أَتاني أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ أَنَّكَ لِمتَني

أَتاني أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ أَنَّكَ لِمتَني

وَتِلكَ الَّتي أُهتَمُّ مِنها وَأَنصَبُ

وَتِلكَ الَّتي أُهتَمُّ مِنها وَأَنصَبُ

Word reached me—may you be beyond reproach—that you blamed me,

You came to reproach and curse me, that I have wronged you,

And that is what troubles and wearies me.

And she for whom I strive and toil,

فَبِتُّ كَأَنَّ العائِداتِ فَرَشنَني

فَبِتُّ كَأَنَّ العائِداتِ فَرَشنَني

هَراساً بِهِ يُعلى فِراشي وَيُقشَبُ

هَراساً بِهِ يُعلى فِراشي وَيُقشَبُ

So I spent the night as though the women visiting my sickbed had spread beneath me

I spend the night as if her returning were a blanket spread beneath me,

Thorny caltrops, with which my bedding is heaped and renewed.

In fear of it my bed is tossed and turned.

حَلَفتُ فَلَم أَترُك لِنَفسِكَ رَيبَةً

حَلَفتُ فَلَم أَترُك لِنَفسِكَ رَيبَةً

وَلَيسَ وَراءَ اللَهِ لِلمَرءِ مَذهَبُ

وَلَيسَ وَراءَ اللَهِ لِلمَرءِ مَذهَبُ

I swore an oath, leaving no doubt in your mind;

I swore I left you in no doubt,

And beyond God a man has no recourse.

And beyond God man has no refuge.

لَئِن كُنتَ قَد بُلِّغتَ عَنّي خِيانَةً

لَئِن كُنتَ قَد بُلِّغتَ عَنّي خِيانَةً

لَمُبلِغُكَ الواشي أَغَشُّ وَأَكذَبُ

لَمُبلِغُكَ الواشي أَغَشُّ وَأَكذَبُ

If you have indeed been told of treachery on my part,

If you were told I betrayed you,

The slanderer who informed you is surely more deceitful and a greater liar.

Then he who informed against me is most deceitful and mendacious.

وَلَكِنَّني كُنتُ اِمرَأً لِيَ جانِبٌ

وَلَكِنَّني كُنتُ اِمرَأً لِيَ جانِبٌ

مِنَ الأَرضِ فيهِ مُستَرادٌ وَمَذهَبُ

مِنَ الأَرضِ فيهِ مُستَرادٌ وَمَذهَبُ

But I was a man who had a region

But I was a man who had a side,

Of the earth where I could seek sustenance and find refuge:

On earth where he had a place of retreat and refuge.

مُلوكٌ وَإِخوانٌ إِذا ما أَتَيتُهُم

مُلوكٌ وَإِخوانٌ إِذا ما أَتَيتُهُم

أُحَكَّمُ في أَموالِهِم وَأُقَرَّبُ

أُحَكَّمُ في أَموالِهِم وَأُقَرَّبُ

Kings and brothers—whenever I came to them,

Kings and brothers when I come to them,

I was given authority over their wealth and brought close.

I arbitrate regarding their wealth and draw them near.

كَفِعلِكَ في قَومٍ أَراكَ اِصطَنَعتَهُم

كَفِعلِكَ في قَومٍ أَراكَ اِصطَنَعتَهُم

فَلَم تَرَهُم في شُكرِ ذَلِكَ أَذنَبوا

فَلَم تَرَهُم في شُكرِ ذَلِكَ أَذنَبوا

Just as you treat people whom I see you have favored,

As you did for a people whom I saw you befriended,

And have not deemed them at fault for their gratitude for that.

Yet when it came to thanking you for that, they did no wrong.

فَلا تَترُكَنّي بِالوَعيدِ كَأَنَّني

فَلا تَترُكَنّي بِالوَعيدِ كَأَنَّني

إِلى الناسِ مَطلِيٌّ بِهِ القارُ أَجرَبُ

إِلى الناسِ مَطلِيٌّ بِهِ القارُ أَجرَبُ

So do not leave me under threat, as though I were

So do not threaten me as if I

In people's eyes, a mangy creature smeared with pitch.

Am with it carping at people like an old blind camel.

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ اللَهَ أَعطاكَ سورَةً

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ اللَهَ أَعطاكَ سورَةً

تَرى كُلَّ مَلكٍ دونَها يَتَذَبذَبُ

تَرى كُلَّ مَلكٍ دونَها يَتَذَبذَبُ

Have you not seen that God has given you an eminence

Do you not see that God has given you a surah,

Beneath which you see every king waver?

You find every king beside it wavering?

فَإِنَّكَ شَمسٌ وَالمُلوكُ كَواكِبٌ

فَإِنَّكَ شَمسٌ وَالمُلوكُ كَواكِبٌ

إِذا طَلَعَت لَم يَبدُ مِنهُنَّ كَوكَبُ

إِذا طَلَعَت لَم يَبدُ مِنهُنَّ كَوكَبُ

For you are a sun, and the kings are stars;

For you are a sun, and the kings are planets,

When it rises, not one star among them appears.

When you rise, no star can be seen from among them.

وَلَستَ بِمُستَبقٍ أَخاً لا تَلُمَّهُ

وَلَستَ بِمُستَبقٍ أَخاً لا تَلُمَّهُ

عَلى شَعَثٍ أَيُّ الرِجالِ المُهَذَّبُ

عَلى شَعَثٍ أَيُّ الرِجالِ المُهَذَّبُ

And you cannot keep a brother unless you embrace him

You are not racing a brother you should blame,

Despite his rough edges—which man is flawless?

For dishevelment - which of the refined men is?

فَإِن أَكُ مَظلوماً فَعَبدٌ ظَلَمتَهُ

فَإِن أَكُ مَظلوماً فَعَبدٌ ظَلَمتَهُ

وَإِن تَكُ ذا عُتبى فَمِثلُكَ يُعتِبُ

وَإِن تَكُ ذا عُتبى فَمِثلُكَ يُعتِبُ

If I am wronged, then I am a slave you have wronged;

If I am wronged, then you have wronged a slave,

And if you are disposed to reconcile, one like you grants reconciliation.

And if you are owed an apology, then one like you can be apologized to.