سَتَعلَمُ يا عَيّاشُ إِن كُنتَ تَعلَمُ

سَتَعلَمُ يا عَيّاشُ إِن كُنتَ تَعلَمُ

فَتَندَمُ إِن خَلّاكَ جَهلُكَ تَندَمُ

فَتَندَمُ إِن خَلّاكَ جَهلُكَ تَندَمُ

You shall learn, O ʿAyyāsh—if you are capable of learning;

You will learn, O Ayyash, if you can learn;

then you shall regret—if your ignorance ever leaves you, you shall regret.

then regret it, if your ignorance lets you regret.

أَبى لَكَ أَن تَأبى المَخازِيَ كُلَّها

أَبى لَكَ أَن تَأبى المَخازِيَ كُلَّها

أَبٌ أَندَرَهلِيٌّ وَجَدٌّ مُعَلَّمُ

أَبٌ أَندَرَهلِيٌّ وَجَدٌّ مُعَلَّمُ

What keeps you from rejecting every disgrace is

You were prevented from shunning every disgrace

an Andarahli father and a branded grandfather.

by a coarse, base father and a branded grandfather.

وَقَفتُ عَلَيكَ الظَنَّ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

وَقَفتُ عَلَيكَ الظَنَّ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

لَدَيكَ الغِنى أَو لَيسَ في الأَرضِ دِرهَمُ

لَدَيكَ الغِنى أَو لَيسَ في الأَرضِ دِرهَمُ

I placed my hopes in you, until it seemed

I fixed my hopes on you, until it was as though

that wealth was yours—or that not a dirham existed on earth.

you held all wealth, or no dirham lay on earth.

وَكَفكَفتُ عَنكَ الذَمَّ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

وَكَفكَفتُ عَنكَ الذَمَّ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

أَجارَكَ مَجدٌ أَو كَأَنِّيَ مُفحَمُ

أَجارَكَ مَجدٌ أَو كَأَنِّيَ مُفحَمُ

And I restrained my censure of you, until it seemed

And I held back censure from you, until it was as though

that glory sheltered you—or that I had been struck speechless.

nobility sheltered you, or as though I were struck dumb.

فَلَمّا بَدا لي مِنكَ لُؤمٌ يَحُفُّهُ

فَلَمّا بَدا لي مِنكَ لُؤمٌ يَحُفُّهُ

حِرُمِّيَّةٌ يَستَنُّ فيها التَبَظُّمُ

حِرُمِّيَّةٌ يَستَنُّ فيها التَبَظُّمُ

But when I saw in you a baseness surrounded by

But when I saw your baseness, surrounded

banditry, amid which foul abuse ran unchecked,

by miserliness where arrogant bluster runs free,

تَرَكتُكَ ما إِن في أَديمِكَ ظاهِرٌ

تَرَكتُكَ ما إِن في أَديمِكَ ظاهِرٌ

وَلا باطِنٌ إِلّا وَلي فيهِ ميسَمُ

وَلا باطِنٌ إِلّا وَلي فيهِ ميسَمُ

I left no outward spot upon your hide,

I left you with no part of your hide, outer

nor any inward spot, without a brand of mine upon it.

or inner, that did not bear a brand of mine.

فَأَيسَرُ مِن تَسآلِكَ العِيُّ وَالعَمى

فَأَيسَرُ مِن تَسآلِكَ العِيُّ وَالعَمى

وَأَعذَبُ مِن إِحسانِكَ القَيحُ وَالدَمُ

وَأَعذَبُ مِن إِحسانِكَ القَيحُ وَالدَمُ

For speechlessness and blindness are easier than begging you,

So speechlessness and blindness are easier than begging from you,

and pus and blood are sweeter than your kindness.

and pus and blood are sweeter than your bounty.

فَإِنَّكَ مِن مالٍ وَجودٍ وَمَحتِدٍ

فَإِنَّكَ مِن مالٍ وَجودٍ وَمَحتِدٍ

لَأَعدَمُ مِن أَن يَستَريشُكَ مُعدَمُ

لَأَعدَمُ مِن أَن يَستَريشُكَ مُعدَمُ

For as to my wealth, my bounty, and my lineage, you

For you, in wealth, generosity, and lineage,

are far too destitute for any pauper to seek enrichment from you.

are too destitute for a pauper to gain feathers from you.

وَمالِيَ أَهجو حَضرَمَوتَ كَأَنَّهُم

وَمالِيَ أَهجو حَضرَمَوتَ كَأَنَّهُم

أَضاعوا ذِمامي أَو كَأَنَّكَ مِنهُمُ

أَضاعوا ذِمامي أَو كَأَنَّكَ مِنهُمُ

Why should I lampoon Hadramawt, as though its people

And why should I lampoon Hadramawt, as though they

had violated my covenant—or as though you were one of them?

had disregarded my right to protection—or as though you were one of them?