أنكروا حُمرةً بَدت في عيوني

وعجيبٌ عُرفٌ يُلاقي بُنُكرِ

They denied a redness that appeared in my eyes,

Yet it is a strange custom that meets with denial.

غيرُ بِدعٍ وطرفُهُ قد بلاني

بحروبٍ قامت على ساقِ سِحرِ

It is no innovation, though its edge has reached me

With wars that rose on the leg of sorcery.

سلَّ بيضَ السُّيوفِ مِن سُودِ أجفا

نً مراضٍ مِن سُقمها سُقم صبري

It unsheathed the whiteness of swords from the darkness of estrangement,

And kindled within me diseases whose pain pains my patience.

ذبحَ النّومَ في جُفوني فدمعي

من دمِ النّومِ قانيَ اللّونِ يجري

It slaughtered sleep in my eyes, so my tears

Flowed with the blood of sleep, dyeing my complexion.

يا سميَّ الذّبيحِ لِم تذبحُ القل

بَ بلا حُرمةٍ بِمُديةٍ هَجرِ

O smooth-faced slayer, why did you slaughter my heart

Ruthlessly, with a blade of separation?

أيُّ شرعٍ أحلَّ سفكَ دماءٍ

حرَّمَ اللَه أن تُراقَ بِهدرِ

What law made lawful shedding blood

That God has forbidden to be spilled in vain?

فانثنى قائلاً بِدلٍ وعُجبٍ

انَّ قتلي لفي هتِيكة سِتري

So he bent, saying in substitution and wonder:

"My killing was only to veil my honor."

قد قَضى اللَه للذبيح قضاءً

ثمَّ لي بعدهُ لتنويهِ ذِكري

God has decreed for the sacrificed one a decree,

Then after it, a mention to exalt me.

فَفدانا لمّا فدانا بِذبحَيه

نِ عَظيمينِ في اقتدارٍ وقَدرِ

So we were ransomed when we were ransomed with his slaughter,

Two mighty ones in power and decree.

ففِداهُ علمتهُ كَبشُ ضأنٍ

وفِدائي كبشُ الملوكِ الغُرَّ

So his ransom was a ram of sheep,

While my ransom was the ram of kings.

فتلافيتُهُ وقلتُ استمع لي

وتأمَّل مقالتي قَبل نحري

Then I turned to him and said, "Listen to me

And ponder my words before my slaughter.

انَّ قُربانَ كلِّ عبدٍ لِتُدني

هِ وتِقصيهِ جهدهُ يومَ حشرِ

Surely every servant's offering is to bring him near

And recount his effort on the Day of Assembly.

وأنا مِن هواكَ في جهدِ ضُرٍ

والقرابينُ لا تكونُ بِضُرِّ

And I, from love of you, am in painful effort,

Yet offerings are not with pain."