ومن ظن أن الاستزادة في الهوى

تُؤدِّي إلى طول العداوة والحقدِ

And whoever thinks that asking for more in love

leads to lasting enmity and rancor,

ألا فليهاجر حبَّه وعزيزه

ويصبرْ على بُعد يؤدي إلى القصْدِ

then let him indeed forsake his beloved and dearest one,

and bear a separation that leads to moderation.

ولكنكُمْ كنتُمْ تريدون علّةً

فهيَّجَكُمْ أدْنَى عِتاب إلى الصَّدِّ

But you were looking for a pretext,

so the slightest reproach stirred you to turn away.

عبرتُمْ زماناً تطلبون قطيعتي

فأوجدْتُكُمْ ما تطلبون بلا عمدِ

You spent some time seeking to cut me off,

so I gave you what you sought, unintentionally.

رجوتُ صلاح القبْل بالبَعْدِ فانبرى

لنا ظلمُكُم فاستفسد القبلَ بالبعدِ

I hoped what came after would mend what came before; but up rose

your injustice against us, spoiling what came before with what came after.

ومن حرك المعتلَّ عرَّضَ وصْله

وخُلَّته للصَّرْم والغدْرِ بالعهدِ

And whoever stirs the ailing exposes his bond

and his friendship to rupture and betrayal of the pledge.

لعمري لقد غُرِّرْتُ حين اسْتَزَدْتُكُمْ

بما كان من عهدٍ ضعيفٍ ومن عقدِ

By my life, when I asked you for more, I was indeed misled

by what there was of a frail pledge and pact.

وكنت وما حاولته من زيادةٍ

وما نالني من ذاك في جملة الودِّ

And I—with the increase I sought

and what befell me through it in love as a whole—

كطالبِ رِبْحٍ في سبيلٍ مخوفةٍ

فأَوْدَى بأصل المال والحرصُ قد يودي

was like one seeking profit on a perilous road,

who lost his capital—and greed can bring ruin.

وكم طالبٍ ربحاً إلى أصل ماله

فآب حَريباً أوْبة الخائب المُكْدِي

And many a man seeking profit to add to his capital

returned despoiled—the return of one thwarted and empty-handed.

ومن رام تشييد البناء وأُسُّهُ

ضعيفٌ فما يبنيه أَوَّلُ منهدِّ

And whoever seeks to raise a building while its foundation

is weak—what he builds is the first to collapse.

وكنتم أعرتم فارتجعتُمْ وإنما

تؤول عَوارِيُّ المعِير إلى الردِّ

And you had lent, then reclaimed; and indeed

a lender's loans end only in being returned.