أبا هاشِمٍ إنِّي إلى ما يَنَالُهُ

أبا هاشِمٍ إنِّي إلى ما يَنَالُهُ

بَنُو الوُدِّ مِثْلِي من نَدَاكَ فَقِيرُ

بَنُو الوُدِّ مِثْلِي من نَدَاكَ فَقِيرُ

O Abu Hashim, I need what is received

O Abu Hashim, I am in need

by friends like me from your bounty.

Of kindness from you like others of noble birth.

فإنْ تُولِني مِنْكَ الجَميلَ فإنَّنِي

فإنْ تُولِني مِنْكَ الجَميلَ فإنَّنِي

عَليهِ وإنْ طَالَ الزَّمَانُ شَكُورُ

عَليهِ وإنْ طَالَ الزَّمَانُ شَكُورُ

If you bestow kindness upon me, then I

If you grant me your generosity, I will be

will remain grateful for it, however long time lasts.

Grateful, though time passes on.

فَإنْ أنتَجِعْ جَدْوَاكَ حَسْبُ فإنَّنِي

فَإنْ أنتَجِعْ جَدْوَاكَ حَسْبُ فإنَّنِي

بِمَنْ يَشْتَري حَمْدَ الرِّجَالِ خَبيرُ

بِمَنْ يَشْتَري حَمْدَ الرِّجَالِ خَبيرُ

If it is your bounty alone I seek, then I

If you refuse your bounty, that will suffice, for I

know well whoever buys men's praise.

Can discern who buys men's praise.

كَفَى لَكَ أَنْ خَلَّيتَني لِمَعاشِرٍ

كَفَى لَكَ أَنْ خَلَّيتَني لِمَعاشِرٍ

عَظيمُهمُ حَاشَا عُلاَكَ حَقِيرُ

عَظيمُهمُ حَاشَا عُلاَكَ حَقِيرُ

It is enough for you that you left me among people

It is enough that you left me among

whose greatest—your eminence excepted—is contemptible.

A great people, though you count me insignificant.

سَئِمتُ مَقَامِي بينَ أَظْهرِهِمْ فَرِشْ

سَئِمتُ مَقَامِي بينَ أَظْهرِهِمْ فَرِشْ

جَنَاحِي لَعَلِّي حَيثُ شِئْتُ أطَيرُ

جَنَاحِي لَعَلِّي حَيثُ شِئْتُ أطَيرُ

I am weary of staying among them, so feather

I grow weary of staying among them, so I spread

my wing, that I may fly wherever I wish.

My wings, hoping to fly wherever I wish.

فإنْ رِشْتَ يَوماً من جَنَاحِي فإنَّنِي

فإنْ رِشْتَ يَوماً من جَنَاحِي فإنَّنِي

عَلَى نَيلِ أسْبَابِ السَّمَاءِ قَديرُ

عَلَى نَيلِ أسْبَابِ السَّمَاءِ قَديرُ

If one day you feather part of my wing, then I

If you someday pluck a feather from my wing, know that I

can reach the pathways of heaven.

Have power to attain the means to soar on high.

أحينَ مَلأْتَ الرَّاحَتَينِ اطَّرحْتني

أحينَ مَلأْتَ الرَّاحَتَينِ اطَّرحْتني

أشَارَ بِذَا يوماً عَلَيكَ مُشِيرُ

أشَارَ بِذَا يوماً عَلَيكَ مُشِيرُ

Did you cast me aside just when you had filled both my palms?

When you have filled both my palms, you cast me aside

Did some adviser ever counsel you to do this?

As one advised you to do so one day.

فإنْ أُطَّرَحْ بَعدَ الكَمَالِ فإنَّمَا

فإنْ أُطَّرَحْ بَعدَ الكَمَالِ فإنَّمَا

تُحَامي العُيُونُ البَدْرَ وهو كَبيرُ

تُحَامي العُيُونُ البَدْرَ وهو كَبيرُ

If I am cast aside after attaining fullness, it is only that

If I'm cast down after rising high, eyes still

eyes shun the full moon when it is large.

Guard the full moon though it is great.

وأكثرُ ما تَسْمو لَهُ أعيُنُ الوَرَى

وأكثرُ ما تَسْمو لَهُ أعيُنُ الوَرَى

وتَرْمُقُهُ الأبْصَارُ وهو صَغِيرُ

وتَرْمُقُهُ الأبْصَارُ وهو صَغِيرُ

And most often the eyes of humankind rise toward it

Most eyes of all creation gaze up

and gazes watch it when it is small.

And watch it, small though it seems.

إلى اللَّهِ أشْكُو ويلكم جَوْرَ رِيحِكِمْ

إلى اللَّهِ أشْكُو ويلكم جَوْرَ رِيحِكِمْ

وهَلْ لِي عَلَيها إنْ شَكَوْتُ نَصيرُ

وهَلْ لِي عَلَيها إنْ شَكَوْتُ نَصيرُ

To God I complain—woe to you—of your wind's injustice;

To God I complain of the injustice of your winds.

and if I complain, have I any champion against it?

If I complain, who will aid me?

أَرَاهَا علَى غَيْرِي تَهُبُّ إذَا سَرَتْ

أَرَاهَا علَى غَيْرِي تَهُبُّ إذَا سَرَتْ

قَبُولاً ومَسْرَاهَا عَليَّ دَبُورُ

قَبُولاً ومَسْرَاهَا عَليَّ دَبُورُ

I see it blow upon others whenever it passes,

I see it blow favorably on others when it stirs,

as an east wind, but over me it passes as a west wind.

Welcoming them, but its journey upon me is away.

وأفناؤُكُم إلاَّ عَلَيَّ رَحيبةٌ

وأفناؤُكُم إلاَّ عَلَيَّ رَحيبةٌ

وغَيثُكُمُ إلاَّ عَليَّ مَطِيرُ

وغَيثُكُمُ إلاَّ عَليَّ مَطِيرُ

And your courtyards are spacious—except to me;

Your shelter is not wide for me,

and your rain pours abundantly—except upon me.

And your rain does not pour down on me.

أَمَا وأَبي ما ضِقْتُ يَوماً بِخُطَّةٍ

أَمَا وأَبي ما ضِقْتُ يَوماً بِخُطَّةٍ

كَصَدِّكُمُ والدَّائرَاتُ تَدُورُ

كَصَدِّكُمُ والدَّائرَاتُ تَدُورُ

Indeed, by my father, no plight has ever distressed me

No! By my father, never have I been troubled by a plot

like your rejection, while the turns of fate go round.

Like your rejection, though times cycle on.

عَلاَمَ وشُكْرِي فِيكَ يَقْطُرُ مَاؤُهُ

عَلاَمَ وشُكْرِي فِيكَ يَقْطُرُ مَاؤُهُ

طَرِيٌّ وسَهْمُ الذَّبِّ عَنكَ طَرِيرُ

طَرِيٌّ وسَهْمُ الذَّبِّ عَنكَ طَرِيرُ

Why, when my praise of you, its water dripping,

My gratitude still drips its water to you,

is fresh, and the arrow in your defense is sharp?

Though your arrows of blame shoot swift from you,

عَلَى أنَّني لَمْ آتِ ما يوجِبُ الجَفَا

عَلَى أنَّني لَمْ آتِ ما يوجِبُ الجَفَا

وكَانَ أسَى الحرِّ الكَرِيمِ غَفُورُ

وكَانَ أسَى الحرِّ الكَرِيمِ غَفُورُ

Yet I have done nothing that warrants estrangement,

Although I did nothing deserving coldness,

and the sorrow of a free, noble man is forgiving.

And the noble man's grief was forgiving.

فَدُومُوا على هَذَا الجَفَاءِ فإنَّنِي

فَدُومُوا على هَذَا الجَفَاءِ فإنَّنِي

علَى الوِدِّ ما أرْسَى وقَرَّ ثَبِيرُ

علَى الوِدِّ ما أرْسَى وقَرَّ ثَبِيرُ

So persist in this estrangement, for I

So persist in this rejection, for I

remain true to friendship as long as Thabir stands anchored and firm.

Will not cease kindness and gentility.