رَأَيتُ أَبا سَهلٍ وَما كُنتُ مُذنِباً

رَأَيتُ أَبا سَهلٍ وَما كُنتُ مُذنِباً

إِلَيهِ وَلا أَنّي خَرَقتُ لَهُ سِترا

إِلَيهِ وَلا أَنّي خَرَقتُ لَهُ سِترا

I saw Abu Sahl, though I had committed no offense

I saw Abu Sahl—though I had done no wrong

against him, nor had I breached his veil of privacy.

Against him, nor had I torn a veil of his—

يُريدُ فَسادَ الرّحمِ بَيني وَبينَهُ

يُريدُ فَسادَ الرّحمِ بَيني وَبينَهُ

فَدونَكَ ما أَبلَغتُ فيما أَرى العُذرا

فَدونَكَ ما أَبلَغتُ فيما أَرى العُذرا

He seeks to destroy the bond of kinship between us—

Seeking to ruin the bond of kinship between me and him.

so there you have the excuse I have fully stated, as I see it.

So have your way; I have not, as I see it, furnished an excuse.

فَباعِد طوالَ الدَهرِ إِن كُنتَ صارِماً

فَباعِد طوالَ الدَهرِ إِن كُنتَ صارِماً

لِتصرِمَ مَن لا تَستَطيعُ لَهُ ضُرّا

لِتصرِمَ مَن لا تَستَطيعُ لَهُ ضُرّا

Then keep your distance forever, if you are bent on severing ties,

Then keep away forever, if you mean to sever ties,

that you may cut off one whom you have no power to harm.

To sever ties with someone you cannot harm.