قالوا تَزاوَرَ عِطفُهُ

قالوا تَزاوَرَ عِطفُهُ

وَأَرابَنا إيماضُه

وَأَرابَنا إيماضُه

They said, “His affection has veered away,”

They said: he has turned his shoulder aside,

and his flash has aroused our suspicion.

and his flashes have made us uneasy.

وَأَبى إِباءَ الصَعبِ لا

وَأَبى إِباءَ الصَعبِ لا

يَسطيعُهُ رُوّاضُهُ

يَسطيعُهُ رُوّاضُهُ

He refused with an unbroken mount’s refusal—

And he balked like an unruly mount—not

his trainers cannot master him.

even his trainers can master him.

غَضبانُ سُلَّ خِطامُهُ

غَضبانُ سُلَّ خِطامُهُ

عَنهُ وَحُلَّ إيِاضُهُ

عَنهُ وَحُلَّ إيِاضُهُ

Angry—his halter drawn

He is angry; his halter has been pulled

off him, and his tether loosed.

off him, and his tether undone.

عَطَلَت رُباهُ مِنَ الصَفا

عَطَلَت رُباهُ مِنَ الصَفا

ءِ وَعُرِّيَت أَنقاضُهُ

ءِ وَعُرِّيَت أَنقاضُهُ

His heights stand empty of puri—

His hills stand devoid of purity,

—ty, and his ruins are stripped bare.

and his ruins have been stripped bare.

إِن يَستَعِض مِنّي فَلا

إِن يَستَعِض مِنّي فَلا

مَغبوطَةٌ أَعواضُهُ

مَغبوطَةٌ أَعواضُهُ

If he seeks someone in my stead, none

If he seeks a replacement for me, no

of his substitutes will be envied.

substitute of his is to be envied.

قَد عَزَّ مَن يَعتاضُ مِن

قَد عَزَّ مَن يَعتاضُ مِن

هُ وَذَلَّ مَن يَعتاضُهُ

هُ وَذَلَّ مَن يَعتاضُهُ

How precious the one for whom another is taken;

Honored indeed is whoever finds a replacement for

how lowly the one taken as his substitute.

him; abased is whoever takes him as a replacement.

هَيهاتَ لا أَحبابُهُ

هَيهاتَ لا أَحبابُهُ

مِنّي وَلا أَبغاضُهُ

مِنّي وَلا أَبغاضُهُ

Far from it—neither those he loves

Far from it! Neither his loved ones

nor those he hates are any concern of mine.

nor his enemies have anything to do with me.

ما سَرَّني إِقبالُهُ

ما سَرَّني إِقبالُهُ

فَيَسوءُني إِعراضُهُ

فَيَسوءُني إِعراضُهُ

His approach never gave me joy,

His approach never delighted me,

that his turning away should grieve me.

that his turning away should grieve me.