أَتاني عَنكَ ما لَيسَ

أَتاني عَنكَ ما لَيسَ

عَلى مَكروهِهِ صَبرُ

عَلى مَكروهِهِ صَبرُ

Word reached me of something concerning you

News reached me about you that was

that no freeborn man could patiently bear.

too offensive for patience to bear.

فَأَغضَيتُ عَلى عَمدٍ

فَأَغضَيتُ عَلى عَمدٍ

وَقَد يُغضي الفَتى الحُرُّ

وَقَد يُغضي الفَتى الحُرُّ

Yet I deliberately overlooked it—

So I deliberately turned a blind eye,

for the freeborn man may sometimes overlook.

and a noble young man may turn a blind eye.

وَأَدَّبتُكَ بِالهَجرِ

وَأَدَّبتُكَ بِالهَجرِ

فَما أَدَّبَكَ الهَجرُ

فَما أَدَّبَكَ الهَجرُ

I sought to discipline you by shunning,

And I tried to chasten you by shunning you,

but shunning did not discipline you.

but shunning did not chasten you.

وَلا رَدَّكَ عَمّا كا

وَلا رَدَّكَ عَمّا كا

نَ مِنكَ الصَفحُ وَالبِرُّ

نَ مِنكَ الصَفحُ وَالبِرُّ

Nor did pardon and kindness turn you

Nor were you turned from your conduct

from what you had done.

by forgiveness and kindness.

فَلَمّا اِضطَرَّني المَكرو

فَلَمّا اِضطَرَّني المَكرو

هُ وَاِشتَدَّ بِيَ الأَمرُ

هُ وَاِشتَدَّ بِيَ الأَمرُ

Then, when the hateful deed compelled me

So when adversity forced my hand

and the matter pressed hard upon me,

and matters grew dire for me,

تَناوَلتُكَ مِن سِرّي

تَناوَلتُكَ مِن سِرّي

بِما لَيسَ بِهِ قَدرُ

بِما لَيسَ بِهِ قَدرُ

I assailed you with my verse,

from what I kept hidden, I assailed you

with something beyond all measure.

with something of no account.

فَحَرَّكتَ جَناحَ الصَب

فَحَرَّكتَ جَناحَ الصَب

رِ لَمّا مَسَّكَ الضُرُّ

رِ لَمّا مَسَّكَ الضُرُّ

Then you stirred patience’s wing

So you stirred the wing of patience

when harm touched you.

when harm touched you.

إِذا لَم يُصلِحِ الخَيرُ

إِذا لَم يُصلِحِ الخَيرُ

اِمرَأً أَصلَحَهُ الشَرُّ

اِمرَأً أَصلَحَهُ الشَرُّ

If goodness does not reform a man,

If goodness does not reform

evil will reform him.

a man, evil will reform him.