بَنَيتَ فَلا تَهدِم وَرِشتَ فَلا تَبرِ

بَنَيتَ فَلا تَهدِم وَرِشتَ فَلا تَبرِ

وَأَمرَضتَ حُسّادي وَحاشاكَ أَن تُبري

وَأَمرَضتَ حُسّادي وَحاشاكَ أَن تُبري

You built—so do not demolish; you gave me feathers—do not strip them away.

You built me up, so do not tear me down; you feathered me, so do not whittle me away.

You have made my enviers sick—and far be it from you to cure them.

And you sickened my enviers—far be it from you to cure them.

أَرى نَبوَةً لَم أَدرِ سِرَّ اِعتِراضِها

أَرى نَبوَةً لَم أَدرِ سِرَّ اِعتِراضِها

وَقَد كانَ يَجلو عارِضَ الهَمِّ أَن يَدري

وَقَد كانَ يَجلو عارِضَ الهَمِّ أَن يَدري

I perceive a sudden estrangement, whose hidden cause I do not know;

I sense a rebuff, not knowing why it has arisen;

yet knowing it would dispel the cloud of care.

And knowing would have dispelled the cloud of grief.

جَفاءٌ هُوَ اللَيلُ ادلَهَمَّ ظَلامُهُ

جَفاءٌ هُوَ اللَيلُ ادلَهَمَّ ظَلامُهُ

فَلا كَوكَبٌ لِلعُذرِ في أُفقِهِ يَسري

فَلا كَوكَبٌ لِلعُذرِ في أُفقِهِ يَسري

This coldness is a night whose darkness has grown pitch-black,

Estrangement is a night whose darkness has grown pitch-black;

with no star of excuse moving across its sky.

So no star of excuse glides across its horizon.

هَبِ العَزلَ أَضحى لِلوِلايَةِ غايَةً

هَبِ العَزلَ أَضحى لِلوِلايَةِ غايَةً

فَما غايَةُ الموفي مِنَ الظِلِّ أَن يُكري

فَما غايَةُ الموفي مِنَ الظِلِّ أَن يُكري

Grant that dismissal has become the appointed end of office—

Grant that dismissal has become the end of office;

what end has one emerging from the shade, save to journey on till weary?

Yet the end of ample shade is not to dwindle.

فَفيمَ أَرى رَدَّ السَلامِ إِشارَةً

فَفيمَ أَرى رَدَّ السَلامِ إِشارَةً

تُسَوِّغُ بي إِزراءَ مَن شاءَ أَن يُزري

تُسَوِّغُ بي إِزراءَ مَن شاءَ أَن يُزري

Why, then, do I see my greeting answered with a mere gesture

Why, then, do I see my greeting answered with a gesture

that licenses anyone who wishes to treat me with contempt?

That licenses anyone who wishes to disparage me—

أُناسٌ هُمُ أَخشى لِلَذعَةِ مِقوَلي

أُناسٌ هُمُ أَخشى لِلَذعَةِ مِقوَلي

إِذا لَم يَكُن مِمّا فَعَلتَ لَهُم مُضرِ

إِذا لَم يَكُن مِمّا فَعَلتَ لَهُم مُضرِ

There are people for whose sake I fear the sting of my tongue,

People who would fear the sting of my tongue more,

if what you have done has caused them no harm.

If nothing in what you have done served to embolden them?

فَإِن عاقَتِ الأَقدارُ فَالنَفسُ حُرَّةٌ

فَإِن عاقَتِ الأَقدارُ فَالنَفسُ حُرَّةٌ

وَإِن تَكُنِ العُتبى فَأَحرِ بِها أَحرِ

وَإِن تَكُنِ العُتبى فَأَحرِ بِها أَحرِ

Though the decrees of fate may hinder me, the spirit remains free;

So if the fates have thwarted me, my soul is free;

and if reconciliation may be granted, how worthy—how very worthy—it is.

And if there is reconciliation, how fitting it is—how fitting!