عَداكُم هَوىً مُذ شَفَّنا ما تَعَدّانا
فَهَوَّنتُمُ خَطباً مِنَ البَينِ ما هانا
Since we loved you, you have turned away, not keeping your promise,
You made light of sorrows too heavy for us to bear,
وَقُلتُم تَداوَوا بِالفِراقِ فَما الَّذي
أَلانَ النَوى مِن بَعدِ قَسوَتِها الآنا
You said time would heal with separation, but what
Has softened the pain after such harshness?
وَإِنّا لَنَرضى أَن تَصُدّوا وَتَقرَبوا
فَرُدّوا لَنا ذاكَ الدُنُوَّ كَما كانا
We would be content if you were cold or warm to us,
Give us back that affection as it used to be.
هُوَ الوَجدُ أَرضانا بِأَدنى نَوالِكُم
وَأَقصى مُنانا أَن تَقارَبَ أَرضانا
It would gladden us however little your favors,
And please us however little your closeness.
إِذا ما اِدَّعَينا سَلوَةً عَن هَواكُمُ
جَرى الدَمعُ مُنهَلّاً فَكَذَّبَ دَعوانا
When we pretend to be consoled for love of you,
Our tears flow belying our words.
فَلَيتَ الوُشاةَ حينَ رَقَّت حَديثَنا
إِلَيها دُموعُ العَينِ رَقَّت لِبَلوانا
If only the go-betweens, when they repeated our words,
Had moved you with their tears as they moved us.
هَبوا الوَصلَ بِالعُذّالِ صارَ قَطيعَةً
فَماذا الَّذي قَد صَيَّرَ الذِكرَ نِسيانا
They ruined our union with slander, it became estrangement,
What has made recollection into forgetfulness?
بِنا حُبُّ مَن نَرعاهُ وَهوَ يَروعُنا
وَنَذكُرُهُ حَتّى المَماتِ وَيَنسانا
We love those we tend, though they alarm us,
And remember them until death, though they forget us.
وَكَيفَ نُغَطّي وَهوَ دانٍ غَرامَنا
وَنَكتُمُ ما نَلقى فَقَد بانَ مُذ بانا
How can we hide it, when our love is known,
Or conceal what was revealed when it first appeared?
فَلَيتَ نَسيمَ الريحِ حُمِّلَ عَرفُهُم
فَأَدّاهُ أَحياناً إِلَينا فَأَحيانا
If only the breeze would carry their fragrance to us
Sometimes, and other times their news!
تَجَنَّوا فَما حَنّوا عَلَينا وَلا حَنَوا
وَمَنَّوا وَما مَنّوا لَياناً وَلَيّانا
They kept away, and did not yearn for us or yearn,
They granted favors and no favors, days and no days.
وَفي الأَرضِ عُشّاقٌ وَلَيسوا كَمِثلِنا
أَسارى غَرامٍ لا يُرَجّونَ سُلوانا
On earth are lovers who are not like us,
Captives of passion, hoping for no relief.
