سألتُ غزالا شفَّ قلبي عن اسمه

فدافعَ عنه ثمَّ قال وعمَّاهُ

I asked a gazelle who captured my heart about his name

He defended it, then said and concealed it

هو اسمٌ يَعاف الصاحلون استماعَه

لأن الذي يهواه يبغضُهُ اللهُ

It is a name the righteous dislike hearing

Because the one who loves it, Allah hates him

وتصحيفُه مُرٌّ على المرء طعمهُ

يمُرُّ على سمع الكريم فيأباهُ

And mispronouncing it is bitter to one's taste

Bitter to the hearing of the generous, so he refuses it

ولو قيلَ لي ثلثاه من فعلِ صاحب

تجافيتُه من بعد ما كنت أهواهُ

And if I was told a third of the deeds of its companion

I would shun him after what I used to love him

ولو قيل في أخرَى سمعتَ بصيحةٍ

لساهرِ ليلٍ بالهموم تغشَّاهُ

And if it was said in another I heard a scream

Of a sleepless night's vigil, overwhelmed by worries

ولكن إذا شبّهتَه باسم غادةٍ

فذلك مما تشتهيهِ وترضاهُ

But if you likened it to the name of a returning one

That is what you desire and approve of