إِنّي شَكَرتُ لِظالِمي ظُلمي

إِنّي شَكَرتُ لِظالِمي ظُلمي

وَغَفَرتُ ذاكَ لَهُ عَلى عِلمِ

وَغَفَرتُ ذاكَ لَهُ عَلى عِلمِ

I thanked my oppressor for the wrong he did me,

Indeed, I thanked my oppressor for the wrong he did me,

and, knowing full well, forgave him for it.

And knowingly forgave him for it.

وَرَأَيتُه أَسدى إِلَيَّ يَداً

وَرَأَيتُه أَسدى إِلَيَّ يَداً

لَمّا أَبانَ بِجَهلِهِ حِلمي

لَمّا أَبانَ بِجَهلِهِ حِلمي

I saw that he had done me a favor

And I saw that he had extended a helping hand to me,

when, through his ignorance, he revealed my forbearance.

When, through his folly, he revealed my forbearance.

رَجَعَت إِساءتُهُ عَلَيهِ وَإِح

رَجَعَت إِساءتُهُ عَلَيهِ وَإِح

ساني فَعادَ مُضاعَفَ الجُرمِ

ساني فَعادَ مُضاعَفَ الجُرمِ

His offense recoiled upon him—and my bene—

His wrongdoing rebounded upon him, and

ficence did too—leaving his guilt doubled.

My kindness too; thus he became doubly guilty.

وَغَدَوتُ ذا أَجرٍ وَمَحمَدَة

وَغَدَوتُ ذا أَجرٍ وَمَحمَدَة

وَغَدا بِكَسبِ الظُلمِ وَالإِثمِ

وَغَدا بِكَسبِ الظُلمِ وَالإِثمِ

While I emerged with reward and praise,

And I came away with reward and praise,

he emerged having earned wrongdoing and sin.

And he came away having earned wrongdoing and sin.

فَكَأَنَّما الإِحسانُ كانَ لَهُ

فَكَأَنَّما الإِحسانُ كانَ لَهُ

وَأَنا المُسيءُ إِلَيهِ في الحُكمِ

وَأَنا المُسيءُ إِلَيهِ في الحُكمِ

It was as though the kindness had been his,

So it was as though the kindness had been his,

and I, in the reckoning, were the one who wronged him.

And I the one who wronged him, by that reckoning.

مازالَ يَظلِمُني وَأَرحَمُه

مازالَ يَظلِمُني وَأَرحَمُه

حَتّى بَكَيتُ لَهُ مِنَ الظُلمِ

حَتّى بَكَيتُ لَهُ مِنَ الظُلمِ

He went on wronging me, while I pitied him,

He kept wronging me, while I pitied him,

until I wept for him because of his wrongdoing.

Until I wept for him because of his wrongdoing.