رُبَّ هَجرٍ مُوَلَّدٍ مِن عِتابِ

رُبَّ هَجرٍ مُوَلَّدٍ مِن عِتابِ

وَمَلالٍ مُؤَكَّدٍ مِن كِتابِ

وَمَلالٍ مُؤَكَّدٍ مِن كِتابِ

Many an estrangement is born of reproach,

Many a rejection bred of blame,

And weariness is deepened by a letter.

And boredom proven by the writ;

فَلِهَذا قَطَعتُ عَتبي وَكُتبي

فَلِهَذا قَطَعتُ عَتبي وَكُتبي

حَذَراً أَن أَرى الصُدودَ جَوابي

حَذَراً أَن أَرى الصُدودَ جَوابي

So I ceased my reproaches and my letters,

So I have severed my reproach and books -

For fear of finding rejection as my answer.

Lest I should see unanswerable disdain.

أَيُّها المُعرِضونَ عَنّا بِلا ذَن

أَيُّها المُعرِضونَ عَنّا بِلا ذَن

بٍ وَما كانَ هَجرُهُم في حِسابي

بٍ وَما كانَ هَجرُهُم في حِسابي

O you who turn away from us without any

Ye who have shunned us without cause or fault,

fault—yet their estrangement was never in my reckoning.

Your estrangement was not in my account.

خاطِبونا وَلَو بِلَفظَةِ شَتمٍ

خاطِبونا وَلَو بِلَفظَةِ شَتمٍ

وَهيَ عِندي مِنكُم كَفَصلِ الخِطابِ

وَهيَ عِندي مِنكُم كَفَصلِ الخِطابِ

Speak to us, even with a word of abuse;

Address us even with abusive tongue,

And coming from you, it is to me like decisive speech.

Which coming from thee is discourse to me.