لي سَيِّدٌ قَد سامَني الخَسفا

لي سَيِّدٌ قَد سامَني الخَسفا

أَكدى مِنَ المَعروفِ أَم أَصفى

أَكدى مِنَ المَعروفِ أَم أَصفى

I have a master who has subjected me to humiliation.

I have a master who has made me taste bitterness,

Has he ceased doing good, or has his wealth run out?

Is he more generous or more pure?

أَستُرُ ماغَيَّرَ مِن رَأيِهِ

أَستُرُ ماغَيَّرَ مِن رَأيِهِ

أُريدُ أَن يَخفى فَما يَخفى

أُريدُ أَن يَخفى فَما يَخفى

I conceal his change of attitude;

I conceal what he has changed of his opinion,

I wish it hidden, but it will not stay hidden.

I want it to be hidden yet it is not hidden.

داعَبَني بِالمَطلِ مُستَأنِياً

داعَبَني بِالمَطلِ مُستَأنِياً

وَعَدَّهُ مِن فِعلِهِ ظَرفا

وَعَدَّهُ مِن فِعلِهِ ظَرفا

He toyed with me by stalling, taking his time,

He toyed with me by prolonging,

and deemed it wit on his part.

And he counted that of his action as courtesy.

قَد كُنتَ مِن أَبعَدِهِم هِمَّةً

قَد كُنتَ مِن أَبعَدِهِم هِمَّةً

عِندي وَمِن أَجوَدِهِم كَفّا

عِندي وَمِن أَجوَدِهِم كَفّا

You were indeed among the loftiest in aspiration,

You had been among the farthest of them in resolve

in my eyes, and among the most generous of hand.

To me, and among the most generous of them in palm.

المائَةُ الدينارُ مَنسِيَّةٌ

المائَةُ الدينارُ مَنسِيَّةٌ

في عِدَةٍ أَشبَعتَها خُلفا

في عِدَةٍ أَشبَعتَها خُلفا

The hundred dinars lie forgotten

The hundred dinars are forgotten

in a promise you have filled with broken faith.

In a number you have saturated doubly.

لا صِدقُ إِسماعيلَ فيها وَلا

لا صِدقُ إِسماعيلَ فيها وَلا

وَفاءُ إِبراهيمَ إِذ وَفّى

وَفاءُ إِبراهيمَ إِذ وَفّى

It holds neither Ishmael's truthfulness nor

Neither the truth of Ishmael in it nor

Abraham's faithfulness when he kept faith.

The loyalty of Abraham when he was loyal.

إِن كُنتَ لا تَنوي نَجاحاً لَها

إِن كُنتَ لا تَنوي نَجاحاً لَها

فَكَيفَ لاتَجعَلُها أَلفا

فَكَيفَ لاتَجعَلُها أَلفا

If you do not intend to fulfill it,

If you do not intend success for it

then why not make it a thousand?

Then how can you not make it a thousand?

هَل لَكَ في الصُلحِ فَأُعفيكَ مِن

هَل لَكَ في الصُلحِ فَأُعفيكَ مِن

نِصفٍ وَتَستَأنِفُ لي نِصفا

نِصفٍ وَتَستَأنِفُ لي نِصفا

Would you agree to a settlement, so I release you from

Do you have reconciliation, so I exempt you

half, and you pledge me half anew?

From half and you start over to me half?

أَو تَترُكَ الوُدَّ عَلى حالِهِ

أَو تَترُكَ الوُدَّ عَلى حالِهِ

وَتَستَوي أَقدامُنا صَفّا

وَتَستَوي أَقدامُنا صَفّا

Or leave our friendship as it is,

Or you leave the affection as it is

and let our feet stand level in one rank.

And our feet line up equally?

إِنَّ الَّذي يَثقُلُ أَهلٌ لِأَن

إِنَّ الَّذي يَثقُلُ أَهلٌ لِأَن

يُضرَبَ عَنهُ لِلَّذي خَفّا

يُضرَبَ عَنهُ لِلَّذي خَفّا

Indeed, one who is burdensome deserves to be

Indeed, he who is too heavy for a people

passed over for one who is light.

Is to be dismissed for the one who was light.