تجنَّتْ فقال الكاشحونَ تجنَّتِ

وضنَّت فقال الناس ويحك ضَنَّتِ

They blamed me when I was merry, and said I was too joyous;

And they blamed me when I was sad, crying “Woe is you so woebegone!”

فقلتُ لهم لا تعجلوا بملامتي

فلم تَأتِ ما قُلْتُمْ ولكن أَدلَّتِ

So I said “Blame me not too soon,

For what you deemed has not occurred, though what lurked came forth instead.

إذا أنتِ جانبتِ الغداة مسرَّتي

وواليتِ أعدائي فأنتِ عَدُوَّتي

When you avoided me at dawn, my pleasure then was thwarted,

And when you sided with my foes, you then became my enemy.

سَتَدْرين كيف الهجرُ لو قد أردتُهُ

وإن كنتِ سؤْلي في الحياة ومُنْيَتي

You will know how separation feels, if I wanted such estrangement,

Though you are what I asked for in life, and now my ending.”