أبا الحَسنِ اصفَح إنَّ مثلِي مَن جَنَى

أبا الحَسنِ اصفَح إنَّ مثلِي مَن جَنَى

ومثلُك مَن أعفَى مِن الغدرِ أو عَفا

ومثلُك مَن أعفَى مِن الغدرِ أو عَفا

Abu al-Hasan, pardon me: it is one like me who has done wrong;

O Abu al-Hasan, pardon me, for I am like one who offends,

And one like you absolves others of treachery, or forgives.

While you are like one who forgives or overlooks treachery.

أَإِن طوَّحت بِي هفوةٌ قلتُ جَفوَةً

أَإِن طوَّحت بِي هفوةٌ قلتُ جَفوَةً

وحمَّلتَ سَمعِي من عِتابِك ما نفَا

وحمَّلتَ سَمعِي من عِتابِك ما نفَا

If a lapse swept me away, did I utter a harsh word,

If I made a slip and spoke harshly,

And did you burden my hearing with your reproach that drove me away?

And you burdened my hearing with your reproaches that could not be ignored,