وبيضاء العَوارِض قابلتْها

وبيضاء العَوارِض قابلتْها

شَبيهتُها السَّميةُ من مَشيِبي

شَبيهتُها السَّميةُ من مَشيِبي

And a woman with white teeth was met

Her cheeks white as the shining moon,

by her likeness and namesake in my gray hair.

Met by one whose hair was touched with grey like mine,

فظَلَّت لا تَرُدّ الطَّرْفَ عنْها

فظَلَّت لا تَرُدّ الطَّرْفَ عنْها

تلاحظُها ملاحظةَ المُريب

تلاحظُها ملاحظةَ المُريب

So she kept her gaze fixed on it,

She glanced not his way but stared in bitter doubt,

eyeing it with a suspicious look.

As if my presence caused her great dismay.

وقالتْ لي أَشِبتَ فقلتُ كلا

وقالتْ لي أَشِبتَ فقلتُ كلا

ولكنْ هذِه زَبَدُ الخُطوب

ولكنْ هذِه زَبَدُ الخُطوب

And she asked me, 'Have you gone gray?' I said, 'No—

When she exclaimed, “You've aged!” I said “Not I,

but this is the foam of calamities.

This is but the dust of life’s long road.”

وهَجْرُك آكَدُ الأسبابِ فيها

وهَجْرُك آكَدُ الأسبابِ فيها

فمُوجِبها ذنُوبك لا ذنوبِي

فمُوجِبها ذنُوبك لا ذنوبِي

And your desertion is the surest of its causes;

Your abandonment has caused the most hurt,

so its cause is your sins, not mine.'

Your sins, not mine, have bred this distance curst.

فقالت لي هجرتُك لا لعيبٍ

فقالت لي هجرتُك لا لعيبٍ

فكيف على الكثير منَ العيوب

فكيف على الكثير منَ العيوب

She told me, 'I forsook you for no fault—

Said she, “I did not leave for any fault.”

how much more, then, for so many faults!'

How can you bear this burden of self-blame?