رخصْت معاملتي على رجلٍ

رخصْت معاملتي على رجلٍ

وليغلُوَنّ عليه ما رَخُصا

وليغلُوَنّ عليه ما رَخُصا

My dealings were held cheap by a man;

I tolerated a man's ill treatment,

And what was cheap shall surely become dear to him.

While he was harsh towards me,

ولأحرصنَّ على قطيعتِهِ

ولأحرصنَّ على قطيعتِهِ

وبعاده أضعافَ ما حرصا

وبعاده أضعافَ ما حرصا

And I shall surely strive to sever ties with him,

And I will be keen to sever ties with him,

And keep far from him, many times more eagerly than he.

Keener by far than he was eager.

ولأشربنَّ على تنقُّصِهِ

ولأشربنَّ على تنقُّصِهِ

حتى كأني لستُ منتقِصا

حتى كأني لستُ منتقِصا

And I shall surely drink despite his disparagement,

And I will gulp down my grievance over him

Until it is as though I were not diminished.

Until it seems I have no grievance.

إذ لا أرى في عيشتي شَرَقاً

إذ لا أرى في عيشتي شَرَقاً

بفراقِهِ كلا ولا غصصا

بفراقِهِ كلا ولا غصصا

For I find no choking in my life

For I see no joy in a life

At parting from him—no, nor any choking pangs.

Without him, no not at all.

ما في فِراق مفارقٍ نَغَصٌ

ما في فِراق مفارقٍ نَغَصٌ

حسبي بذكري حُقرتي نغصا

حسبي بذكري حُقرتي نغصا

There is no distress in parting from one who leaves;

In leaving a leaver there is no sadness,

Remembering my humiliation is distress enough for me.

It is enough that I recall my insignificance is sadness.

من كان أشخصَ قلبَهُ سأمٌ

من كان أشخصَ قلبَهُ سأمٌ

عني فقلبي عنه قد شخصا

عني فقلبي عنه قد شخصا

If weariness has driven his heart away

One whose heart is wearied of me,

From me, my heart has already departed from him.

Then my heart is wearied of him.

ولقد بدا لكن محايدةً

ولقد بدا لكن محايدةً

ولقد جرى لكنه نكصا

ولقد جرى لكنه نكصا

He did come forth, but only to evade;

And he certainly showed impartiality,

He did run, but then retreated.

And he certainly regressed.

ولقد يعود السيف مِقدحةً

ولقد يعود السيف مِقدحةً

ويُبدَّلُ الغصنُ الرطيبُ عصا

ويُبدَّلُ الغصنُ الرطيبُ عصا

Indeed, a sword may become a fire-striker,

And the sword may yet flash fire,

And a fresh, supple branch may be turned into a stick.

And the soft branch turn to rod.