سَأَلتُ أَبا يوسُفٍ حاجَةً

سَأَلتُ أَبا يوسُفٍ حاجَةً

فَقالَ أَجِئُ بِها في غَدِ

فَقالَ أَجِئُ بِها في غَدِ

I asked Abu Yusuf for a favor.

I asked Abu Yusuf for a favor

So he said, “I shall bring it tomorrow.”

He said he'd grant it the next day

وَأَودَعُ إِنجازَها مَوضِعاً

وَأَودَعُ إِنجازَها مَوضِعاً

مِنَ المَنعِ تَقصُرُ عَنهُ يَدي

مِنَ المَنعِ تَقصُرُ عَنهُ يَدي

And he consigned its fulfillment to a place

And he'd fulfill it in a place

of refusal, beyond my hand’s reach.

That's beyond my grasp in every way

وَلَو كانَ عِندِيَ عِلمٌ بِهِ

وَلَو كانَ عِندِيَ عِلمٌ بِهِ

لَما كُنتُ أَجعَلُهُ مَقصَدي

لَما كُنتُ أَجعَلُهُ مَقصَدي

And had I known about him,

Had I known that it was out of reach

I would not have made him my destination.

I wouldn't have made it my aim

فَإِيّاكَ تَشرَبُ ميعادَهُ

فَإِيّاكَ تَشرَبُ ميعادَهُ

فَتُشرَقَ بِالطَمَعِ الأَنكَدِ

فَتُشرَقَ بِالطَمَعِ الأَنكَدِ

So beware of drinking his promise,

So beware drinking from his promise

lest you choke on the most wretched hope.

Lest with hope you're left distressed

فَكَم سَلَّطَ السِلَّ مِن مِطلِهِ

فَكَم سَلَّطَ السِلَّ مِن مِطلِهِ

فَأَضنى بِهِ جَسَدَ المَوعِدِ

فَأَضنى بِهِ جَسَدَ المَوعِدِ

For how often, through his stalling, he has unleashed consumption,

For how often has hope unleashed

and with it wasted the body of the promise.

Torment on the body of trust

لَعَمري لِخِسَّةُ طَبعِ الفَتى

لَعَمري لِخِسَّةُ طَبعِ الفَتى

تَدُلُّ عَلى خِسَّةِ المَولِدِ

تَدُلُّ عَلى خِسَّةِ المَولِدِ

By my life, the baseness of a man’s nature

By my life a man's lowly nature

points to the baseness of his birth.

Reveals the lowness of his birth