لمَّا وقَفت بدأت بالهجرِ

لمَّا وقَفت بدأت بالهجرِ

ورَمَيتني من حيثُ لا أدري

ورَمَيتني من حيثُ لا أدري

When you stopped, you began by forsaking me;

When I stopped, you began by shunning me.

And shot me from where I could not tell.

And you struck me from an unsuspected quarter.

ما كنتَ تدري كيفَ تقتلني

ما كنتَ تدري كيفَ تقتلني

فهجرتَني وفطنتَ بالهجرِ

فهجرتَني وفطنتَ بالهجرِ

You did not know how to kill me—

You did not know how to kill me,

So you forsook me, and through forsaking, understood.

So you forsook me, and through forsaking learned how.