إنْ ملَّتْ لي الوشاةُ عيناً عينا

إنْ ملَّتْ لي الوشاةُ عيناً عينا

منْ مثلكَ نحوَهم حرْنا وحرْنا

منْ مثلكَ نحوَهم حرْنا وحرْنا

If the talebearers tire of my eyes, eye after eye,

If the fault-finders' eyes looked at me one by one

Because of one like you, we were bewildered and turned back toward them;

Like you, their accusations would burn and burn

أو شبَّهكَ الأنامُ غصناً غصنا

أو شبَّهكَ الأنامُ غصناً غصنا

في لومهمُ فأنتَ معنى معنى

في لومهمُ فأنتَ معنى معنى

Or if humankind likened you to a bough, we plunged

Or if people compared you to branch after branch

Into reproaching them—for you are meaning itself.

In their blame, you are the essence of essence