يا اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ أَلَم تَسمَع لِذا العَجَبِ

يا اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ أَلَم تَسمَع لِذا العَجَبِ

لَم أَقضِ مِنهُ وَلا مِن حُبِّهِ أَرَبي

لَم أَقضِ مِنهُ وَلا مِن حُبِّهِ أَرَبي

O Ibn al-Zubayr, have you not heard of this wonder?

O son of Zubair, have you not heard this wonder

O Son of al-Zubayr, have you not heard of this wonder?

I have not satisfied my desire through him, nor through his love.

I have not fulfilled it, nor sated my love for him

I have not yet satisfied my desire for him, nor for his love.

ذاكَ الَّذي كُنتُ في نَفسي أَظُنُّ بِهِ

ذاكَ الَّذي كُنتُ في نَفسي أَظُنُّ بِهِ

خَيراً وَأَرفَعُهُ عَن سورَةِ الكَذِبِ

خَيراً وَأَرفَعُهُ عَن سورَةِ الكَذِبِ

That one of whom, within myself, I used to think

He whom I thought well of in my soul

He is the one of whom I used to think, within my soul,

well, and whom I held above the surge of falsehood,

And deemed virtuous, far from falsehood's stain

Only good, holding him far above the nature of lies.

أَضحى تَجَنَّبَ حَتّى لَستُ أَعرِفُهُ

أَضحى تَجَنَّبَ حَتّى لَستُ أَعرِفُهُ

وَما اِكتَسَبتُ بِحُبّي جُرمَ مُجتَنِبِ

وَما اِكتَسَبتُ بِحُبّي جُرمَ مُجتَنِبِ

has come to shun me, so that I no longer recognize him.

Has now avoided me, till I no longer know him

He has turned away until I no longer recognize him,

Nor, in my love, have I incurred the guilt of one who shuns.

Though my love brought no crime deserving this avoidance

Though I committed no crime in my love to warrant such avoidance.

فَقُل لَهُ ذَهَبَ الإِحسانُ يا سَكَني

فَقُل لَهُ ذَهَبَ الإِحسانُ يا سَكَني

هَبني أَسَأتُ فَأَينَ العَفوُ يا بِأَبي

هَبني أَسَأتُ فَأَينَ العَفوُ يا بِأَبي

So tell him: kindness has gone, O my solace.

Say to him: kindness has gone, dweller of my heart

So say to him: Is kindness gone, O my solace?

Suppose I did wrong—where is forgiveness, O you whom I would ransom with my father?

I erred, so where is forgiveness, O father of my father?

Suppose I did wrong—where is the forgiveness, O you for whom my father would be ransom?

قَد كُنتُ أَحسِبُني أَرقى بِمَنزِلَةٍ

قَد كُنتُ أَحسِبُني أَرقى بِمَنزِلَةٍ

لا يُستَهانُ بِها في الجِدِّ وَاللَعِبِ

لا يُستَهانُ بِها في الجِدِّ وَاللَعِبِ

I had thought I was rising to a station

I thought I had a status, not lightly held

I used to deem myself of a high standing with you,

not to be slighted, in earnest or in play,

In earnest and in jest, till from you came

One not to be slighted, neither in seriousness nor in jest.

حَتّى أَتى مِنكَ ما قَد كُنتُ أَحذَرُهُ

حَتّى أَتى مِنكَ ما قَد كُنتُ أَحذَرُهُ

يُردي إِلَيَّ فَأَرداني وَنَكَّلَ بي

يُردي إِلَيَّ فَأَرداني وَنَكَّلَ بي

until there came from you what I had feared,

What I had feared would ruin and cast me down

Until there came from you the very thing I feared,

rushing toward me; it laid me low and dealt cruelly with me.

Till when will estrangement gloat over our envier

Bringing ruin to me; it destroyed me and made a severe example of me.

حَتّى مَتى يُشمِتُ الهِجرانُ حاسِدَنا

حَتّى مَتى يُشمِتُ الهِجرانُ حاسِدَنا

في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَنا نَوعٌ مِنَ الصَخَبِ

في كُلِّ يَومٍ لَنا نَوعٌ مِنَ الصَخَبِ

How long will estrangement make our envier gloat?

Each day we have some new disgrace

How long will this estrangement cause our enviers to rejoice,

Each day we have some kind of uproar.

Do not our natures rise above estrangement and wrath?

While every day brings us some new kind of clamor?

أَما تُنَزِّهُنا عَن ذا خَلائِقُنا

أَما تُنَزِّهُنا عَن ذا خَلائِقُنا

أَما كَبُرنا عَنِ الهِجرانِ وَالغَضَبِ

أَما كَبُرنا عَنِ الهِجرانِ وَالغَضَبِ

Do not our natures keep us above this?

By God, if not for caring what people say

Do our noble natures not raise us above this?

Have we not outgrown estrangement and anger?

I would not credit you with knowledge or manners

Have we not outgrown this abandonment and anger?

وَاللَهِ لَولا الحَيا مِمَّن يُفَنِّدُني

وَاللَهِ لَولا الحَيا مِمَّن يُفَنِّدُني

لَما نَسَبتُكَ ذا عِلمٍ وَذا أَدَبِ

لَما نَسَبتُكَ ذا عِلمٍ وَذا أَدَبِ

By God, were it not for shame before those who call me foolish,

By God, were it not for shame before those who would rebuke me,

I would not have called you a man of learning and refinement.

I would not have attributed to you any wisdom or refinement.