هجرت من أهواه لا عن قلىً

يا عجباً للعاشق الهاجر

I abandoned my love, not out of disdain

I deserted the one I love, not out of malice—

How strange is the emigrant lover

O wonder at the lover who turns away!

لكن عيني لم تطق نظرةً

إلى محيا الرشا الغادر

But my eyes could not stand

Yet my eyes could not endure a single glance

A glance at the cheek of the betraying friend

Upon the face of that treacherous fawn.

فالموت أحلى مطمعاً من هوى

يباح للوارد والصادر

So death is a sweeter aspiration than a love

For death is far sweeter to desire than a love

That is permitted to newcomer and frequenter

Made common to every coming and going passerby.

وفي الفؤاد النار مذكية

فأعجب لصب جزعٍ صابر

And in my heart the fire is stoked

And in my heart the fire is kindled ablaze,

So I wonder at the composure of a grieving lover

So marvel at an ardent lover, distraught yet enduring!

وقد أبحا اللَه في دينه

تقية المأسور للأسر

And God has sanctioned in His religion

And God has permitted in His religion

The dissident captive feigning belief

The captive's dissimulation before the captor,

وقد أحل الكفر خوف الروى

حتى ترى المؤمن كالكافر

And He has permitted unbelief out of fear

And pardoned words of disbelief out of fear of destruction,

So that you see the faithful as if an unbeliever

Until you see the believer appear just like the disbeliever.