أَمَرُّ مِن عُسرَةٍ وَمِن دَين

وَمِن صُدودِ الحَبيبِ وَالبَينِ

Bitterer than hardship, bitterer than debt,

than the beloved’s rebuff and separation,

طَرفُ أَبي بَكرٍ وَهُوَ مُنطَرِفٌ

بِكَفِّهِ لِلقَضاءِ وَالحينِ

is Abu Bakr’s glance as he turns away,

motioning with his palm toward doom and death.

لَكِنَّهُ زادَ في مَلاحَتِهِ

فَاِنقَلَعَت عَينُهُ مِنَ العَينِ

Yet he only grew more lovely,

so, through the evil eye, his own eye was torn out.