أَعَتباً عَلَينا يا ظَلومُ فَنُعتِبُ

أَعَتباً عَلَينا يا ظَلومُ فَنُعتِبُ

وَإِن كُنتُ لَم أُحوِجكُمُ أَن تَعتَّبوا

وَإِن كُنتُ لَم أُحوِجكُمُ أَن تَعتَّبوا

Do you reproach us, O Zalum, so that we may make amends,

Blaming me, o unjust one, so I must make excuses

though I have given you no cause for reproach?

Though I did not compel you to blame

ظَلومُ تَرى الإِحسانَ مِنّي إِساءَةً

ظَلومُ تَرى الإِحسانَ مِنّي إِساءَةً

وَتُذنِبُ أَحياناً إِلَينا وَتَغضَبُ

وَتُذنِبُ أَحياناً إِلَينا وَتَغضَبُ

Zalum sees my kindness as an offense,

Unjust one, you see my kindness as wrongdoing

and sometimes wrongs us and grows angry.

And sometimes you wrong me and get angry

فَيا عَجَباً لِلعَينِ إِن فاضَ دَمعُها

فَيا عَجَباً لِلعَينِ إِن فاضَ دَمعُها

وَإِن كانَ أَن تَرقى دُموعِيَ أَعجَبُ

وَإِن كانَ أَن تَرقى دُموعِيَ أَعجَبُ

How strange it is if the eye's tears overflow,

What a wonder for the eye if its tears overflow

though stranger still is that my tears should cease.

And if it's more wondrous my tears would flow

تَقَرَّبتُ بِالإِحسانِ مِنها فَزادَني

تَقَرَّبتُ بِالإِحسانِ مِنها فَزادَني

بُعاداً فَما أَدري بِما أَتَقَرَّبُ

بُعاداً فَما أَدري بِما أَتَقَرَّبُ

I sought to draw near her through kindness, but it increased my

I tried to get close with kindness yet it distanced me

distance; so I do not know how to draw near.

I know not how else I should try to get close

تَجَنَّبتُكُم لا عَن قِلاً لِوِصالِكُم

تَجَنَّبتُكُم لا عَن قِلاً لِوِصالِكُم

وَلَكِن ليُرضِيَكِ القِلى وَالتَجَنُّبُ

وَلَكِن ليُرضِيَكِ القِلى وَالتَجَنُّبُ

I avoided you, not from aversion to union with you,

I avoided you not from disinterest in your company

but so that aversion and avoidance might please you.

But so separation would please you, and avoidance