إِلَى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو أَخَاً جَافِياً

إِلَى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو أَخَاً جَافِياً

يُضِيْعُ فَأَحْفَظُ فِيْهِ الصَّنِيْعَهْ

يُضِيْعُ فَأَحْفَظُ فِيْهِ الصَّنِيْعَهْ

To God I complain of an unfeeling brother,

To God I complain of a brother estranged,

Who squanders kindness, while I preserve it toward him.

Who turns away so I cherish good will;

إِذَا مَا الوُشَاةُ سَعَوا نَحْوَهُ

إِذَا مَا الوُشَاةُ سَعَوا نَحْوَهُ

أَصَاخَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِأُذْنٍ سَمِيْعَهْ

أَصَاخَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِأُذْنٍ سَمِيْعَهْ

Whenever the slanderers make their way to him,

When slanderers work to lead him astray,

He listens to them with an attentive ear.

He inclines his ear, attentive and keen.

وَتَظْهَرُ لِي مِنْهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوِمٍ

وَتَظْهَرُ لِي مِنْهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوِمٍ

خَلاَئِقُ مُسْتَنْكَرَاتٌ فَظِيْعَهْ

خَلاَئِقُ مُسْتَنْكَرَاتٌ فَظِيْعَهْ

And every day I see in him

Each day brings more proof of his scorn toward me—

Traits abhorrent and appalling.

Acts of contempt too unseemly to feel.

كَثُرْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأمْلَلْتُهُ

كَثُرْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأمْلَلْتُهُ

وَكُلُّ كَثِيْرٍ عَدُوُّ الطَّبِيْعَهْ

وَكُلُّ كَثِيْرٍ عَدُوُّ الطَّبِيْعَهْ

I became too much for him, and so I bored him;

I’ve lavished him with love until I’m replete,

And all excess is nature’s enemy.

For all excess is a burden to bear.

وَإِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ أَنَّ المَلُو

وَإِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ أَنَّ المَلُو

لَ لَيْسَ بِمُرُضِيْهِ إِلاَّ القَطِيْعَهْ

لَ لَيْسَ بِمُرُضِيْهِ إِلاَّ القَطِيْعَهْ

And I know full well that the easily bored person

I know that ignoring him serves me far better

Is pleased by nothing but the severing of ties.

Than bandaging wounds that will never heal.

وَلَكِنَّ نَفْسِي إِذَ اسْتُكْرِهَتْ

وَلَكِنَّ نَفْسِي إِذَ اسْتُكْرِهَتْ

عَلَى الهَجْرِ لِيْسَتْ لَهُ مُسْتَطِيْعَهْ

عَلَى الهَجْرِ لِيْسَتْ لَهُ مُسْتَطِيْعَهْ

But my soul, when forced

But when my soul shrinks from such bitterness,

To forsake him, is incapable of it.

I find I’m too weak to completely forswear.