أحَبَّ فمَن ذا الذي أخلَفَهْ

أحَبَّ فمَن ذا الذي أخلَفَهْ

ومَلَّ فمن ذا الذي استعطَفَهْ

ومَلَّ فمن ذا الذي استعطَفَهْ

He loved—who, then, broke faith with him?

He loved, so who was it that disappointed him?

And he grew weary—who, then, sought his affection?

And filled up, so who was it that softened him?

فلا أحدٌ في الرضا ساءَهُ

فلا أحدٌ في الرضا ساءَهُ

ولا أحد في القلى عنَّفَه

ولا أحد في القلى عنَّفَه

For no one offended him when he was pleased,

So no one was evil in his satisfaction,

nor did anyone rebuke him when he felt aversion.

And no one was harsh in his heart.

وكان زكيّاً كما قد علمتُ

وكان زكيّاً كما قد علمتُ

فما ذا التعدّي وما ذا السَّفَه

فما ذا التعدّي وما ذا السَّفَه

And he was virtuous, as I knew;

And he was righteous as you knew,

so what is this transgression, and what is this folly?

So what is this transgression and what is this foolishness?

وفي الناس من يتجنّى الذنوبَ

وفي الناس من يتجنّى الذنوبَ

وذا قد تجاوز حدَّ الصِّفَه

وذا قد تجاوز حدَّ الصِّفَه

And among people are those who falsely impute sins,

And among the people are those who avoid sins,

and this one has exceeded the bounds of description.

While this one has exceeded the limit of chastity.

ولا كلُّ مَن كانَ ذا قوَّةٍ

ولا كلُّ مَن كانَ ذا قوَّةٍ

يناوي الضعيفَ إذا استضعفه

يناوي الضعيفَ إذا استضعفه

And not everyone who possesses strength

Not everyone who was strong,

turns against the weak when he deems him weak.

Intends the weak if he becomes weak.

وزعَّمني صدفاً خاوياً

وزعَّمني صدفاً خاوياً

من الدرِّ مثل الذي صرَّفَه

من الدرِّ مثل الذي صرَّفَه

And he claimed I was a shell devoid

And he claimed I was an empty shell,

of pearls, like the one he cast aside.

Of pearls like the one he threw around.

ولو شئتُ عرَّفتُه مَن أنا

ولو شئتُ عرَّفتُه مَن أنا

وإن كانَ لي جيِّد المعرفَه

وإن كانَ لي جيِّد المعرفَه

And had I wished, I would have shown him who I am,

And if I wanted, I would let him know who I am,

even though he knows me well.

Even if he has good knowledge of me.

وإبليس يعرف مَن رَبُّه

وإبليس يعرف مَن رَبُّه

ولكنَّ طغيانه سرَّفه

ولكنَّ طغيانه سرَّفه

And Iblis knows who his Lord is,

And Satan knows who his Lord is,

yet his rebellion drove him to excess.

But his tyranny has led him astray.

سأحلم حتى يقولوا شأى

سأحلم حتى يقولوا شأى

معاويةَ الحلمَ أو أحنَفَه

معاويةَ الحلمَ أو أحنَفَه

I shall forbear until they say: 'He surpassed

I will be forbearing until they say whatever,

forbearance's Muawiya, or its Ahnaf.'

Mu'awiyah has forbearance or lacked it.

لأن ركائب عهد الوفا

لأن ركائب عهد الوفا

على طلل العهد مستعطَفَه

على طلل العهد مستعطَفَه

For the mounts of the covenant of fidelity

For the mounts of loyalty are still

are turned back toward the covenant's ruined campsite.

Placating the ruins of the covenant that softened it.

وما أولَعَ المرء بالموبقات

وما أولَعَ المرء بالموبقات

وعند الحقائق ما أضعفَه

وعند الحقائق ما أضعفَه

And how eager man is for ruinous sins,

And the person is not obsessed with sins,

and how weak he is before realities!

And in the face of truths what weakened him?

تراني أُحَبِّكُ طول الحياة

تراني أُحَبِّكُ طول الحياة

لساناً بما ساءَه أو شَفَه

لساناً بما ساءَه أو شَفَه

Do you see me weaving, all my life,

You see me loving you all my life,

a tongue from what offended him or wore him down?

A tongue that displeased or healed him.

أأهجوه حتّى يقول الأنامُ

أأهجوه حتّى يقول الأنامُ

أنَصرٌ هجاه لقد شرَّفَه

أنَصرٌ هجاه لقد شرَّفَه

Shall I satirize him, so that people say:

Shall I satirize him until the people say:

'Was it Nasr who satirized him? He has surely honored him!'

“Victory satirized him, he has honored him.”

وسَل مَن تعرَّض لي في الهجا

وسَل مَن تعرَّض لي في الهجا

ءِ عن عِرضِه أين قد خَلَّفَه

ءِ عن عِرضِه أين قد خَلَّفَه

And ask whoever challenged me in satire

And ask whoever attacked me in satire,

about his honor—where did he leave it?

About his honor, where he left it.

وذو الجهل ينصف من ضامه

وذو الجهل ينصف من ضامه

سَفاهاً ويظلم من أنصَفَه

سَفاهاً ويظلم من أنصَفَه

And the ignorant man treats fairly whoever wrongs him,

And the ignorant does justice to those he has wronged foolishly,

out of folly, and wrongs whoever treats him fairly.

And oppresses those who did him justice.