قالوا احتجبْتَ ولا عجَبْ

مَنْ طاولَ النّجْمَ احتجَبْ

They said you secluded yourself, and no wonder

Whoever reached for the stars secluded himself

سحبَ الوشاةُ ذيولَهُم

وجرَرْتَ أذيالَ السُحُبْ

The slanderers dragged their tails

And you dragged the tails of clouds

أملٌ تنفّسَ طولُه

فكأنّه ليلُ المحِب

A hope whose long breath

Was as if it were a lover's night

لا يوحشنّكَ إن عُجِرْ

تَ فرُبّ محبوسٍ مُحَبْ

Don't be saddened if you're blamed

For many a confined lover is blamed

فالسهمُ لو لم ينجُ منْ

شرَكِ الحنيّة لم يُصِبْ

If the arrow had not escaped

The snares of ill wishes it would not have hit

والرُمْحُ أقربُ ما يكو

نُ من السّدادِ إذا اضطربْ

And the spear is closest to correctness

When it is unsettled