أَلا لَيتَ ذاتَ الخالِ تَلقى مِنَ الهَوى

عَشيرَ الَّذي أَلقى فَيَلتَئِمَ الشَعبُ

Would that her cheek met the same fate from love

As my kinsmen, so that the clan be united,

إِذا رَضيَت لَم يَهنِني ذَلِكَ الرِضا

لِعِلمي بِهِ أَن سَوفَ يَتبَعُهُ العَتَبُ

If I were pleased, that would not make me vain,

Knowing reproach would follow it.

وَأَبكي إِذا ما أَذنَبَت خَوفَ صَدِها

وَأَسأَلُها مَرضاتَها وَلَها الذَنبُ

I weep if she offends, fearing her rejection,

And I plead for her favor, though she's done wrong,

وَلَو أَنَّ لي تِسعينَ قَلباً تَشاغَلَت

جَميعاً فَلَم يَفرُغ إِلى غَيرِها قَلبُ

If I had ninety hearts preoccupied,

Not one would turn from loving none but her.

وَلَم أَرَ مَن لا يَعرِفُ الحُبَّ غَيرَها

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلي حَشوُ أَثوابِهِ الحُبُّ

I've seen none who don't know love but her.

Nor one so filled with love beneath his clothes as I.

أَما لِكِتابي مِن جَوابٍ يَسُرُّني

وَلا لِرَسولي مِنكِ لينٌ وَلا قُربُ

My letter gains no gentle answer that gives joy,

Nor softness nor respect from the messenger I send.

وِصالُكُمُ صَرمٌ وَحُبُّكُمُ قِلىً

وَعَطفُكُمُ صَدٌ وَسِلمُكُمُ حَربُ

Being joined to you is strictness. Loving you is misery.

Your kindness is harshness. Peace with you is war.

وَأَنتُم بِحَمد اللَهُ فيكُم فَظاظَةٌ

فَكُلُّ ذَلولٍ في جَوانِبِكُم صَعبُ

By God's grace you have therein dignity

So all who seek you find the going rough.

إِذا زُرتُكُم قُلتُم نَزوعٌ وَإِن أَدَع

زيارَتَكُم يَوماً يَكُن مِنكُم عَتبُ

When I visit, you say, "What presumption!" If

I fail to visit but one day, you reproach.

فَهَجري لَكُم عَتبٌ وَوَصلي لَكُم أَذىً

فَلا هَجرُكُم هَجرٌ وَلا حُبُّكُم حُبُّ

So to part from you is blame, and to join you brings hurt.

No parting from you as parting, no love of you as love.

تَرى الرِجلَ تَسعى بي إِلى مَن أُحِبُّهُ

وَما الرِجلُ إِلا حَيثُ يَسعى بِها القَلبُ

A man strives to reach the one he loves,

Yet man is only where his heart impels.