أَتاني عَنكَ ما لَيسَ

عَلى مَكروهِهِ صَبرُ

Word reached me of something concerning you

that no freeborn man could patiently bear.

فَأَغضَيتُ عَلى عَمدٍ

وَقَد يُغضي الفَتى الحُرُّ

Yet I deliberately overlooked it—

for the freeborn man may sometimes overlook.

وَأَدَّبتُكَ بِالهَجرِ

فَما أَدَّبَكَ الهَجرُ

I sought to discipline you by shunning,

but shunning did not discipline you.

وَلا رَدَّكَ عَمّا كا

نَ مِنكَ الصَفحُ وَالبِرُّ

Nor did pardon and kindness turn you

from what you had done.

فَلَمّا اِضطَرَّني المَكرو

هُ وَاِشتَدَّ بِيَ الأَمرُ

Then, when the hateful deed compelled me

and the matter pressed hard upon me,

تَناوَلتُكَ مِن سِرّي

بِما لَيسَ بِهِ قَدرُ

I assailed you with my verse,

with something beyond all measure.

فَحَرَّكتَ جَناحَ الصَب

رِ لَمّا مَسَّكَ الضُرُّ

Then you stirred patience’s wing

when harm touched you.

إِذا لَم يُصلِحِ الخَيرُ

اِمرَأً أَصلَحَهُ الشَرُّ

If goodness does not reform a man,

evil will reform him.