أَأَحبابَنا بِاللَهِ كَيفَ تَغَيَّرَت
خَلائِقُ غُرٌّ فيكُمُ وَغَرائِزُ
My friends, how your natures have changed!
Reproach in you is strange, and strange your whims.
لَقَد ساءَني العَتبُ الَّذي جاءَ مِنكُمُ
وَإِنِّيَ عَنهُ لَو عَلِمتُم لَعاجِزُ
Your blame has pained me, though if you knew,
I'd be helpless to make response or excuse.
لَكُم عُذرُكُم أَنتُم سَمِعتُم فَقُلتُمُ
وَمُحتَمَلٌ ما قَد سَمِعتُم وَجائِزُ
You have your reasons that made you speak out,
And pardonable is what you heard and deemed right.
هَبوا أَنَّ لي ذَنباً كَما قَد زَعَمتُمُ
فَهَل ضاقَ عَنهُ حِلمُكُم وَالتَجاوُزُ
Grant you are correct and I'm at fault,
Is your patience and pardon beyond that so slight?
نَعَم لِيَ ذَنبٌ جِئتُكُم مِنهُ تائِباً
كَما تابَ مِن فِعلِ الخَطِيَّةِ ماعِزُ
Yes, I'm guilty, to you repentant I came,
Like Ma'iz, repenting the sinful deed he claimed.
عَلى أَنَّني لَم أَرضَ يَوماً خِيانَةً
وَهَيهاتِ لي وَاللَهِ عَن ذاكَ حاجِزُ
Never have I been pleased with betrayal,
Far from me, by God, thoughts of that I'm contained.
وَبَينَ فُؤادي وَالسُلُوِّ مَهالِكٌ
وَبينَ جُفونِي وَالرُقادُ مَفاوِزُ
Between my heart and sleep ruin lies,
And between my lids and rest vast is the divide.
وَإِن قُلتُ واشَوقاهُ لِلبانِ وَالحِمى
فَإِنِّيَ عَنكُم بِالكِنايَةِ رامِزُ
If my love for the abode and settlement you decried,
By allusion and metaphor you I deride.
دَعونِيَ وَالواشي فَإِنِّيَ حاضِرٌ
وَصَوتِيَ مَرفوعٌ وَوَجهِيَ بارِزُ
Leave me be, and the slanderer, for I am present,
My voice raised, and my face forward and evident,
سَيَذكُرُ ما يَجري لَنا مِن وَقائِعٍ
مَشايِخُ تَبقى بَعدَنا وَعَجائِزُ
Elders will remember events that to us were sent,
Outliving us, elders and women reliant.
بِعَيشِكَ لا تَسمَع مَقالَةَ حاسِدٍ
يُجاهِرُ فيما بَينَنا وَيُبارِزُ
In your life, don't listen to envious chiding
Making claims between us, and with us contending.
فَما شاقَ طَرفي غَيرَ وَجهِكَ شائِقٌ
وَلا حازَ قَلبي غَيرَ حُبَّكِ حائِزُ
None attracted my gaze but your face so inviting,
None possessed my heart but your love comprehending.
سَأَكتُمُ هاذا العَتبَ خيفَةَ شامِتٍ
وَأوهِمُ أَنّي بِالرِضا مِنكَ فائِزُ
I will hide this blame, fearing the gloat of the spiteful,
Feigning to you I'm pleased, victorious and insightful.
فَلي فيكَ حُسّادٌ وَبَيني وَبَينَهُم
وَقائِعُ لَيسَت تَنقَضي وَهَزاهِزُ
Among you are enviers, between us mere trifles,
Events never ending, uncertainties stifling.
وَإِنّي لَهُم في حَربِهِم لِمُخادِعٍ
أُسالِمُهُم طَوراً وَطَوراً أُناجِزِ
Deceiving their war, I befriend and bewilder,
Vanquishing them, by turns, as contender and builder.
