ذَروا آلَ سلمى ظِنَّتي وَتَعَنُّتي

ذَروا آلَ سلمى ظِنَّتي وَتَعَنُّتي

وَما زَلَّ مِنّي إِنَّ مافاتَ فائِتُ

وَما زَلَّ مِنّي إِنَّ مافاتَ فائِتُ

Leave off, Salma’s kin, suspecting me and finding fault with me,

Leave the people of Salmá alone, their suspicions and obstinacy,

and overlook whatever slipped from me: what is past is past.

For nothing remains with me, what is past is gone,

وَلا تُهلِكوني بِالمَلامَةِ إِنَّما

وَلا تُهلِكوني بِالمَلامَةِ إِنَّما

نَطَقتُ قَليلاً ثُمَّ إِنّي لَساكِتُ

نَطَقتُ قَليلاً ثُمَّ إِنّي لَساكِتُ

Do not destroy me with reproach; I only

Do not destroy me with blame, I have spoken only a little,

spoke a little, and now I am surely silent.

Then I was silent,

سَأَسكُتُ حَتّى تَحسِبوني كَأَنَّني

سَأَسكُتُ حَتّى تَحسِبوني كَأَنَّني

مِنَ الجُهدِ في مَرضاتِكُم مُتَماوِتُ

مِنَ الجُهدِ في مَرضاتِكُم مُتَماوِتُ

I shall keep silent until you think me

I will keep silent until you think me as one

half-dead from the effort of pleasing you.

Exhausted from trying to please you, dying,

أَلَم يَكفِكُم أَن قَد مَنَعتُم عَرينَكُم

أَلَم يَكفِكُم أَن قَد مَنَعتُم عَرينَكُم

كَما مَنَعَ الغيلَ الأُسودُ النَواهِتُ

كَما مَنَعَ الغيلَ الأُسودُ النَواهِتُ

Was it not enough for you to defend your lair,

Have you not had enough that you denied me your pastures,

as growling lions defend the thicket?

As the black night denied the lost traveler,

تَصيئُونَ لَحمي كُلَّ يَومٍ كَما عَلا

تَصيئُونَ لَحمي كُلَّ يَومٍ كَما عَلا

نَشيطٌ بِفأسٍ مَعدَنَ البُرمِ ناحِتُ

نَشيطٌ بِفأسٍ مَعدَنَ البُرمِ ناحِتُ

You hack at my flesh each day, just as does

You hack my flesh each day as one brisk and sturdy

a vigorous carver with an axe at a quarry for stone pots.

With an axe hacking the solid rock?