قَد طالَ في الوَعدِ الأَمَد

قَد طالَ في الوَعدِ الأَمَد

وَالحُرُّ يُنجِزُ ماوَعَد

وَالحُرُّ يُنجِزُ ماوَعَد

The wait for the promise has indeed grown long.

The promise has been long delayed

And an honorable man fulfills what he has promised.

And the free man fulfills what he promised

وَوَعَدتَني يَومَ الخَمي

وَوَعَدتَني يَومَ الخَمي

سِ فَلا الخَميسُ وَلا الأَحَد

سِ فَلا الخَميسُ وَلا الأَحَد

And you promised me on Thurs—

And you promised me on Thursday

—day; yet neither Thursday nor Sunday brought fulfillment.

Neither Thursday nor Sunday has come

وَإِذا اِقتَضَيتُكَ لَم تَزِد

وَإِذا اِقتَضَيتُكَ لَم تَزِد

عَن قَولِ إي وَاللَهِ غَد

عَن قَولِ إي وَاللَهِ غَد

And whenever I press you for what is due, you go no further

And when I asked you, you did not increase

Than saying, 'Yes, by God—tomorrow.'

Beyond saying "yes, by God, tomorrow"

فَأَعُدُّ أَيّاماً تَمُرُّ

فَأَعُدُّ أَيّاماً تَمُرُّ

وَقَد ضَجِرتُ مِنَ العَدَد

وَقَد ضَجِرتُ مِنَ العَدَد

So I count the days as they pass,

So I count days passing

And I have already grown weary of the counting.

And I'm tired of counting

وَتَقولُ أَوصَيتَ الخَطي

وَتَقولُ أَوصَيتَ الخَطي

بِ فَهَل نَفَوهُ مِنَ البَلَد

بِ فَهَل نَفَوهُ مِنَ البَلَد

And you say you instructed al-Khaṭī—

And you say you instructed Al-Khatib

—b; have they banished him from the town?

Did he then leave the country?

وَإِذا اِتَّكَلتَ عَلى الخَطي

وَإِذا اِتَّكَلتَ عَلى الخَطي

بِ فَما اِتَّكَلتَ عَلى أَحَد

بِ فَما اِتَّكَلتَ عَلى أَحَد

And if you have relied on al-Khaṭī—

And when you rely on Al-Khatib

—b, then you have relied on no one.

You have not relied on anyone