أَنضَيتِ أَحرُفَ لا مِمّا لَهَجتُ بِها

فَحُقَّ لي رِحلَةٌ مِنها إِلى نَعَمِ

I uttered letters not of what my tongue has spoken

You have worn out the letters of 'No' through my constant repetition,

So I have the right to depart from it to bounty

So it is my right to make a journey from that word to 'Yes'.

أَو حَوِّليها إِلى ما فَهيَ تَعدُلُها

إِن كُنتِ حاوَلتِ في لا قِلَّةِ الكَلِمِ

Or make it into what it equals

Or change it into 'Ma', for it is its equal in the balance,

If you have tried in brief speech

If, by choosing 'No', you merely sought the brevity of speech.

قِستُم عَلَينا فَعارَضنا قِياسَكُمُ

يا مَن تَباعَدَ عَن جودٍ وَعَن كَرَمِ

You judged us so we opposed your judgement

You judged us by a measure, and we challenged your analogy,

O you who are far from generosity and nobility

O you who have distanced yourself from bounty and from grace.

وَلَستُ تَفديكُمُ نَفسي أُحَمِّلُكُم

ثِقلي بِعَينٍ وَلا كَفٍّ وَلا قَدَمِ

And my soul will not ransom you, I carry you

And I do not—may my own soul be a ransom for your sake—

No burden on my eye or palm or foot

Place my burden on your eye, nor on a hand, nor on a foot.