خانَنيhe betrayed me مَنthe one who لَمdid not أَخُنهُI betray him
خانَني مَن لَم أَخُنهُ
لاno وَلاand not أَذكُرُI mention مَنwho هوhe is
لا وَلا أَذكُرُ مَن هو
The one I never betrayed betrayed me.
He betrayed me, the one I never betrayed
No—and I will not say who he is.
I neither care nor remember who he is
طالَماhow often غالَطتُI deluded myself فيهِabout him
طالَما غالَطتُ فيهِ
طالَماhow often كَذَّبتُI denied accusations عَنهُon his behalf
طالَما كَذَّبتُ عَنهُ
How often I deluded myself about him;
I have made many mistakes regarding him
How often I denied what was said against him.
I have lied much about him
لَيتَهُif only he ماتَhad died وَلاand not كاbeginning of kāna: happened
لَيتَهُ ماتَ وَلا كا
نَcompletion of kāna: happened الَّذيwhat قَدalready كانَhappened مِنهُfrom him
نَ الَّذي قَد كانَ مِنهُ
Would that he had died, and that
I wish he had died rather than being
what he did had never come to pass.
What he has become
خَلِّleave مَنwhoever خَلّاكَleft you ياO قَلbeginning of qalb: heart
خَلِّ مَن خَلّاكَ يا قَل
بُcompletion of qalb: heart وَمَنand whoever خانَكَbetrayed you خُنهُbetray him
بُ وَمَن خانَكَ خُنهُ
Leave whoever left you, O
My heart, abandon those who abandoned you
heart; and whoever betrayed you, betray him.
And betray those who betrayed you
لاdo not تَصُنpreserve بِاللَهِby God وُدّاًaffection
لا تَصُن بِاللَهِ وُدّاً
لِخَؤونٍfor a habitual betrayer لَمdid not يَصُنهُhe preserves it
لِخَؤونٍ لَم يَصُنهُ
Do not, by God, preserve affection
Do not be loyal, by God
for a treacherous man who did not preserve it.
To the disloyal one was not loyal to you
وَكَماand just as سامَكَhe made you suffer سُمهُmake him suffer
وَكَما سامَكَ سُمهُ
وَكَماand just as دانَكَhe dealt with you دِنهُdeal with him
وَكَما دانَكَ دِنهُ
And as he made you suffer, make him suffer;
And just as he poisoned you, poison him
And as he dealt with you, deal with him.
And just as he wronged you, wrong him