وَلُوا فَلمّا رَجَوْنَا عدلَهم ظَلمُوا

وَلُوا فَلمّا رَجَوْنَا عدلَهم ظَلمُوا

فَليتَهُم حَكَمُوا فينا بما عَلِمُوا

فَليتَهُم حَكَمُوا فينا بما عَلِمُوا

They held sway; when we hoped for their justice, they wronged us.

They turned away, so when we hoped for their justice, they wronged.

If only they had judged us by what they knew.

If only they had judged us according to their knowledge!

ما مَرَّ يوماً بفكرِي ما يَرِيبهُمُ

ما مَرَّ يوماً بفكرِي ما يَرِيبهُمُ

ولا سَعَتْ بي إلى ما سَاءَهُم قَدمُ

ولا سَعَتْ بي إلى ما سَاءَهُم قَدمُ

Nothing that might arouse their suspicion ever crossed my mind.

Never did a day pass in my thoughts that would make them doubt,

Nor did a foot carry me toward anything that displeased them.

Nor did my feet lead to what displeased them,

ولا أَضعتُ لَهُم عهداً ولا اطَّلَعتْ

ولا أَضعتُ لَهُم عهداً ولا اطَّلَعتْ

على وَدَائِعِهم في صَدْرِيَ التُّهَمُ

على وَدَائِعِهم في صَدْرِيَ التُّهَمُ

Nor did I break a pledge to them, nor was access ever gained

Nor did I break a promise to them or peek

to their secrets within my breast by suspicion.

Into their secrets in my accused mind.

فليتَ شعري بما استوجبتُ هَجرَهُمُ

فليتَ شعري بما استوجبتُ هَجرَهُمُ

ملّوا فصدَّهُمُ عن وصْليَ السّأَمُ

ملّوا فصدَّهُمُ عن وصْليَ السّأَمُ

If only I knew how I had earned their abandonment.

So I wonder what I did to deserve their estrangement—

They grew weary, and boredom turned them away from closeness with me.

They grew bored, so their indifference cast me off.

حَفِظتُ ما ضيَّعوا أَغضْيتُ حينَ جَنَوْا

حَفِظتُ ما ضيَّعوا أَغضْيتُ حينَ جَنَوْا

وفَيْتُ إذ غدَروا واصلتُ إذ صَرَمُوا

وفَيْتُ إذ غدَروا واصلتُ إذ صَرَمُوا

I preserved what they neglected; I turned a blind eye when they did wrong.

I kept what they squandered. When they were unjust, I was patient.

I kept faith when they betrayed; I maintained ties when they severed them.

I fulfilled when they betrayed and connected when they broke off.

حُرِمتُ ما كنتُ أرجو من وِدَادِهِمُ

حُرِمتُ ما كنتُ أرجو من وِدَادِهِمُ

ما الرّزقُ إلاّ الّذِي تَجري بِهِ القِسَمُ

ما الرّزقُ إلاّ الّذِي تَجري بِهِ القِسَمُ

I was deprived of what I had hoped for from their affection.

I am denied what I had hoped of their affection—

Provision is nothing but what fate's allotments bring.

Sustenance is only what the divine decree portions out.

مَحاسِني منذُ مَلّونِي بأعيُنهِم

مَحاسِني منذُ مَلّونِي بأعيُنهِم

قَذىً وذِكريَ في آذانهمْ صَمَمُ

قَذىً وذِكريَ في آذانهمْ صَمَمُ

My virtues, since they tired of me, are in their eyes

Since they blamed me, my merits have been

grit, and the mention of me is deafness in their ears.

Thorns and my mention in their ears deafness.

وبعدُ لو قيلَ لي ماذَا تُحبُّ ومَا

وبعدُ لو قيلَ لي ماذَا تُحبُّ ومَا

مُناكَ من زِينةِ الدّنيا لقلتُ هُمُ

مُناكَ من زِينةِ الدّنيا لقلتُ هُمُ

And yet, if I were asked, "What do you love, and what

And after, if it were said to me “What do you love?

do you wish for among this world's adornments?" I would say, "Them."

What ornament of life comforts you?” I would say “They are

همُ مجالُ الكَرى من مُقلَتَيَّ ومِن

همُ مجالُ الكَرى من مُقلَتَيَّ ومِن

قَلبي مَحلُّ المُنى جارُوا أَوِ اجْتَرَمُوا

قَلبي مَحلُّ المُنى جارُوا أَوِ اجْتَرَمُوا

They are slumber's realm within my two eyes, and in

The delight of my eyes from my eyelashes, and

my heart the abode of wishes, whether they act unjustly or do wrong.

The abode of wishes from my heart, whether they befriended or betrayed.

تبدّلُوا بي ولا أَبْغِي بهم بَدَلاً

تبدّلُوا بي ولا أَبْغِي بهم بَدَلاً

حسبي هُمُ أَنصفُوا في الحكْمِ أو ظَلَمُوا

حسبي هُمُ أَنصفُوا في الحكْمِ أو ظَلَمُوا

They replaced me, yet I seek no replacement for them.

They changed toward me, but I do not want any substitute for them.

They are enough for me, whether fair in judgment or unjust.

It is enough for me that they were fair or unjust in judgment.”