أَأَحبابَنا بِاللَهِ كَيفَ تَغَيَّرَت

أَأَحبابَنا بِاللَهِ كَيفَ تَغَيَّرَت

خَلائِقُ غُرٌّ فيكُمُ وَغَرائِزُ

خَلائِقُ غُرٌّ فيكُمُ وَغَرائِزُ

O our beloved ones, by God, how have they changed—

My friends, how your natures have changed!

Those radiant qualities and innate dispositions within you?

Reproach in you is strange, and strange your whims.

لَقَد ساءَني العَتبُ الَّذي جاءَ مِنكُمُ

لَقَد ساءَني العَتبُ الَّذي جاءَ مِنكُمُ

وَإِنِّيَ عَنهُ لَو عَلِمتُم لَعاجِزُ

وَإِنِّيَ عَنهُ لَو عَلِمتُم لَعاجِزُ

The reproach that came from you has indeed grieved me,

Your blame has pained me, though if you knew,

And, if you only knew, I cannot bear it.

I'd be helpless to make response or excuse.

لَكُم عُذرُكُم أَنتُم سَمِعتُم فَقُلتُمُ

لَكُم عُذرُكُم أَنتُم سَمِعتُم فَقُلتُمُ

وَمُحتَمَلٌ ما قَد سَمِعتُم وَجائِزُ

وَمُحتَمَلٌ ما قَد سَمِعتُم وَجائِزُ

You have your excuse: you heard, and so you spoke;

You have your reasons that made you speak out,

And what you have heard is conceivable and possible.

And pardonable is what you heard and deemed right.

هَبوا أَنَّ لي ذَنباً كَما قَد زَعَمتُمُ

هَبوا أَنَّ لي ذَنباً كَما قَد زَعَمتُمُ

فَهَل ضاقَ عَنهُ حِلمُكُم وَالتَجاوُزُ

فَهَل ضاقَ عَنهُ حِلمُكُم وَالتَجاوُزُ

Suppose I have a sin, as you have alleged;

Grant you are correct and I'm at fault,

Then have your forbearance and forgiveness no room for it?

Is your patience and pardon beyond that so slight?

نَعَم لِيَ ذَنبٌ جِئتُكُم مِنهُ تائِباً

نَعَم لِيَ ذَنبٌ جِئتُكُم مِنهُ تائِباً

كَما تابَ مِن فِعلِ الخَطِيَّةِ ماعِزُ

كَما تابَ مِن فِعلِ الخَطِيَّةِ ماعِزُ

Yes, I have a sin; I have come to you repenting of it,

Yes, I'm guilty, to you repentant I came,

As Ma'iz repented of committing the sin.

Like Ma'iz, repenting the sinful deed he claimed.

عَلى أَنَّني لَم أَرضَ يَوماً خِيانَةً

عَلى أَنَّني لَم أَرضَ يَوماً خِيانَةً

وَهَيهاتِ لي وَاللَهِ عَن ذاكَ حاجِزُ

وَهَيهاتِ لي وَاللَهِ عَن ذاكَ حاجِزُ

Yet I have never once consented to betrayal;

Never have I been pleased with betrayal,

And far be it from me! By God, a barrier keeps me from that.

Far from me, by God, thoughts of that I'm contained.

وَبَينَ فُؤادي وَالسُلُوِّ مَهالِكٌ

وَبَينَ فُؤادي وَالسُلُوِّ مَهالِكٌ

وَبينَ جُفونِي وَالرُقادُ مَفاوِزُ

وَبينَ جُفونِي وَالرُقادُ مَفاوِزُ

And between my heart and forgetting lie deadly perils;

Between my heart and sleep ruin lies,

And between my eyelids and sleep lie deserts.

And between my lids and rest vast is the divide.

وَإِن قُلتُ واشَوقاهُ لِلبانِ وَالحِمى

وَإِن قُلتُ واشَوقاهُ لِلبانِ وَالحِمى

فَإِنِّيَ عَنكُم بِالكِنايَةِ رامِزُ

فَإِنِّيَ عَنكُم بِالكِنايَةِ رامِزُ

And if I cry, 'Oh, my longing for the ban trees and the protected pasture!'

If my love for the abode and settlement you decried,

Then it is you I am alluding to through veiled speech.

By allusion and metaphor you I deride.

دَعونِيَ وَالواشي فَإِنِّيَ حاضِرٌ

دَعونِيَ وَالواشي فَإِنِّيَ حاضِرٌ

وَصَوتِيَ مَرفوعٌ وَوَجهِيَ بارِزُ

وَصَوتِيَ مَرفوعٌ وَوَجهِيَ بارِزُ

Leave me with the slanderer, for I am here,

Leave me be, and the slanderer, for I am present,

And my voice is raised, and my face is in plain sight.

My voice raised, and my face forward and evident,

سَيَذكُرُ ما يَجري لَنا مِن وَقائِعٍ

سَيَذكُرُ ما يَجري لَنا مِن وَقائِعٍ

مَشايِخُ تَبقى بَعدَنا وَعَجائِزُ

مَشايِخُ تَبقى بَعدَنا وَعَجائِزُ

The battles that befall us will be remembered

Elders will remember events that to us were sent,

By old men and old women who outlive us.

Outliving us, elders and women reliant.

بِعَيشِكَ لا تَسمَع مَقالَةَ حاسِدٍ

بِعَيشِكَ لا تَسمَع مَقالَةَ حاسِدٍ

يُجاهِرُ فيما بَينَنا وَيُبارِزُ

يُجاهِرُ فيما بَينَنا وَيُبارِزُ

By your life, do not heed an envious man's words,

In your life, don't listen to envious chiding

Who speaks openly of what lies between us and challenges us.

Making claims between us, and with us contending.

فَما شاقَ طَرفي غَيرَ وَجهِكَ شائِقٌ

فَما شاقَ طَرفي غَيرَ وَجهِكَ شائِقٌ

وَلا حازَ قَلبي غَيرَ حُبَّكِ حائِزُ

وَلا حازَ قَلبي غَيرَ حُبَّكِ حائِزُ

For nothing alluring but your face has captivated my gaze,

None attracted my gaze but your face so inviting,

And nothing but love for you has taken possession of my heart.

None possessed my heart but your love comprehending.

سَأَكتُمُ هاذا العَتبَ خيفَةَ شامِتٍ

سَأَكتُمُ هاذا العَتبَ خيفَةَ شامِتٍ

وَأوهِمُ أَنّي بِالرِضا مِنكَ فائِزُ

وَأوهِمُ أَنّي بِالرِضا مِنكَ فائِزُ

I shall hide this reproach, fearing one who would gloat,

I will hide this blame, fearing the gloat of the spiteful,

And give the impression that I have won your favor.

Feigning to you I'm pleased, victorious and insightful.

فَلي فيكَ حُسّادٌ وَبَيني وَبَينَهُم

فَلي فيكَ حُسّادٌ وَبَيني وَبَينَهُم

وَقائِعُ لَيسَت تَنقَضي وَهَزاهِزُ

وَقائِعُ لَيسَت تَنقَضي وَهَزاهِزُ

For I have people who envy me because of you, and between me and them

Among you are enviers, between us mere trifles,

Lie battles that never end, and upheavals.

Events never ending, uncertainties stifling.

وَإِنّي لَهُم في حَربِهِم لِمُخادِعٍ

وَإِنّي لَهُم في حَربِهِم لِمُخادِعٍ

أُسالِمُهُم طَوراً وَطَوراً أُناجِزِ

أُسالِمُهُم طَوراً وَطَوراً أُناجِزِ

And in their war I do indeed deceive them:

Deceiving their war, I befriend and bewilder,

At times I make peace with them, and at times I give battle.

Vanquishing them, by turns, as contender and builder.