أقولُI say لأحداثِto the vicissitudes of النوائبcalamities إذwhen عدتْthey assailed
أقولُ لأحداثِ النوائب إذ عدتْ
عليَّagainst me وأبدتْand they bared حدَّthe sharp edge of أنيابِهاtheir fangs العُصْلِcrooked
عليَّ وأبدتْ حدَّ أنيابِها العُصْلِ
I say to the vicissitudes of calamity, when they assail
When misfortunes attack me and bare their fangs,
me and bare the sharp edges of their crooked fangs:
I say to them, for I do not care about hardship
إليكaway with you! فإنيfor indeed I لاnot أُباليI care بضيقةٍabout a hardship
إليك فإني لا أُبالي بضيقةٍ
يفرِّجُهاrelieves it رأيُthe counsel of الأجلِّthe most illustrious أبيAbu (father of) الفضلِal-Fadl
يفرِّجُها رأيُ الأجلِّ أبي الفضلِ
“Away with you! For I care not for a hardship
That the view of the most noble Fate will dispel -
that the counsel of the most illustrious Abu al-Fadl relieves.”
To you I retreat, for from you I learnt
تعودتُI have grown accustomed منهُfrom him أنْto أُلِمَّI call ببابِهat his door
تعودتُ منهُ أنْ أُلِمَّ ببابِه
شريداًa wanderer وأغدوand I depart منهfrom him مجتمعَgathered together الشملِone's scattered affairs
شريداً وأغدو منه مجتمعَ الشملِ
I have grown accustomed, with him, to calling at his door
To bear with your door, an outcast,
a wanderer, and leaving him with my scattered affairs gathered together.
And from you I rise, my family reunited