بِرُغمي أُطيلُ الصَدَّ عَنكِ وَأَبتَلي

بِهَجرِكِ قَلباً لَم يَزَل فيكِ مُتعَبا

Though unwilling, I prolong estrangement from you

And afflict a heart that has not ceased to ache for you.

وَما أَنا في صَدّي بِأَوَّلِ عاشِقٍ

رَأَى بَعضَ ما لا يَشتَهي فَتَجَنَّبا

Yet in my aloofness I am not the first lover

Who saw some of what he did not desire, so avoided it.

تَجَنَّبَ يَرتادُ السُلوَّ فَلَم يَجِد

لَهُ عَنكِ في الأَرضِ الفَسيحَةِ مَذهَبا

He avoided the roads of union, but found

No escape from you in the vast earth.

فَصارَ إِلى أَن راجَعَ الوَصلَ صاغِراً

وَعادَ إِلى ما تَشتَهينَ فَأَعتَبا

So he went back to union in surrender

And returned to what you desired, asking forgiveness.