تَمَنَّيتُها حَتّى إِذا ما رَإِتُها

تَمَنَّيتُها حَتّى إِذا ما رَإِتُها

رَأَيتُها المَنايا شُرَّعاً قَد أَظَلَّتِ

رَأَيتُها المَنايا شُرَّعاً قَد أَظَلَّتِ

I longed for her until, when at last I saw her—

I longed for her until, when I saw her,

I saw deaths drawn up before me, already looming.

I saw her as death, poised to strike, already casting its shadow over me.

وَما ساءَني إِلا كِتابٌ كَتَبتُهُ

وَما ساءَني إِلا كِتابٌ كَتَبتُهُ

فَلَيتَ يَميني بَعدَ ذَلِكَ شَلَّتِ

فَلَيتَ يَميني بَعدَ ذَلِكَ شَلَّتِ

Nothing grieved me but a letter of mine that I had written—

And nothing distressed me except a letter I had written.

would that my right hand, after that, had been paralyzed!

So, if only my right hand had been paralyzed after that!

أَطالَت عِتاباً ما أُطيقُ جَوابَهُ

أَطالَت عِتاباً ما أُطيقُ جَوابَهُ

لَقَد عَظُمَت في العَينِ مِنّي وَجَلَّتِ

لَقَد عَظُمَت في العَينِ مِنّي وَجَلَّتِ

She prolonged a reproach whose answer I could not bear;

She reproached me at length, beyond my power to answer.

she loomed large in my eyes and grew majestic.

Indeed, she grew great and exalted in my eyes.

وَصَدَّت بِوَجهٍ يَبهَرُ الشَمسَ حُسنُهُ

وَصَدَّت بِوَجهٍ يَبهَرُ الشَمسَ حُسنُهُ

إِذا أَبصَرَتهُ العَينُ حارَت وَزَلَّتِ

إِذا أَبصَرَتهُ العَينُ حارَت وَزَلَّتِ

She turned away with a face whose beauty dazzles the sun;

And she turned away with a face whose beauty dazzles the sun;

when the eye beholds it, it reels bewildered and falters.

when the eye beholds it, it is bewildered and falters.

فَقُلتُ لَها ما قالَ قَبلي كُثَيِّرٌ

فَقُلتُ لَها ما قالَ قَبلي كُثَيِّرٌ

لِعَزَةَ لَمّا أَعرَضَت وَتَوَلَّتِ

لِعَزَةَ لَمّا أَعرَضَت وَتَوَلَّتِ

So I said to her what Kuthayyir before me had said

So I told her what Kuthayyir had said before me

to ʿAzza, when she turned away and departed—

to ʿAzza, when she turned away and withdrew,

قِياساً لَهُ يا عَزَّ كُلُّ مُصيبَةٍ

قِياساً لَهُ يا عَزَّ كُلُّ مُصيبَةٍ

إِذا وُطِّنَت يَوماً لَها النَفسُ ذَلَّتِ

إِذا وُطِّنَت يَوماً لَها النَفسُ ذَلَّتِ

following his example: “O ʿAzza, every affliction—

following his example: “O ʿAzz, every calamity,

once the soul steels itself one day to bear it—grows small.

if the soul is ever steeled for it, becomes bearable.

أَسيئي بِنا أَو أَحسِني لا مَلومَةً

أَسيئي بِنا أَو أَحسِني لا مَلومَةً

لَدَينا وَلا مَقلِيَّةً إِن تَقَلَّتِ

لَدَينا وَلا مَقلِيَّةً إِن تَقَلَّتِ

Treat us badly or kindly—you shall not be blamed

Treat us ill or well—you are not blamed

by us, nor hated, even if you come to hate us.”

by us, nor hated, even if you show hatred.”