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 done no wrong

I saw Abu Sahl, though I had done him no wrong,

to him, nor torn away any veil of his—

Nor had I torn away his veil of honor.

يُريدُ فَسادَ الرّحمِ بَيني وَبينَهُ

يُريدُ فَسادَ الرّحمِ بَيني وَبينَهُ

فَدونَكَ ما أَبلَغتُ فيما أَرى العُذرا

فَدونَكَ ما أَبلَغتُ فيما أَرى العُذرا

seeking to destroy the kinship between him and me.

He seeks to break the ties of kin between us,

So take what I have conveyed—my excuse, as I see it.

So far be it from you, as I see, to make excuses.

فَباعِد طوالَ الدَهرِ إِن كُنتَ صارِماً

فَباعِد طوالَ الدَهرِ إِن كُنتَ صارِماً

لِتصرِمَ مَن لا تَستَطيعُ لَهُ ضُرّا

لِتصرِمَ مَن لا تَستَطيعُ لَهُ ضُرّا

So keep your distance forever, if you would sever ties,

Estrange yourself from me forever, if you insist

to cut off one whom you cannot harm.

On estranging those whom you cannot harm.