هويتُ بخيلاً ظالماً فاستقادَني

هويتُ بخيلاً ظالماً فاستقادَني

هوايَ له حتى اقتديتُ بفعلِهِ

هوايَ له حتى اقتديتُ بفعلِهِ

I loved a miser, an oppressor; I was subdued

I accused him of being unjust and mean so he corrected me

by my love for him, until I followed his example.

I loved him to the point that I emulated his actions

فأحببتُ مَن يُدعى ظلوماً لظلمه

فأحببتُ مَن يُدعى ظلوماً لظلمه

وأحببتُ مَن يُدعي بخيلاً لبخلِهِ

وأحببتُ مَن يُدعي بخيلاً لبخلِهِ

So I loved whoever is called deeply unjust, because of his injustice,

So I grew fond of one called unjust for his injustice

and loved whoever is called miserly, because of his miserliness.

And I grew fond of one called stingy for his stinginess

أرى ظلمَه عندي جميلاً كعدلِهِ

أرى ظلمَه عندي جميلاً كعدلِهِ

فألزمني في هجره شكرَ وصلِهِ

فألزمني في هجره شكرَ وصلِهِ

To me, his injustice seems as beautiful as his justice;

I see his injustice as beautiful as his justice

so he obliged me, in his estrangement, to give thanks for his closeness.

So he obliged me in his estrangement with gratitude and his affection

صنعتُ لكيلا يشمتوا بي قصيدة

صنعتُ لكيلا يشمتوا بي قصيدة

إليه تعدُّ المنعَ إسرافَ بذلِهِ

إليه تعدُّ المنعَ إسرافَ بذلِهِ

I composed a poem so they would not gloat over me,

I composed for him a poem so that none would gloat over me

addressed to him, counting withholding as extravagance in his giving.

In which I counted his refusal extravagance of his generosity