يا مَن كَلِفتُ بِحُبِّهِ إِذ كانَ عَن

يا مَن كَلِفتُ بِحُبِّهِ إِذ كانَ عَن

عَينِ المَلاحِظِ بِالحَيا مُتَبَرقِعا

عَينِ المَلاحِظِ بِالحَيا مُتَبَرقِعا

O one whose love enthralled me, when he was beyond

O you whom I was charged with loving though you were

the watchful gaze, veiled in modesty.

veiled from the observer's eye, wearing the garb of caution,

وَمَنَحتُهُ صَفوَ المَوَدَّةِ باذِلاً

وَمَنَحتُهُ صَفوَ المَوَدَّةِ باذِلاً

لِلنَفسِ فيهِ حَيثُ كانَ مُمَنَّعا

لِلنَفسِ فيهِ حَيثُ كانَ مُمَنَّعا

And I gave him the purest affection, freely offering

And I granted you the essence of affection, laying down

myself for his sake, while he was beyond reach.

my soul for you though you were forbidden,

وَأَرَيتُهُ وَجهَ النَصيحَةِ راغِباً

وَأَرَيتُهُ وَجهَ النَصيحَةِ راغِباً

في أَن يَكونَ عَنِ الخَنا مُتَرَفِّعا

في أَن يَكونَ عَنِ الخَنا مُتَرَفِّعا

And I showed him the face of counsel, wishing

And I showed you the face of good advice, wishing

that he might rise above indecency.

you to rise above baseness,

وَحَفِظتُهُ جُهدي وَلَكِن رَأيُهُ ال

وَحَفِظتُهُ جُهدي وَلَكِن رَأيُهُ ال

بادجي أَبى أَلّا يَكونَ مُضَيَّعا

بادجي أَبى أَلّا يَكونَ مُضَيَّعا

And I guarded him as best I could, but his judgment—

And I preserved you with my effort but your opinion, my friend, refused to be lost,

[unclear adjective]—insisted that he be left to ruin.

I was let down in my good expectations of you, so farewell

أَخلَفتُ حُسنَ الظَنَّ فيكَ فَهُن عَلى

أَخلَفتُ حُسنَ الظَنَّ فيكَ فَهُن عَلى

قُربِ المَزارِ فَلا رَجِعتَ مُوَدَّعا

قُربِ المَزارِ فَلا رَجِعتَ مُوَدَّعا

I found my good opinion of you belied; be abased, despite

at the gravesite, may you not return to bid goodbye,

the nearness of your abode; may you never return once bidden farewell.

You exposed yourself to the arrows but paid no heed to

عَرَّضتَ نَفسَكَ لِلنِبالِ فَلَم تُبَل

عَرَّضتَ نَفسَكَ لِلنِبالِ فَلَم تُبَل

بِمقالِ مَن أَضحى عَلَيكَ مُشَنِّعا

بِمقالِ مَن أَضحى عَلَيكَ مُشَنِّعا

You exposed yourself to arrows and paid no heed

the words of one who had become your defamer,

to the words of one who came to vilify you.

Or had you not given me a pact to always remain

أَو لَم تَكُن أَعطَيتَني عَهداً عَلى

أَو لَم تَكُن أَعطَيتَني عَهداً عَلى

أَن لا تَزالَ عَنِ الوَرى مُتَبَرقِعا

أَن لا تَزالَ عَنِ الوَرى مُتَبَرقِعا

Or had you not given me a pledge to

veiled from the world?

remain forever veiled from humankind?

And I admonished your heart but it would not heed,

وَلَقَد وَعِظتُ القَلبَ مِنكَ فَما اِرعَوى

وَلَقَد وَعِظتُ القَلبَ مِنكَ فَما اِرعَوى

وَقَرَعتُ سَمعَكَ بِالمَلامِ فَما وَعى

وَقَرَعتُ سَمعَكَ بِالمَلامِ فَما وَعى

And indeed I admonished your heart, but it did not desist.

And I appealed to your hearing but you did not listen,

And I struck your hearing with reproach, but it understood nothing.

So I despaired of reforming you when I found no hope

فَرَفَضتُ يَأسي مِنكَ لَمّا لَم أَجِد

فَرَفَضتُ يَأسي مِنكَ لَمّا لَم أَجِد

لي بِالنَصيحَةِ في صَلاحِكَ مَطمَعا

لي بِالنَصيحَةِ في صَلاحِكَ مَطمَعا

So I cast aside my despair of you when I could not find

in my advice for your betterment,

any hope for myself, through counsel, of your reform.