إِنَّني أَبصَرتُ شَخصاً

إِنَّني أَبصَرتُ شَخصاً

قَد بَدا مِنهُ صُدودُ

قَد بَدا مِنهُ صُدودُ

Indeed, I saw someone

I saw a person

I beheld a certain person,

Who had shown aloofness,

Who seemed impolite

From whom a cold aversion showed,

جالِساً فَوقَ مُصَلّىً

جالِساً فَوقَ مُصَلّىً

وَحَوالَيهِ عَبيدُ

وَحَوالَيهِ عَبيدُ

Seated upon a prayer mat,

Sitting on a prayer mat

Seated there upon a prayer mat,

With slaves all around him.

With slaves around him

With servants waiting in his mode.

فَرَمى بِالطَرفِ نَحوي

فَرَمى بِالطَرفِ نَحوي

وَهوَ بِالطَرفِ يَصيدُ

وَهوَ بِالطَرفِ يَصيدُ

Then he shot a glance toward me,

He glanced at me

He cast a fleeting glance towards me,

While he hunted with his gaze.

As if to hunt me down

And with that glance, he hunts his prey.

ذاكَ في مَكتَبِ حَفصٍ

ذاكَ في مَكتَبِ حَفصٍ

إِنَّ حَفصاً لَسَعيدُ

إِنَّ حَفصاً لَسَعيدُ

That was in Hafs's school;

That was in Hafiz's office

This happened in the school of Hafs—

Indeed, Hafs is fortunate!

Indeed, Hafiz is fortunate

Indeed, a lucky man is he.

قالَ حَفصٌ إِجلِدوهُ

قالَ حَفصٌ إِجلِدوهُ

إِنَّهُ عِندي بَليدُ

إِنَّهُ عِندي بَليدُ

Hafs said, “Flog him!

Hafiz said, whip him

Hafs commanded: "Flog the boy now,

Indeed, he is dull-witted in my view.

He's stupid in my class

For I find him dull and slow;

لَم يَزَل مُذ كانَ في الدَر

لَم يَزَل مُذ كانَ في الدَر

سِ عَنِ الدَرسِ يَحيدُ

سِ عَنِ الدَرسِ يَحيدُ

He has never ceased, since he was in the les-

Ever since he was in school

Ever since he joined the session,

son, to stray from the lesson.”

He strays from his lessons

From his lessons he would go."

كُشِفَت عَنهُ خُزوزٌ

كُشِفَت عَنهُ خُزوزٌ

وَعَنِ الخَزِّ بُرودُ

وَعَنِ الخَزِّ بُرودُ

Silken garments were stripped from him,

His flaws were exposed

Silken robes were lifted from him,

And striped cloaks from over the silk.

As was his poor intellect

And beneath them, cloaks so fine,

ثُمَّ هالوهُ بِسَيرٍ

ثُمَّ هالوهُ بِسَيرٍ

لَيِّنٍ ما فيهِ عودُ

لَيِّنٍ ما فيهِ عودُ

Then they frightened him with a leather strap,

Then they threatened him

Then they struck him with a leather strap,

Soft, with no wood in it.

With soft, harmless punishment

Pliant, with no wooden spine.

عِندَها صاحَ حَبيبي

عِندَها صاحَ حَبيبي

يا مُعَلِّم لا أَعودُ

يا مُعَلِّم لا أَعودُ

At that, my beloved cried out,

At this, my dear cried out

At that moment, my beloved cried:

“Teacher, I won't do it again!”

"Teacher, I won't do it again"

"O Teacher, I'll not sin again!"

قُلتُ يا حَفصُ اِعفُ عَنهُ

قُلتُ يا حَفصُ اِعفُ عَنهُ

إِنَّهُ سَوفَ يُجيدُ

إِنَّهُ سَوفَ يُجيدُ

I said, “Hafs, pardon him;

I said, "Hafiz, let him be

I said, "O Hafs, forgive and pardon,

Indeed, he will do well.”

He will improve, I'm certain"

He surely will excel by then."