عَهَدتُكَ بي دَهراً ضَنيناً عَلى العِدى

عَهَدتُكَ بي دَهراً ضَنيناً عَلى العِدى

إِذا رَمَتِ الأَعداءُ عِرضِيَ بِالظَنِّ

إِذا رَمَتِ الأَعداءُ عِرضِيَ بِالظَنِّ

Long have I known you to guard me jealously against foes,

I vow to you a long time of being content with injustice

When enemies assailed my honor with suspicion.

When enemies try to harm my honor out of suspicion

وَكانَ يَراني حُسنُ رَأيِكَ بِالَّتي

وَكانَ يَراني حُسنُ رَأيِكَ بِالَّتي

يُفَتِّتُ أَكبادَ العُداةِ مِنَ الغُبنِ

يُفَتِّتُ أَكبادَ العُداةِ مِنَ الغُبنِ

And your good opinion regarded me in a way

And your good opinion of me used to see me as one

That shattered the livers of foes with chagrin.

Who can crush the livers of foes out of their deceit

فَإِن حالَ ذاكَ الرَأيُ فِيَّ فَطالَماٍ

فَإِن حالَ ذاكَ الرَأيُ فِيَّ فَطالَماٍ

أَحَلتَ صُروفَ الدَهرِ مُجتَهِداً عَنّي

أَحَلتَ صُروفَ الدَهرِ مُجتَهِداً عَنّي

So if that opinion of me has changed, how often

So if that opinion remains unchanged in me, then for so long

You have diligently turned time's vicissitudes away from me!

You have endured the turns of fate working hard for me

وَإِن قَسَتِ الأَخلاقُ مِنكَ فَطالَما

وَإِن قَسَتِ الأَخلاقُ مِنكَ فَطالَما

أَلَنتَ لِيَ الأَيّامَ حَتّى اِختَشَت مِنّي

أَلَنتَ لِيَ الأَيّامَ حَتّى اِختَشَت مِنّي

And if your character has hardened, how often

And if morals have hardened from you, for so long

You softened the days for me until they feared me!

You have softened the days for me until I became scared of you