أَبا أَحْمَدٍ كَيْفَ اسْتَجزْتَ جَفائِي

أَبا أَحْمَدٍ كَيْفَ اسْتَجزْتَ جَفائِي

وَكَيْفَ أُضِيعَتْ خُلَّتِي وَإِخائِي

وَكَيْفَ أُضِيعَتْ خُلَّتِي وَإِخائِي

Abu Ahmad, how could you deem it right to treat me coldly?

O Abu Ahmad, how could you bear my aloofness

And how were my friendship and brotherhood cast aside?

And how was my intimacy and brotherhood lost?

وَهَبْنِي حُرِمْتُ الْجُودَ عِنْدَ طِلابِهِ

وَهَبْنِي حُرِمْتُ الْجُودَ عِنْدَ طِلابِهِ

فَكَيْفَ حُرِمْتُ الْبِشْرَ عِنْدَ لِقائِي

فَكَيْفَ حُرِمْتُ الْبِشْرَ عِنْدَ لِقائِي

And grant that I was denied generosity when I sought it—

My generosity brought me dignity among seekers

Then how was I denied a smile when you met me?

Yet how did I lose the joy of seeing loved ones?

نأَيْتَ عَلى قُرْبٍ مِنَ الدّارِ بَيْنَنا

نأَيْتَ عَلى قُرْبٍ مِنَ الدّارِ بَيْنَنا

وَكُلُّ قَرِيبٍ لا يَوَدُّكَ نائِي

وَكُلُّ قَرِيبٍ لا يَوَدُّكَ نائِي

You drew away, though our homes are close together;

You came close to my home though distance was between us

And anyone nearby who does not love you is far away.

While each close one does not wish you to be near

كَأَنَّكَ لَمْ تُصْمِ الْحَسُودَ بِمَنْطِقِي

كَأَنَّكَ لَمْ تُصْمِ الْحَسُودَ بِمَنْطِقِي

وَلَمْ تُلْبِسِ الأَيّامَ ثَوْبَ ثَنائِي

وَلَمْ تُلْبِسِ الأَيّامَ ثَوْبَ ثَنائِي

As though you had never slain the envier with my words,

As if you never silenced the envious with my words

And never clothed the days in the robe of my praise.

Nor dressed the days in the garb of my praise

لَئِنْ كانَ عُزِّي قَبْلَها عَنْ مَوَدَّةٍ

لَئِنْ كانَ عُزِّي قَبْلَها عَنْ مَوَدَّةٍ

صَدِيقٌ لَقَدْ حُقَّ الْغَدَاةَ عَزائِي

صَدِيقٌ لَقَدْ حُقَّ الْغَدَاةَ عَزائِي

If, before this, consolation for lost affection was offered

If my pride before was from a friend's affection

To a friend, then this morning consolation is surely due to me.

A friend - the morning's right made my pride grief

وَفي أَيِّ مَأْمُولٍ يَصِحُّ لآمِلٍ

وَفي أَيِّ مَأْمُولٍ يَصِحُّ لآمِلٍ

رَجاءٌ إذا ما اعْتَلَّ فِيكَ رَجائِي

رَجاءٌ إذا ما اعْتَلَّ فِيكَ رَجائِي

And in whom can one who hopes find sound

And what hope can be proper for a hopeful one

Hope, if my hope in you has fallen ill?

If my hope in you is gone and failed?

أُعِيذُكَ بِالنَّفْسِ الْكَرِيمَةِ أَنْ تُرى

أُعِيذُكَ بِالنَّفْسِ الْكَرِيمَةِ أَنْ تُرى

مُخِلاًّ بِفَرْضِ الْجُودِ في الْكُرَماءِ

مُخِلاًّ بِفَرْضِ الْجُودِ في الْكُرَماءِ

By your noble soul, I seek to shield you from being seen

I implore you by your noble soul not to appear

Neglecting the duty of generosity among the generous;

Breaking the duty of generosity among the generous

وَبِالْخُلُقِ السَّهْلِ الَّذِي لَوْ سَقَيْتَهُ

وَبِالْخُلُقِ السَّهْلِ الَّذِي لَوْ سَقَيْتَهُ

غَليلَ الثَّرى لَمْ يَرْضَ بَعْدُ بِماءِ

غَليلَ الثَّرى لَمْ يَرْضَ بَعْدُ بِماءِ

And by your gentle nature—if you gave it as drink

And by your easy nature - if you were to give it drink

To the earth's thirst, the earth would never again be content with water.

To the thirst of the land, it still would not be quenched

فَلا تَزْهَدَنْ في صالِحِ الذِّكْرِ إِنَّما

فَلا تَزْهَدَنْ في صالِحِ الذِّكْرِ إِنَّما

يَلِيقُ رِداءُ الْفَضْلِ بِالْفُضَلاءِ

يَلِيقُ رِداءُ الْفَضْلِ بِالْفُضَلاءِ

So never disdain good renown; indeed,

So do not spurn righteous mention - it only befits

The mantle of excellence befits only the excellent.

The mantle of virtue to be worn by the virtuous

فَلَيْسَ بِمَحْظُوظٍ مِنَ الْحَمْدِ مَنْ غَدا

فَلَيْسَ بِمَحْظُوظٍ مِنَ الْحَمْدِ مَنْ غَدا

وَلَيْسَ لَهُ حَظٌّ مِنَ الشُّعَراءِ

وَلَيْسَ لَهُ حَظٌّ مِنَ الشُّعَراءِ

For no one is favored with praise who comes to be

For he who wakes without praise is not fortunate

Without a share among the poets.

And he has no share among the poets