يَقولونَ لُبنى فِتنَةٌ كُنتَ قَبلَها

يَقولونَ لُبنى فِتنَةٌ كُنتَ قَبلَها

بِخَيرٍ فَلا تَندَم عَلَيها وَطَلِّقِ

بِخَيرٍ فَلا تَندَم عَلَيها وَطَلِّقِ

They say, “Lubna is a trial; before her you were

They say Lubna is an affliction, before her

Well—so do not grieve over her, and divorce her.”

You were fine, so don't regret her and divorce her

فَطاوَعتُ أَعدائي وَعاصَيتُ ناصِحي

فَطاوَعتُ أَعدائي وَعاصَيتُ ناصِحي

وَأَقرَرتُ عَينَ الشامِتِ المُتَخَلِّقِ

وَأَقرَرتُ عَينَ الشامِتِ المُتَخَلِّقِ

So I obeyed my enemies and disobeyed my adviser,

So I obeyed my enemies and disobeyed my advisor

And gladdened the eye of the gloating pretender.

And gladdened the eye of the sneering slanderer

وَدِدتُ وَبَيتِ اللَهِ أَني عَصَيتُهُم

وَدِدتُ وَبَيتِ اللَهِ أَني عَصَيتُهُم

وَحُمِلتُ في رَضوانِها كُلُّ مَوبِقِ

وَحُمِلتُ في رَضوانِها كُلُّ مَوبِقِ

I wish, by the House of God, that I had disobeyed them,

I wish, by God's house, that I had disobeyed them

And been made to bear every deadly peril to win her favor,

And carried for her pleasure every ruinous thing

وَكُلِّفتُ خَوضَ البَحرَ وَالبَحرُ زاخِرٌ

وَكُلِّفتُ خَوضَ البَحرَ وَالبَحرُ زاخِرٌ

أَبيتُ عَلى أَثباجِ مَوجٍ مُغَرَّقِ

أَبيتُ عَلى أَثباجِ مَوجٍ مُغَرَّقِ

And been charged to plunge into the sea while it surged,

And I was made to traverse the sea, and the sea was raging

Spending the night upon the crests of engulfing waves.

I refused to cling to the planks of a drowning wave

كَأَنّي أَرى الناسَ المُحِبّينَ بَعدَها

كَأَنّي أَرى الناسَ المُحِبّينَ بَعدَها

عَصارَةَ ماءِ الحَنظَلِ المُتَفَلِّقِ

عَصارَةَ ماءِ الحَنظَلِ المُتَفَلِّقِ

It is as though, after her, I see loving people

It's as if after her I see lovers

As the pressed juice of a colocynth split open.

Like the dregs of fermented bitter aloe juice

فَتُنكِرُ عَيني بَعدَها كُلَّ مَنظَرٍ

فَتُنكِرُ عَيني بَعدَها كُلَّ مَنظَرٍ

وَيَكرَهُ سَمعي بَعدَها كُلَّ مَنطِقِ

وَيَكرَهُ سَمعي بَعدَها كُلَّ مَنطِقِ

So, after her, my eye rejects every sight,

So after her my eyes reject every sight

And, after her, my hearing loathes every utterance.

And after her my ears loathe all speech