لَقَدindeed خَاصَمَتنِيcontended with me دُهَاةُthe shrewd ones الرِّجَالِof men
لَقَد خَاصَمَتنِي دُهَاةُ الرِّجَالِ
وَخَاصَمتُهَاand I contended with them سَنَةًa year وافِيَهfull
وَخَاصَمتُهَا سَنَةً وافِيَه
The shrewdest of men have wrangled with me,
The shrewdest of men have indeed contended with me,
and I have wrangled with them for a full year.
and I contended with them for a full year.
فَمَاso not أدحضَrefuted اللهُGod ليfor me حُجَّةًan argument
فَمَا أدحضَ اللهُ لي حُجَّةً
وَلاand not خَيَّبَcaused to fail اللهُGod ليfor me قَافِيَهa rhyme
وَلا خَيَّبَ اللهُ لي قَافِيَه
Yet God has never let an argument of mine fail,
God has refuted no argument of mine,
nor has God ever let a rhyme of mine fall flat.
nor has God let a rhyme of mine fail.
ومنand whoever خِفتُI feared جَورِهِhis injustice فيin القَضَاءِjudgment
ومن خِفتُ جَورِهِ في القَضَاءِ
فَلَستُso I am not أخَافُكَI fear you يَاO عَافِيَهʿĀfiyah
فَلَستُ أخَافُكَ يَا عَافِيَه
And whoever’s injustice in judgment I once feared—
And whoever else's injustice I may have feared in judgment,
I do not fear you, O ʿĀfiyah.
I do not fear you, O ʿĀfiyah.
