أعيش لأهلي لا أريد ثناءهم

أعيش لأهلي لا أريد ثناءهم

جزاءً وربي شاهدٌ ومجاز

جزاءً وربي شاهدٌ ومجاز

I live for my people, not seeking their praise

I live for my family, I do not want their praise

as recompense; and my Lord is witness and requiter.

As a reward, and my Lord is a witness and judge

رضي اللَه عني لو كسبت حقيقةٌ

رضي اللَه عني لو كسبت حقيقةٌ

أأغفل عنها باكتساب مجاز

أأغفل عنها باكتساب مجاز

God’s approval of me, were I to earn it, is real;

May God be pleased with me if I earn the truth

shall I neglect it to gain a metaphor?

Shall I neglect it by earning mere poetry?

وللناس من لا أطيق سماعه

وللناس من لا أطيق سماعه

كصوت مغن في قرار نشاز

كصوت مغن في قرار نشاز

And among people is one I cannot bear to hear,

And people have those whom I cannot bear to hear

like a singer’s voice in an off-key low register.

Like the voice of a singer in the abode of revelry

وأثقل ما ترمي به الأذن لفظةٌ

وأثقل ما ترمي به الأذن لفظةٌ

يريد بها منا ربيب مخازِ

يريد بها منا ربيب مخازِ

And the heaviest thing hurled at the ear is a word

And the hardest thing on the ear is an expression

with which a fosterling of disgrace means to boast of his favors.

With which a foster child seeks to trick us