إِنَّني أَبصَرتُ شَخصاً

قَد بَدا مِنهُ صُدودُ

I saw a person

I beheld a certain person,

Who seemed impolite

From whom a cold aversion showed,

جالِساً فَوقَ مُصَلّىً

وَحَوالَيهِ عَبيدُ

Sitting on a prayer mat

Seated there upon a prayer mat,

With slaves around him

With servants waiting in his mode.

فَرَمى بِالطَرفِ نَحوي

وَهوَ بِالطَرفِ يَصيدُ

He glanced at me

He cast a fleeting glance towards me,

As if to hunt me down

And with that glance, he hunts his prey.

ذاكَ في مَكتَبِ حَفصٍ

إِنَّ حَفصاً لَسَعيدُ

That was in Hafiz's office

This happened in the school of Hafs—

Indeed, Hafiz is fortunate

Indeed, a lucky man is he.

قالَ حَفصٌ إِجلِدوهُ

إِنَّهُ عِندي بَليدُ

Hafiz said, whip him

Hafs commanded: "Flog the boy now,

He's stupid in my class

For I find him dull and slow;

لَم يَزَل مُذ كانَ في الدَر

سِ عَنِ الدَرسِ يَحيدُ

Ever since he was in school

Ever since he joined the session,

He strays from his lessons

From his lessons he would go."

كُشِفَت عَنهُ خُزوزٌ

وَعَنِ الخَزِّ بُرودُ

His flaws were exposed

Silken robes were lifted from him,

As was his poor intellect

And beneath them, cloaks so fine,

ثُمَّ هالوهُ بِسَيرٍ

لَيِّنٍ ما فيهِ عودُ

Then they threatened him

Then they struck him with a leather strap,

With soft, harmless punishment

Pliant, with no wooden spine.

عِندَها صاحَ حَبيبي

يا مُعَلِّم لا أَعودُ

At this, my dear cried out

At that moment, my beloved cried:

"Teacher, I won't do it again"

"O Teacher, I'll not sin again!"

قُلتُ يا حَفصُ اِعفُ عَنهُ

إِنَّهُ سَوفَ يُجيدُ

I said, "Hafiz, let him be

I said, "O Hafs, forgive and pardon,

He will improve, I'm certain"

He surely will excel by then."