حَذِرتُكُمُ وكم للّهِ عندي

حَذِرتُكُمُ وكم للّهِ عندي

صنيعٌ في كفايتِهِ حِذاري

صنيعٌ في كفايتِهِ حِذاري

I was wary of you; how often has God shown me

I warned you, and how much I have with God

kindness in shielding me from what I fear!

My work suffices me, so beware of me

وَلَو أنّي أشاءُ لَكنتْ مِنكمْ

وَلَو أنّي أشاءُ لَكنتْ مِنكمْ

مكانَ النّجمِ في الفلك المُدارِ

مكانَ النّجمِ في الفلك المُدارِ

And if I wished, I would stand among you

If I wanted, I would have been among you

in the star's place within the revolving sphere.

In place of the star in its orbit

وَلَم أَرَ مِنكُمُ إلّا خُطوباً

وَلَم أَرَ مِنكُمُ إلّا خُطوباً

فَلولا الشّيبُ شاب لها عذاري

فَلولا الشّيبُ شاب لها عذاري

Yet I have seen nothing from you but calamities;

Yet I saw nothing from you but misfortunes

had I not already been gray, they would have grayed my sideburns.

If not for old age, youth would have avenged me

رَددتم رَبَّ آمالٍ طِوالٍ

رَددتم رَبَّ آمالٍ طِوالٍ

يلوذ بكمْ بآمالٍ قصارِ

يلوذ بكمْ بآمالٍ قصارِ

You sent back a man with far-reaching hopes,

You disappointed many hopes, long and vast

who sought refuge with you, with hopes cut short.

Seeking refuge in you with short hopes

وَكُنتُ وَقَد حَططتُ بكمْ رِحالي

وَكُنتُ وَقَد حَططتُ بكمْ رِحالي

نزلتُ بكمْ على غير اِختيارِ

نزلتُ بكمْ على غير اِختيارِ

And, having set down my baggage among you,

I had intended to settle with you

I had lodged with you not of my own choosing.

Yet I settled with you against my will

فَلا خَصِبَتْ بلادُكُمُ بجَدْبٍ

فَلا خَصِبَتْ بلادُكُمُ بجَدْبٍ

ولا جيدَتْ بأنواءٍ غِزارِ

ولا جيدَتْ بأنواءٍ غِزارِ

So may your lands lie barren with drought,

Your lands were not fertile, yet barren

and never be watered by abundant rainstorms.

Nor did they rain heavy showers

ولا نظرتْ عيونٌ مُدْلِجاتٌ

ولا نظرتْ عيونٌ مُدْلِجاتٌ

بهنّ على الظّلام ضِياءَ نارِ

بهنّ على الظّلام ضِياءَ نارِ

Nor may the eyes of night travelers behold

No bright eyes looked

in them, against the darkness, the light of a fire.

With delight through the darkness for the light of fire

وإنّي آملٌ فيكمْ وشيكاً

وإنّي آملٌ فيكمْ وشيكاً

وإنْ موطلتُ عنه بلوغَ ثاري

وإنْ موطلتُ عنه بلوغَ ثاري

And I hope soon to exact upon you—

I hope in you, soon

even if I am kept waiting for it—my revenge.

Even if I delay taking my vengeance