لا أَستَطيعُ عَلى السُكوتِ تَصَبُّراً

لا أَستَطيعُ عَلى السُكوتِ تَصَبُّراً

وَنَهَيتِني فَأَخافُ أَن أَتَكَلَّما

وَنَهَيتِني فَأَخافُ أَن أَتَكَلَّما

I cannot bear to remain silent,

I cannot bear to keep silent

yet you forbade me, so I fear to speak.

And you forbade me, so I fear to speak

يا ذا الَّذي كَتَبَ الكِتابَ يَسُبُّني

يا ذا الَّذي كَتَبَ الكِتابَ يَسُبُّني

فيهِ فَبالَغَ في الكِتابِ وَأَعجَما

فيهِ فَبالَغَ في الكِتابِ وَأَعجَما

O you who wrote the letter, reviling me

O You who wrote the book cursing me in it

in it, taking great pains with the letter and dotting its letters:

And was excessive in the obscure book

ماذا أَرَدتَ هُديتَ في إِعجامِهِ

ماذا أَرَدتَ هُديتَ في إِعجامِهِ

إِنّي أَراكَ حَسِبتَني لَن أَفهَما

إِنّي أَراكَ حَسِبتَني لَن أَفهَما

What did you intend—may you be guided—by dotting it?

What did you intend, guiding it in obscurity

Indeed, I see you thought I would not understand.

I see you thought I'd never understand

وَكَأَنَّما قَد كانَ فَرَّغَ قَلبَهُ

وَكَأَنَّما قَد كانَ فَرَّغَ قَلبَهُ

لِتَعَلُّمِ الهِجرانِ حَتّى أَحكَما

لِتَعَلُّمِ الهِجرانِ حَتّى أَحكَما

And it was as though he had emptied his heart

As if he had emptied his heart

to learn abandonment, until he mastered it.

To learn estrangement until mastered