نَسَبتُم إِلى المَقهور ما اِقتَرَف الدَهر

نَسَبتُم إِلى المَقهور ما اِقتَرَف الدَهر

وَأَلزمتُم النُشوان ما قَد جَنى السكر

وَأَلزمتُم النُشوان ما قَد جَنى السكر

You blamed the oppressed man for what Time had perpetrated,

You blamed the oppressed for what fate wrought

And held the intoxicated man answerable for what drunkenness had wrought.

And accused the happy of what drunkenness brought

رَمَيتُم بِسَهم العتب قَلباً مَجرحاً

رَمَيتُم بِسَهم العتب قَلباً مَجرحاً

أَحاطَ بِهِ صَدر غَدا مُلؤُه جَمر

أَحاطَ بِهِ صَدر غَدا مُلؤُه جَمر

You shot the arrow of reproach at a wounded heart,

You shot the arrow of reproach at a wounded heart

Enclosed by a breast that had become full of embers.

Whose chest tomorrow will fill with embers

أَلَّما جَفا الدَهر الخَؤُون جَفَوتُم

أَلَّما جَفا الدَهر الخَؤُون جَفَوتُم

فَهلا رَفقتم عِندَ ما عَنف الدَهر

فَهلا رَفقتم عِندَ ما عَنف الدَهر

When treacherous Time turned cruel, did you turn cruel too?

When fate was harsh, you too were unkind

Why, then, were you not gentle when Time dealt harshly?

Why not be gentle when fate was unrefined?

نَعَم لَكُم العُتبى عَلى كُلِ حالة

نَعَم لَكُم العُتبى عَلى كُلِ حالة

لَئِن لَم يَكُن ذَنب لَنا فَلَنا عُذرُ

لَئِن لَم يَكُن ذَنب لَنا فَلَنا عُذرُ

Yes, you shall have satisfaction in every circumstance;

Yes, you can reproach me no matter my state

Even if no fault is ours, we have an excuse.

If I'm not at fault, I have an excuse

وَفينا وَإِن هُنا عَلَيكُم تَجلدٌ

وَفينا وَإِن هُنا عَلَيكُم تَجلدٌ

وَلَكن عَلى الأَعراض لَيسَ لَنا صَبرُ

وَلَكن عَلى الأَعراض لَيسَ لَنا صَبرُ

And we have fortitude, though you hold us in little esteem,

And though I endure your rebukes with composure

But where honor is concerned, we have no patience.

I cannot bear insults upon my honor

أَتاني عِتاب لَم أَسغهُ وَإِن حَلا

أَتاني عِتاب لَم أَسغهُ وَإِن حَلا

وَكُلُ لَذيذ لا مَساغَ لَهُ مُرُّ

وَكُلُ لَذيذ لا مَساغَ لَهُ مُرُّ

Reproach came to me; I could not swallow it, though sweet,

I received reproach I could barely swallow

And anything delicious that will not go down is bitter.

Though all sweetness has bitterness we must follow

وَلَو لَم يَكُن إِجلال قَدرك مَذهَبي

وَلَو لَم يَكُن إِجلال قَدرك مَذهَبي

كَما قَد عَرَفتُم قُلت مَعروفَهُ فكر

كَما قَد عَرَفتُم قُلت مَعروفَهُ فكر

And were reverence for your worth not my creed,

If preserving your dignity was not my way

As you already know, I would have said, 'Its kindness is thought' [wording unclear].

I would have said what I knew, as you can say

فَأَخلَصَت سَبك العَتب دَمعاً رَقمتهُ

فَأَخلَصَت سَبك العَتب دَمعاً رَقمتهُ

سُطوراً عَلى خَدي ملخصها سَطرُ

سُطوراً عَلى خَدي ملخصها سَطرُ

So I cast the reproach into pure tears, which I inscribed

So your bitter reproach brought tears I outlined

As lines upon my cheek, their summary a single line:

As lines on my cheek, summarized in one line

حتوّاً عَلى جان مَحا العَتب صَبرَهُ

حتوّاً عَلى جان مَحا العَتب صَبرَهُ

فَما ذَنبَهُ عَمد وَما قَلبُهُ صَخر

فَما ذَنبَهُ عَمد وَما قَلبُهُ صَخر

Mercy on an offender whose patience reproach has erased,

Containing the patience to forgive your rebuke

For his fault is not deliberate, and his heart is not stone.

Though his guilt was not intentional, his heart not stone

إِلا يَعذر الطَرف الكَريم إِذا كَبا

إِلا يَعذر الطَرف الكَريم إِذا كَبا

وَقَد نالَ مِنهُ القَيد وَالسَوط وَالزَجَر

وَقَد نالَ مِنهُ القَيد وَالسَوط وَالزَجَر

Is the noble steed not excused when it stumbles,

But the noble eye can be excused should it weep

After the fetter, whip, and rebuke have taken their toll on it?

When bounded by chains, whip, and call to order

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَخَرتَ عَنكُم رَسائِلي

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَخَرتَ عَنكُم رَسائِلي

وَلا حَدَث عَن نَهج الوَفاءِ وَلي أَمر

وَلا حَدَث عَن نَهج الوَفاءِ وَلي أَمر

And by God, I have not withheld my letters from you,

By God, I did not neglect to send you missives

Nor strayed from loyalty's path while affairs were in my hands.

Nor deviate from the path of loyalty, as I live

فَدونَكَها بِكراً بَديعاً جَمالَها

فَدونَكَها بِكراً بَديعاً جَمالَها

تَزف إِلى كَفو مَوَدَتُهُ المُهرُ

تَزف إِلى كَفو مَوَدَتُهُ المُهرُ

So take her, a virgin whose beauty is wondrous,

I sent you fresh, beautiful pages for your keeping

Led as a bride to a worthy match, whose affection is the dower.

Carried to your dear friendship as a wedding dowry

تَصَدى لَها حرٌّ جَدير بِصَونِها

تَصَدى لَها حرٌّ جَدير بِصَونِها

فَأَبرَزَها مِن خَدر غَيرَتِهِ الفكرُ

فَأَبرَزَها مِن خَدر غَيرَتِهِ الفكرُ

A noble man stepped forward for her, worthy to safeguard her,

They were met by a free man fit to guard them

So Thought brought her forth from the chamber of its jealous care.

Who brought them out from the sanctum of his thoughts