مرضتُ غريباً بين قومٍ أعزّةٍ

مرضتُ غريباً بين قومٍ أعزّةٍ

فكلتهم عن زورتي متمنّع

فكلتهم عن زورتي متمنّع

I fell ill, a stranger among esteemed folk;

I fell ill, a stranger, amongst honored folk,

I fell ill, a stranger among a mighty people,

So each of them held back from visiting me.

Yet when I sought their kindness, aloof they played,

Yet every one of them holds back from visiting me.

كأنهم في غنيةٍ عن ثوابها

كأنهم في غنيةٍ عن ثوابها

أو الطرق لم يعرف لها الدهر مهيع

أو الطرق لم يعرف لها الدهر مهيع

As though they had no need of its reward,

As though my thanks they did not covet

As if they have no need for the divine reward,

Or no clear path along the roads had ever been known.

Or paths to me the ages never paved,

Or as if Time never knew a clear path along the roads.

إذا كنت مصحوب السلامة أقبلوا

إذا كنت مصحوب السلامة أقبلوا

وإن كنت في سقمٍ فربعك بلقع

وإن كنت في سقمٍ فربعك بلقع

When good health is your companion, they come;

They came to greet me while in health I stayed,

When I was accompanied by health, they drew near,

But if you are ill, your dwelling is a wasteland.

And if sickened, shunned me, yea afraid,

But now that I am in sickness, your dwelling is a barren waste.

فهذي خصال البعض عند مريضهم

فهذي خصال البعض عند مريضهم

فمن لي عند القوم بالعود يشفع

فمن لي عند القوم بالعود يشفع

Such are some people's ways toward their sick;

Such is their way with one diseased, in truth,

Such are the traits of some toward their sick;

Who, then, will plead with these people to visit me?

So who will for me intercede and aid?

So who, among these people, will intercede for a return?

ولولا اصطباري واحترامي إليهم

ولولا اصطباري واحترامي إليهم

لكنت لهم أفعى بشعري ألسع

لكنت لهم أفعى بشعري ألسع

And were it not for my forbearance and my respect for them,

But for my patience and respect for them,

Were it not for my forbearance and my respect for them,

I would have been a viper to them, stinging with my verse.

My verses would have stung like serpents bred,

I would have been a viper to them, stinging with my verse.

ولولا احترامي للحبيب وآله

ولولا احترامي للحبيب وآله

لكان كلامي للجبال يزعزع

لكان كلامي للجبال يزعزع

And were it not for my respect for the Beloved and his family,

And were it not for love of friend and kin,

And were it not for my respect for the beloved and his kin,

My words would have shaken the mountains.

My words would shake even mountains stedfast bed.

My words would cause the very mountains to tremble.