قل للذي ينكر سبي له

قل للذي ينكر سبي له

واللَهِ ما خنتُك في الغَيبِ

واللَهِ ما خنتُك في الغَيبِ

Tell the one who objects to my reviling him:

Say to him who denies my captivity to him,

By God, I did not betray you in your absence.

I swear by God, I was never unfaithful to you in private.

وإنما أحببتُ ستر الهوى

وإنما أحببتُ ستر الهوى

فعِبتُ ما ليس بذي عَيبِ

فعِبتُ ما ليس بذي عَيبِ

And I only wished to conceal my love,

I only loved to conceal my passion,

So I found fault with what has no fault.

So I was blamed for what was no shame.

وسَله لي عن مَثَلٍ قد مضى

وسَله لي عن مَثَلٍ قد مضى

لِم رقع البزّازُ في الثوبِ

لِم رقع البزّازُ في الثوبِ

And ask him for me about an old proverb:

Ask him for me about a parable that has passed -

Why did the cloth merchant put a patch in the cloth?

Why did the patcher patch the garment?