فَعَينايَ تَهمُلُ

طُرِقَت بِهِ دوني فَعَينايَ تَهمُلُ

As though I, rather than you, were struck by what

My soul fears harm upon you, though I know death is an ordained fate,

had struck you, not me—so my eyes would stream.

So when you reached the age and point to which I had hoped for you,

تَخافُ الرَدى نَفسي عَلَيكَ وَإِنَني

تَخافُ الرَدى نَفسي عَلَيكَ وَإِنَني

لَأَعلَمُ أَنَ المَوتَ حَتمٌ مُؤَجَّلُ

لَأَعلَمُ أَنَ المَوتَ حَتمٌ مُؤَجَّلُ

My soul fears death for you, although I

You made my reward harshness and vulgarity, as if you are the benefactor and bestower,

know full well that death is an inevitability deferred.

If only when you did not heed the rights of my fatherhood, you had acted as a neighbour would have acted,

فَلَمّا بَلَغَت السِّنَ وَالغايَةَ الَّتي

فَلَمّا بَلَغَت السِّنَ وَالغايَةَ الَّتي

إِليها مَدى ما كُنتُ فيكَ أُؤَمِلُ

إِليها مَدى ما كُنتُ فيكَ أُؤَمِلُ

Then, when you reached the age and the goal toward which

You claimed I grew old and tired, yet sixty summers have not passed me by,

the full extent of my hopes for you had stretched,

And you named me one whose opinion is refuted, though if you were reasonable, you would not refute,

جَعَلتَ جَزائي غِلظَةً وَفَظاظَةً

جَعَلتَ جَزائي غِلظَةً وَفَظاظَةً

كَأَنَكَ أَنتَ المُنعِمُ المُتَفَضِلُ

كَأَنَكَ أَنتَ المُنعِمُ المُتَفَضِلُ

you made harshness and coarseness my reward,

You watch for a misstep from me, or imagine one - you raved, and this opinion of yours is misleading,

as though you yourself were the benefactor, the giver of favors.

And yet by keeping a refuge for my body, in your opinion I am still a heedless youth,

فَلَيتَكَ إِذ لَم تَرعَ حَقَّ أُبوَتي

فَلَيتَكَ إِذ لَم تَرعَ حَقَّ أُبوَتي

فَعَلتَ كَما الجارُ المُجاورُ يَفعَلُ

فَعَلتَ كَما الجارُ المُجاورُ يَفعَلُ

If only, since you did not honor my right as your father,

The fierce lope and danger of the meek truth, if you ever lope, are the stumbles of a tottering old fool,

you had acted as a next-door neighbor would.

You see it ready to disagree, as if it is assigned to refute the people of truth,

زَعَمتَ بِأَنّي قَد كَبِرتُ وَعِبتَني

زَعَمتَ بِأَنّي قَد كَبِرتُ وَعِبتَني

لَم يَمضِ لي في السِنُ سِتونَ كُمَّلُ

لَم يَمضِ لي في السِنُ سِتونَ كُمَّلُ

You claimed that I had grown old and found fault with me;

But one who does not find a matter befitting him with his arms descends into it while unarmed,

sixty full years of life had not yet passed for me.

وَسَمَيتَني باِسِمِ المُفَنَّدِ رَأيُهُ

وَسَمَيتَني باِسِمِ المُفَنَّدِ رَأيُهُ

وَفي رَأيِكَ التَفنيدُ لَو كُنتَ تَعقِلُ

وَفي رَأيِكَ التَفنيدُ لَو كُنتَ تَعقِلُ

And you called me one whose judgment is deemed feeble,

though the folly lies in your judgment, if you could reason.

تُراقِبُ مِني عَثرَةَ أَو تَنالَها

تُراقِبُ مِني عَثرَةَ أَو تَنالَها

هَبِلتَ وَهذا مِنكَ رَأيٌ مُضَلَلُ

هَبِلتَ وَهذا مِنكَ رَأيٌ مُضَلَلُ

You watch for a misstep from me, or seize upon it.

May you be bereaved! This judgment of yours is misguided.

وَإِنَكَ إِذ تُبقي لِجامي موائِلاً

وَإِنَكَ إِذ تُبقي لِجامي موائِلاً

بِرَأيِكَ شابّاً مَرَةً لَمُغَفَّلُ

بِرَأيِكَ شابّاً مَرَةً لَمُغَفَّلُ

[Wording unclear:] And indeed, when you keep my bridle, seeking refuge

in your judgment as a youth, for once, you are surely a fool.

وَما صَولَةُ الحِقِّ الضَئيلُ وَخَطرُهُ

وَما صَولَةُ الحِقِّ الضَئيلُ وَخَطرُهُ

إِذا خَطَرتَ يَوماً قَساورُ بُزَّلُ

إِذا خَطَرتَ يَوماً قَساورُ بُزَّلُ

And what are the feeble young camel's charge and swagger

when mighty, mature camels swagger forth one day?

تَراهُ مُعِدّاً لِلخِلافِ كَأَنَهُ

تَراهُ مُعِدّاً لِلخِلافِ كَأَنَهُ

بِرَدٍّ عَلى أَهلِ الصَوابِ مُوَكَلُ

بِرَدٍّ عَلى أَهلِ الصَوابِ مُوَكَلُ

You see him preparing for opposition, as though he

were charged with rebutting those who are right.

وَلَكِنَّ مَن لا يَلقَ أَمراً يَنوبُهُ

وَلَكِنَّ مَن لا يَلقَ أَمراً يَنوبُهُ

بِعُدَّتِهِ يَنزِل بِهِ وَهو أَعزَلُ

بِعُدَّتِهِ يَنزِل بِهِ وَهو أَعزَلُ

But whoever does not face a trouble that befalls him

with his weapons will have it descend upon him while he is unarmed.