نَعَم يَعرِفُ الحَقَّ الجَلِيَّ وَيَصدِفُ

نَعَم يَعرِفُ الحَقَّ الجَلِيَّ وَيَصدِفُ

وَيَصدِفُ عَن وُدّي الحَفِيِّ وَيَعرِفُ

وَيَصدِفُ عَن وُدّي الحَفِيِّ وَيَعرِفُ

Yes, he knows the evident truth, yet turns away;

Yes, he knows the clear truth and turns away

And he turns away from my devoted love, though he knows it.

And turns away from my intimate affection and knows

فَلا تُلزِموهُ في وِدادي كُلفَةً

فَلا تُلزِموهُ في وِدادي كُلفَةً

فَلا خَيرَ في الودِّ الَّذي يُتَكَلَّفُ

فَلا خَيرَ في الودِّ الَّذي يُتَكَلَّفُ

So do not burden him with loving me,

So do not oblige him in my love with pretense

For there is no good in love that is forced.

For there is no good in love which is pretended

فَلَستُ أَرى أَنَّ الخطابَ يَصِحُّ أَن

فَلَستُ أَرى أَنَّ الخطابَ يَصِحُّ أَن

يَصِحَّ لِمَن خاطَبتَ وَهوَ مُكَلَّفُ

يَصِحَّ لِمَن خاطَبتَ وَهوَ مُكَلَّفُ

For I do not think an address can rightly

Thus I do not see that words can be correct

hold good for one you address while he is compelled.

If they are correct for one you addressed yet pretended

وَيَستَوقِفُ العُشّاقَ في الرَبعِ إِن عَفا

وَيَستَوقِفُ العُشّاقَ في الرَبعِ إِن عَفا

سِوايَ عَلى رَبعٍ عَفا لا أُوَقِّفُ

سِوايَ عَلى رَبعٍ عَفا لا أُوَقِّفُ

And the one who bids lovers halt at the encampment, if its traces have faded,

And detains lovers in the ruins if he pardoned

is someone other than me; I bid none halt at a faded encampment.

Except me over ruins he pardoned I am not detained

وَلي عَطفَةٌ مِنهُ وَلي مِنهُ رِقَّةٌ

وَلي عَطفَةٌ مِنهُ وَلي مِنهُ رِقَّةٌ

كَما البيضُ رَقَّت وَالقِسِيُّ تَعَطَّفُ

كَما البيضُ رَقَّت وَالقِسِيُّ تَعَطَّفُ

And I have affection from him, and from him I have tenderness,

And he has sympathy for me and gentleness for me

Just as bright swords are thin and bows bend.

As the egg is gentle and the hard one becomes sympathetic