إِذا هَبَّ علويٌّ تَنَفس عَن جَمر

وَأَنَّ مِن الشَوق المُبرّح وَالهَجر

When an intimate sighed, relieved from embers,

And that longing and separation were grievous,

وَأَشجاهُ مَسراهُ فَفاضَت دُموعُهُ

وَأَفكر في البَلوى فَذابَ مِن الفكر

And what gladdened him saddened him, so his tears flowed,

And when I thought of tribulation, I melted from thinking,

أَخو دَنف قَد صَد عَنهُ أَليفُهُ

وَأَسلَمَهُ لِلشَوق وَالحُزن وَالضَر

A brother whose friend had barred him,

And surrendered him to yearning, sorrow and harm,

وَإِن شامَ بَرقاً في الظَلام اِستَفَزه

فَأَحشاؤُهُ تَهفو وَعبرتهُ تَجري

And if he saw a flash of lightening in the darkness, it provoked him,

So his insides roared and his tears flowed,

وَإِذكره عَهد التَلاقي عَلى اللَوى

سَقى اللَهُ أَيّام اللُقا صالِحَ القطر

And I recall the days of meeting at the curve,

May God water the days of meeting with good rain,

إِذِ الدَهر في صَفو وَإذ نَحنُ جيرة

وَإِذ لَم نَبِت مِن خَوف واش عَلى ذُعر

When life was pure and we were neighbors,

And we did not spend the night fearing a dreadful horror,

فَباتَ سَليب اللُب وَالصَبر ذاهِلاً

يَهيمُ بِلا عُرف لَدَيهِ وَلا نكر

So the heart and patience remained demolished,

Wandering without recognizing or knowing,

وَقَد مَنَعَ الشَوق اللَجوج قَرارَهُ

فَكَم قائل قَد جَنَّ هَذا وَلم يَدرِ

And stubborn longing prevented its rest,

So how many have been possessed by this without knowing?

وَمُتَخذ هَجري إِلى اللَه قُربة

برى قَتل مَن يَهواهُ مِن أَعظَم الأَجرِ

And one who takes my estrangement as an act of devotion to God

Thinks he kills whomever he loves and attains tremendous reward,

أَفي اللَهِ أَم في الحُب قَتل مُتَيم

عَفيف بِلا ذَنب جَناهُ وَلا وَزر

Is it in God or in love that Mutayyam was killed?

A chaste man without sin, wronged without guilt or blame,

فَهَل مُبلغ عَني تَحية وَامق

إِلى المَعرَض الغَضبان مسكية النَشر

Will there be one to convey my greetings and salutations

To the one who turned away angrily, having the perfume of publication,

وَمِن بَعدِها شَكوى يَلين لَها الصَفا

تعبر عَن حالي وَتُعرِبُ عَن أَمري

And after it, a complaint that would soften the rocks,

That would express my state and explain my matter?

وَإِني بِحال لَيسَ يُمكن شَرحَها

وَكيفَ تَرى حال المُخَلد في الأَسرِ

I am in a state that cannot be described,

How do you see the state of one imprisoned?

عَسى قَلبُهُ القاسي يَلين بِنَفثِها

فَشَكوى الهَوى وَالوَجد نَوع مِن السحر

Perhaps his cruel heart would be softened by its breath,

Since the complaint of love and passion is a kind of magic,

أَطلت التَجافي وَالصُدودا عَن قَلا

صُدودك وَالأَعراض عَنيَ أَم غَدر

Estrangement and your rejection have been prolonged,

Is it your rejection or betrayal of me?

وَحاشاكَ مِن غَدر وَحاشاكَ مِن قَلا

وَلَيسَ القَلا وَالغَدر مِن شِيَم الحَر

You are far from betrayal and far from rejection,

Betrayal and rejection are not of the traits of the noble,

سَأَحمل ما كَلفتِنيهِ مِن الأَسى

وَاِشرَب ما جَرعتِنيهِ مِن الصَبر

I will bear what you have burdened me with of sorrow,

And drink what you have made me drink of patience,

وَهَيهات أَن أَبقى وَقَد ضَمن الهَوى

هَلاكي في البَلوى بِما ضَمهُ صَدري

And alas! How can I remain when love has guaranteed

My demise in tribulation with what it has contained in my chest?