لِمْ لا أَجبتَ ولو بِنَثْرٍ

لِمْ لا أَجبتَ ولو بِنَثْرٍ

عما كَتُبْتُ ولو بِعُذْر

عما كَتُبْتُ ولو بِعُذْر

Why did you not reply, even in prose,

Why do you not respond, even in prose,

to what I wrote, even with an excuse?

To what I have written, even with an excuse?

يا مَنْ لَهُ أَمرٌ عليَّ

يا مَنْ لَهُ أَمرٌ عليَّ

لقد تحيَّر فِيكَ أَمْرِي

لقد تحيَّر فِيكَ أَمْرِي

O you who hold authority over me,

O you who has power over me,

indeed, I am at a loss about you.

My matter has become confused by you.

صبراً عَلَيْكَ فقد أَضعْ

صبراً عَلَيْكَ فقد أَضعْ

تَ صَدَاقَتي وَوَضَعْتَ قَدْري

تَ صَدَاقَتي وَوَضَعْتَ قَدْري

Patience with you, for you have squandered

Patience upon you, for you have wasted

my friendship and lowered my standing.

My friendship and diminished my worth.

هذا هو الغَدْرُ الذي

هذا هو الغَدْرُ الذي

مَا فيهِ تَصْحِيفٌ لعذر

مَا فيهِ تَصْحِيفٌ لعذر

This is betrayal that

This is the betrayal in which

cannot be misread as an excuse.

There is no reformulation of an excuse.