صدّ عنّي كارهاً قُر

صدّ عنّي كارهاً قُر

بي وَإِن كانَ حَبيبا

بي وَإِن كانَ حَبيبا

He turned away from me, loathing closeness

Turn away from me with hatred, even if you were once a lover,

to me, though he was beloved.

And saw in my radiant face strands of grey in my head,

وَرَأى في الفاحِم الجَعْ

وَرَأى في الفاحِم الجَعْ

دِ من الرّأسِ مشيبا

دِ من الرّأسِ مشيبا

And saw, amid the jet-black, curly

Like a shooting star that has disappeared in the night but refuses to vanish,

hair of the head, gray hair:

Or a fire that dims yet glows brighter with flames.

كَشِهابٍ غابتِ الشُّه

كَشِهابٍ غابتِ الشُّه

بُ وَيَأبى أَن يَغيبا

بُ وَيَأبى أَن يَغيبا

like a shooting star—gone are the shooting

I was bare without faults but you gifted me with failings.

stars, yet it refuses to vanish;

I said I had not sinned with age against you, so repent,

أَو كَنارٍ تخمُد النّا

أَو كَنارٍ تخمُد النّا

رُ وَيَزدادُ لَهيبا

رُ وَيَزدادُ لَهيبا

or like a fire—dying out is the

It is an illness that has seized my body, I could not find a cure,

fire, yet it grows fiercer in flame.

You found no sin but fabricated faults.

كُنتُ عُرياناً بِلا عي

كُنتُ عُرياناً بِلا عي

بٍ فَأَهدى لي عيوبا

بٍ فَأَهدى لي عيوبا

I was naked, without a

flaw; then he gifted me flaws.

قُلتُ ما أذْنَبتُ بالشّي

قُلتُ ما أذْنَبتُ بالشّي

بِ إِلَيكُم فَأتوبا

بِ إِلَيكُم فَأتوبا

I said: I have not sinned against you all through gray

hair, that I should repent.

هُوَ داءٌ حَلَّ جِسمي

هُوَ داءٌ حَلَّ جِسمي

لَم أَجِدْ مِنهُ طَبيبا

لَم أَجِدْ مِنهُ طَبيبا

It is an ailment that settled in my body;

I found no physician for it.

لَم تَجِدْ ذَنباً وَلَكِنْ

لَم تَجِدْ ذَنباً وَلَكِنْ

أنتَ لفَّقتَ ذنوبا

أنتَ لفَّقتَ ذنوبا

You found no sin, and yet

you fabricated sins.