أَمَرُّ مِن عُسرَةٍ وَمِن دَين

أَمَرُّ مِن عُسرَةٍ وَمِن دَين

وَمِن صُدودِ الحَبيبِ وَالبَينِ

وَمِن صُدودِ الحَبيبِ وَالبَينِ

Bitterer than hardship, bitterer than debt,

More bitter than hardship and debt,

than the beloved’s rebuff and separation,

and than the beloved's rejection and separation,

طَرفُ أَبي بَكرٍ وَهُوَ مُنطَرِفٌ

طَرفُ أَبي بَكرٍ وَهُوَ مُنطَرِفٌ

بِكَفِّهِ لِلقَضاءِ وَالحينِ

بِكَفِّهِ لِلقَضاءِ وَالحينِ

is Abu Bakr’s glance as he turns away,

is Abu Bakr's eye, wounded

motioning with his palm toward doom and death.

by his own hand, through fate and doom.

لَكِنَّهُ زادَ في مَلاحَتِهِ

لَكِنَّهُ زادَ في مَلاحَتِهِ

فَاِنقَلَعَت عَينُهُ مِنَ العَينِ

فَاِنقَلَعَت عَينُهُ مِنَ العَينِ

Yet he only grew more lovely,

Yet he grew more handsome,

so, through the evil eye, his own eye was torn out.

so his eye was torn out by the evil eye.