قُلْت وقد لَجَّ في مُعاتَبَتي

قُلْت وقد لَجَّ في مُعاتَبَتي

وظَن أَنَّ الملاَلَ من قِبَلي

وظَن أَنَّ الملاَلَ من قِبَلي

I said, as he persisted in reproaching me,

I said, as he persisted in reproaching me,

thinking that the weariness came from my side:

And thought that the weariness came from me:

حُسْنُك مازال شَافِعي أَبداً

حُسْنُك مازال شَافِعي أَبداً

يا مالِكي كيف صِرتَ مُعْتَزِلي

يا مالِكي كيف صِرتَ مُعْتَزِلي

“Your beauty has always been my intercessor—my Shāfiʿī—

Your beauty has always been my intercessor (Shafi‘i).

O my master—my Mālikī—how did you become a Muʿtazilī, shunning me?

O my master (Maliki), how have you become one who shuns me (Mu‘tazili)?

خدّك ذا الأَشعريُّ حنَّفَني

خدّك ذا الأَشعريُّ حنَّفَني

وصار من أَحمدِ المذاهبِ لي

وصار من أَحمدِ المذاهبِ لي

This cheek of yours—this Ashʿarī—has made me a Ḥanafī,

This downy (Ash‘ari) cheek of yours has made me a Hanafi,

and has become for me one of the most praiseworthy schools—Aḥmad’s own.”

And become for me one of the most praiseworthy (Ahmad) paths.