نَقضتَ عُهودي بَعدَ عشرين حجة

نَقضتَ عُهودي بَعدَ عشرين حجة

خَدمتُك فيها بِالأَمانة وَالصدقِ

خَدمتُك فيها بِالأَمانة وَالصدقِ

You broke the covenants with me after twenty years,

You broke your promise after twenty excuses

During which I served you with fidelity and truthfulness.

I served you with honesty and truth

وَجازيتَ بِالتَأخير مثلي وَطالَما

وَجازيتَ بِالتَأخير مثلي وَطالَما

قَضى لي قَبل الآن عَدلُك بِالسَبق

قَضى لي قَبل الآن عَدلُك بِالسَبق

And you repaid one like me with delay, though often

And you rewarded me with delay, yet long ago

Your justice had, before now, decreed precedence for me.

Your justice would have freed me first

وَأَصبَحتُ نَسياً لا لذنب وَإِنَّما

وَأَصبَحتُ نَسياً لا لذنب وَإِنَّما

لِغَدر زَمان لا يُعامل بِالرفق

لِغَدر زَمان لا يُعامل بِالرفق

And I became a thing forgotten, not for any fault, but only

And now I'm forgotten, though no sin of mine

Because of the treachery of time, which does not deal gently.

But for the betrayal of a time without mercy

وَما أَسفي إِلا عَلى خُلف مَوعدٍ

وَما أَسفي إِلا عَلى خُلف مَوعدٍ

عَدلتَ بِهِ في الحكم عَن مَنهَج الحَق

عَدلتَ بِهِ في الحكم عَن مَنهَج الحَق

And my sorrow is only over the breaking of a promise,

My sorrow's but for the broken date

By which you departed, in judgment, from the path of right.

You judged with justice, swerving from what's right

وَإِني لَراض عَنكَ في كُل حالة

وَإِني لَراض عَنكَ في كُل حالة

وَفي كُل وَقت فَاغنم الأَجر بِالعتق

وَفي كُل وَقت فَاغنم الأَجر بِالعتق

And I am indeed pleased with you in every circumstance,

Yet I'm content with you in any case

And at all times—so earn the reward by granting freedom.

In any time, so take reward in setting free