أُثني عَلَيكَ وَلي حَالٌ تُكَذِّبُني

أُثني عَلَيكَ وَلي حَالٌ تُكَذِّبُني

فيما أَقولُ فَأَستَحيي مِنَ الناسِ

فيما أَقولُ فَأَستَحيي مِنَ الناسِ

I praise you, though my condition belies me

I praise you though my state belies me,

in what I say, so I feel ashamed before people.

In what I say I'm shamed before all people.

قَد قُلتُ إِنَّ أَبا حَفصٍ لأَكرَمُ مَن

قَد قُلتُ إِنَّ أَبا حَفصٍ لأَكرَمُ مَن

يَمشي فَخالَفَني في ذاكَ إِفلاسي

يَمشي فَخالَفَني في ذاكَ إِفلاسي

I have said that Abu Hafs is indeed the most generous of those

I said Abu Hafs is the noblest man who walks—

who walk, yet my pennilessness contradicted me in that—

My friend denied me in this and shamed me.

حَتّى إِذا قيلَ ما أَعطاكَ مِن صَفَدٍ

حَتّى إِذا قيلَ ما أَعطاكَ مِن صَفَدٍ

طَأطَأتُ مِن سوءِ حالٍ عِندَها راسي

طَأطَأتُ مِن سوءِ حالٍ عِندَها راسي

until, when I was asked, “What gift has he given you?”

When asked what gifts he gave me from Safad,

I bowed my head then, because of my wretched condition.

I bowed my head in sorrow, for he’d given me none.