قُلْ للّذين إذا دَعوْا

قُلْ للّذين إذا دَعوْا

يوماً إلى شَطَطٍ أبيتُ

يوماً إلى شَطَطٍ أبيتُ

Tell those who, when they once called

Tell those who, when they called

me to excess, found I refused;

one day to injustice, met my refusal,

وإذا أمرتُهُمُ كأن

وإذا أمرتُهُمُ كأن

ني إذ أمرتُهُمُ نَهيتُ

ني إذ أمرتُهُمُ نَهيتُ

and when I commanded them, it was as though

and when I commanded them, it was as though

I, in commanding them, had forbidden them:

I had forbidden them when I commanded them:

لكُمُ الوِهادُ وليس لِي

لكُمُ الوِهادُ وليس لِي

إلّا مَع العَيّوقِ بيتُ

إلّا مَع العَيّوقِ بيتُ

Yours are the lowlands, while for me

Yours are the lowlands, while I have

there is no home but beside al-ʿAyyūq.

no dwelling except beside al-ʿAyyūq.

كم ذا ضلّلتُمْ في طري

كم ذا ضلّلتُمْ في طري

قٍ للمكارمِ وَاِهتَديتُ

قٍ للمكارمِ وَاِهتَديتُ

How long you strayed upon the path—

How often you strayed on a path

the path of noble deeds—while I found my way.

to noble deeds, while I found the way!

ولَكَمْ كفيتُكُمُ المُلِم

ولَكَمْ كفيتُكُمُ المُلِم

مَ وليس كافٍ إذ ونيتُ

مَ وليس كافٍ إذ ونيتُ

How often I saved you from calamity,

And how often I spared you calamity,

though none sustained me when I faltered.

yet there was no helper when I faltered.

ولَكَمْ جنيتُمْ فافتدي

ولَكَمْ جنيتُمْ فافتدي

تُ وما فديتمْ لو جنيتُ

تُ وما فديتمْ لو جنيتُ

How often you incurred guilt, and I paid the ransom,

And how often you offended, and I paid your ransom,

while you would not ransom me, were I to sin.

yet you would not ransom me if I offended.

وحَرمتُمُ مَنْ لو أتا

وحَرمتُمُ مَنْ لو أتا

نِي يومَ مسبغةٍ قريتُ

نِي يومَ مسبغةٍ قريتُ

You denied the man who, had he come

And you deprived one whom, had he come

to me on a day of famine, I would have feasted.

to me on a day of famine, I would have hosted.

وأَبَحْتُمُ حَرَماً لكمْ

وأَبَحْتُمُ حَرَماً لكمْ

لو كان يُحمى بِي حميتُ

لو كان يُحمى بِي حميتُ

And you profaned a sanctuary of your own

And you laid open a sanctuary of yours;

which, had it depended on me, I would have defended.

had its protection depended on me, I would have protected it.

لا تَطمَعوا فيما بَلغ

لا تَطمَعوا فيما بَلغ

تُ وَما أَتيتُمْ ما أتيتُ

تُ وَما أَتيتُمْ ما أتيتُ

Do not aspire to what I have attained,

Do not aspire to what I have attained,

when you have not done what I have done.

and you have not accomplished what I have accomplished.

وَتَجنّبوا مَعِيَ الدّها

وَتَجنّبوا مَعِيَ الدّها

ءَ فلو دهيتُكُمُ دَهَيْتُ

ءَ فلو دهيتُكُمُ دَهَيْتُ

Do not engage me in cunning,

And avoid guile in dealing with me,

for if I played you at guile, I would prove its master.

for if I outwitted you, I would outwit you indeed.

قوموا أروني منكُمُ

قوموا أروني منكُمُ

بعضَ الجميلِ فقد أريتُ

بعضَ الجميلِ فقد أريتُ

Come, show me from among you

Rise; show me, on your part,

some noble deed—for I have shown you many.

some kindness, for I have shown it.

وفعلتُ ضدَّ فِعالكمْ

وفعلتُ ضدَّ فِعالكمْ

لمّا غَدرتمْ بي وفيتُ

لمّا غَدرتمْ بي وفيتُ

I acted contrary to your conduct:

And I acted contrary to your conduct:

when you betrayed me, I kept faith.

when you betrayed me, I kept faith.

لا تَهدِموا ما قَد بنا

لا تَهدِموا ما قَد بنا

هُ لَكُمْ كِرامٌ وَاِبتَنيتُ

هُ لَكُمْ كِرامٌ وَاِبتَنيتُ

Do not tear down what noble men

Do not tear down what has already been built

have built for you, and what I too have built.

for you by noble men, and what I have built.

إِنّي فَعولٌ إذ أقو

إِنّي فَعولٌ إذ أقو

لُ وإنْ خلقتُ فقد فريتُ

لُ وإنْ خلقتُ فقد فريتُ

I am a man of action: when I say

I am a man of deeds when I speak;

a thing, I do it; what I lay out, I carry through.

and if I have measured it out, I have indeed cut it.

ولئنْ عصيتُ فللَّذي

ولئنْ عصيتُ فللَّذي

يدعو إلى سَعَةٍ عصيتُ

يدعو إلى سَعَةٍ عصيتُ

And if I rebelled, it was in the cause of one

And if I have disobeyed, it was the one

who calls to a broader way that I rebelled.

who calls to ease whom I disobeyed.

وإذا جزيتُ على القبي

وإذا جزيتُ على القبي

حِ بمثلِهِ فقدِ اِعتديتُ

حِ بمثلِهِ فقدِ اِعتديتُ

And if I requite an ugly deed

And if I repay a vile deed

in kind, then I have transgressed.

with its like, I have indeed transgressed.

وَإذا حويتُ فَللتكر

وَإذا حويتُ فَللتكر

رُمِ ما ملكتُ وما حويتُ

رُمِ ما ملكتُ وما حويتُ

Whatever I gather is for the sake of

And if I have amassed, it is for generosity—

generosity—all that I own and acquire.

all that I have owned and all that I have amassed.

ما سرّني أنِّي خرق

ما سرّني أنِّي خرق

تُ إهابَ جسمي وَاِشتَفيتُ

تُ إهابَ جسمي وَاِشتَفيتُ

It would give me no joy if I tore

It would not please me to tear

the skin of my own body and thus took satisfaction.

the hide of my own body and gratify my anger.

خُذها فَلَولا أَنّها

خُذها فَلَولا أَنّها

كانت على عَجَلٍ مضيتُ

كانت على عَجَلٍ مضيتُ

Take these verses—had they not

Take it; for had it not

been made in haste, I would have continued.

been made in haste, I would have continued.

وَإِذا اِختصَرْتُ فإنّني

وَإِذا اِختصَرْتُ فإنّني

روّيت جهدي أو غَطَيْتُ

روّيت جهدي أو غَطَيْتُ

And if I have been brief, then I have

And if I have been brief, then I

pondered to my utmost—or kept much veiled.

have pondered as best I could, or kept things veiled.

وإذا سترتُ فمن يقد

وإذا سترتُ فمن يقد

درُ أنّنِي أهلي عنيتُ

درُ أنّنِي أهلي عنيتُ

And if I kept it veiled, who could

And if I conceal it, who could guess

tell that I meant my own kin?

that it was my own kin I meant?