أَساؤَني بِسوءِ الصُنعِ أَهلي

أَساؤَني بِسوءِ الصُنعِ أَهلي

وَعَنّي ما كَرِهتُ لَهُ أَذاعوا

وَعَنّي ما كَرِهتُ لَهُ أَذاعوا

My kin wronged me with their ill deeds,

My family wronged me with ill treatment

And spread about me what I would hate said of them.

And spread what I disliked about myself

وَقالوا ما يَضيقُ لَدَيهِ صَدري

وَقالوا ما يَضيقُ لَدَيهِ صَدري

وَعَن تَسطيرِهِ كُلَّ اليَراعُ

وَعَن تَسطيرِهِ كُلَّ اليَراعُ

And said what makes my breast grow tight,

And said what would make my chest tighten

And the pen grew weary of setting it down.

While the spies spread every slander

وَحالوا بَينَ ما أَبغي وَبَيني

وَحالوا بَينَ ما أَبغي وَبَيني

وَأَدنوني لِما فيهِ اِتِّضاعُ

وَأَدنوني لِما فيهِ اِتِّضاعُ

And came between me and what I seek,

And they obstructed what I desired from me

And drew me toward what brings abasement.

And brought me closer to what contains humility

عَصوا أَمرَ المُهَيمِنِ في صَلاحي

عَصوا أَمرَ المُهَيمِنِ في صَلاحي

وَلِلشَيطانِ في تَلَفي أَطاعوا

وَلِلشَيطانِ في تَلَفي أَطاعوا

They disobeyed the Guardian's command concerning my welfare,

They disobeyed the order of the Overseer in my reform

And obeyed Satan in bringing about my ruin.

And obeyed Satan in my ruin

فَقُلتُ وَأَعيُني تَبكي دِماءَ

فَقُلتُ وَأَعيُني تَبكي دِماءَ

بِكاءِ فَتىً نَبَتَ عَنهُ البِقاعُ

بِكاءِ فَتىً نَبَتَ عَنهُ البِقاعُ

So I said, while my eyes wept blood,

So I said, while my eyes weep blood

With the weeping of a youth whom the lands have shunned:

The weeping of a young man from whom plains have sprouted

أَيا أَسَفاهُ مَن أَرجو بَقاهُم

أَيا أَسَفاهُ مَن أَرجو بَقاهُم

أَضاعوني وَأَيُّ فَتى أَضاعوا

أَضاعوني وَأَيُّ فَتى أَضاعوا

Alas! Those whose survival I hope for

Oh what a loss, those I hoped for their survival

Have forsaken me—and what a youth they have forsaken!

They ruined me, and what a young man they have ruined