لا وَالَّذي دارَ مِن صُدغَيكَ وَاِنعَطَفا

لا وَالَّذي دارَ مِن صُدغَيكَ وَاِنعَطَفا

وَصارَ نوناً إِذا صَيَّرتَهُ أَلِفا

وَصارَ نوناً إِذا صَيَّرتَهُ أَلِفا

No, by that which curled from your temples and bent,

by the one whose cheekbone twists and turns

and became a nūn when you made it an alif,

and forms a nun when made straight as an alif

ما كُنتُ إِذ خُنتَني إِلّا أَخا ثِقَةِ

ما كُنتُ إِذ خُنتَني إِلّا أَخا ثِقَةِ

لَم تَستَعِض مِنهُ إِذ ضَيَّعتَهُ خَلَفا

لَم تَستَعِض مِنهُ إِذ ضَيَّعتَهُ خَلَفا

when you betrayed me, I was nothing but a trustworthy friend,

when you betrayed me i was but a brother of trust

for whom you found no replacement when you cast him aside.

you found no substitute when you lost and left him behind