رَميتَ فَما أَصميتني وَتَراجعتْ

رَميتَ فَما أَصميتني وَتَراجعتْ

إِلَيك سهامٌ أخطأتني فأصْمَتِ

إِلَيك سهامٌ أخطأتني فأصْمَتِ

You shot, but did not strike me dead; and back flew

You shot your arrows but did not wound me

To you the arrows that missed me, striking you dead.

Arrows missed me so I was not harmed

وَحاولتَ تَشتيتي فعدتَ تفضّلاً

وَحاولتَ تَشتيتي فعدتَ تفضّلاً

مِنَ اللّه خزْياناً بشملٍ مُشتّتِ

مِنَ اللّه خزْياناً بشملٍ مُشتّتِ

And you tried to scatter me, but returned, by the grace

You tried to distract me but I stayed steadfast

Of God, disgraced, with your company scattered.

By God's grace not scattered and divided

وَلَمّا بَدا لي منك أنْ لا مودّةٌ

وَلَمّا بَدا لي منك أنْ لا مودّةٌ

تناكصتُ أبكي من ضَياع مودّتِي

تناكصتُ أبكي من ضَياع مودّتِي

And when it became clear to me that you bore no affection,

When I saw you had no affection

I drew back, weeping over my wasted affection.

I retreated, crying for our lost affection

فَما لِيَ منك اليومَ إلّا مضرّةٌ

فَما لِيَ منك اليومَ إلّا مضرّةٌ

وما لك منّي غيرُ محضِ المبَرَّةِ

وما لك منّي غيرُ محضِ المبَرَّةِ

So today I receive from you nothing but harm,

Today you give me only harm

And you receive from me nothing but pure kindness.

While I give you only pure disdain

وَكَم لكَ عندي زلّةٌ ما جزيتُها

وَكَم لكَ عندي زلّةٌ ما جزيتُها

حِفاظاً وإبقاءً عليك بِزلّةِ

حِفاظاً وإبقاءً عليك بِزلّةِ

And many a lapse of yours against me I did not repay—

How many faults of yours I did not repay

Out of loyalty and to spare you—with a lapse of my own.

To maintain you despite your faults

وَإنّ اِمرءاً يُهدِي القبيحَ لقومِهِ

وَإنّ اِمرءاً يُهدِي القبيحَ لقومِهِ

صحيحٌ كذي سُقمٍ وحيٌّ كميّتِ

صحيحٌ كذي سُقمٍ وحيٌّ كميّتِ

And indeed a man who offers evil to his people,

A man who shows vice to his people

Though healthy, is like one sick; though alive, like one dead.

Is like one diseased or one dead