أَسيفَ الدّين قد حمّلتَ ظهري

أَسيفَ الدّين قد حمّلتَ ظهري

عوارفَ لا أُطيق لها اِحتمالا

عوارفَ لا أُطيق لها اِحتمالا

O Sayf al-Din, you have burdened my back

Religion's sword, upon my back

With favors I have no strength to bear.

You've loaded unbearable moralities,

ثقائلَ لو حُملنَ على شَرَوْرى

ثقائلَ لو حُملنَ على شَرَوْرى

لزال بها شَرَوْرى أوْ لمَالا

لزال بها شَرَوْرى أوْ لمَالا

Heavy burdens that, were they laid upon Sharawra,

Had they been placed on a wicked man,

Would make Sharawra shift beneath them, or tilt.

He would have bent or broken from them.

هززتُك صارماً لم ينبُ عنّي

هززتُك صارماً لم ينبُ عنّي

لأمرٍ ما اِرتضيتُ له الرّجالا

لأمرٍ ما اِرتضيتُ له الرّجالا

I brandished you as a keen sword that did not fail me,

I shook you harshly, though no man would,

For a task for which I deemed men unfit.

For something I did not want for men.

فَكنتَ إليَّ أَسرعَ من غمَامٍ

فَكنتَ إليَّ أَسرعَ من غمَامٍ

تبجّسَ أو مسيلَ الشِّعْبِ سالا

تبجّسَ أو مسيلَ الشِّعْبِ سالا

So you came to me swifter than a raincloud

Yet you came to me swifter than clouds

That burst with rain, or a stream flowing through a ravine.

That thunder or a torrent that floods.

ولمّا أنْ سألتُك في مهمٍّ

ولمّا أنْ سألتُك في مهمٍّ

وجدتُك قد سقبتَ به السُّؤالا

وجدتُك قد سقبتَ به السُّؤالا

And when I asked your help in an important matter,

When I asked you about an important thing,

I found you had already anticipated the request in that matter.

I found you had preceded my question.

ومهما كنتَ لِي درعاً حصيناً

ومهما كنتَ لِي درعاً حصيناً

فما أخشى المثقّفَةَ الطِّوالا

فما أخشى المثقّفَةَ الطِّوالا

And so long as you are a strong shield for me,

However much you're my fortress,

I fear no long, straightened spears.

I do not fear the drawn out swords.

وإمّا كنتَ لِي جبلاً منيعاً

وإمّا كنتَ لِي جبلاً منيعاً

فلم ينل العِدا مِنّي مَنالا

فلم ينل العِدا مِنّي مَنالا

And if you are an unassailable mountain for me,

Or you're my unassailable mountain,

Then foes can gain no hold on me.

No enemies could ever ascend you.

وإنّك من أُناسٍ إنْ أغذُّوا

وإنّك من أُناسٍ إنْ أغذُّوا

بطُرْقِ الفضل لم يجدوا الكَلالا

بطُرْقِ الفضل لم يجدوا الكَلالا

And indeed you belong to a people who, if they hasten

You're of those people, if enriched

Along the paths of excellence, find no weariness.

With virtues, would never know tiredness.

فإنْ تقصُرْ فإنْ لها وشيكاً

فإنْ تقصُرْ فإنْ لها وشيكاً

كما تهواه أمثالا طوالا

كما تهواه أمثالا طوالا

So if it is brief, it shall soon have

If you fall short, soon enough,

Long counterparts, just as you desire.

As you wish, examples will abound.

وَلمّا حزتُمُ أملِي أَمرتمْ

وَلمّا حزتُمُ أملِي أَمرتمْ

لساني أنْ يقول لكمْ فقالا

لساني أنْ يقول لكمْ فقالا

And when you fulfilled my hope, you commanded

When you've saddened my hopes, you've ordered

My tongue to speak to you, and it spoke.

My tongue to say these words to you.

وَمَن لم يدّخر عنِّي فعالا

وَمَن لم يدّخر عنِّي فعالا

كريما كيف أذخُرُه المقالا

كريما كيف أذخُرُه المقالا

And whoever has not withheld from me a deed

He who has not stored a generous deed,

Of generosity—how could I withhold my words from him?

How could I store mere words for him?