قد أتيناك للسلام فصادفْ

قد أتيناك للسلام فصادفْ

نا على غير ما عهدنا الغلاما

نا على غير ما عهدنا الغلاما

We came to you to offer greetings, and found

We came to you for peace, but found

the servant unlike the way we had known him.

A boy not as we knew before,

وسألناه عنك فاعتلَّ بالنّو

وسألناه عنك فاعتلَّ بالنّو

م وما كان مُنْكراً أن تناما

م وما كان مُنْكراً أن تناما

We asked him about you, and he pleaded

And asked him after you, but he

sleep; there was nothing wrong with your sleeping.

Feigned sleep - no strange thing, to be sure!

غير أن الجواب كان جواباً

غير أن الجواب كان جواباً

سيئاً يُعقِبُ الصديقَ احتشاما

سيئاً يُعقِبُ الصديقَ احتشاما

But the answer was a reply

Only, his answer was an answer

so rude that it left a friend feeling abashed.

Ill-mannered, that should come after

وبصرفنا نوجِّه العُذرَ إلاّ

وبصرفنا نوجِّه العُذرَ إلاّ

نفسَه دون هذه مَنْ أَلاما

نفسَه دون هذه مَنْ أَلاما

And for turning us away, we offer an excuse—except

A friend's respect. We turned and passed

for the one at fault himself, rather than this.

Blame to himself, not her, the lass!