فِيمَ الجفا وعَلاَمَ الصدُّ والمَلَلُ
ما بَالُهَا انْقَطَعتْ ما بيْنَنا الرسلُ
Why the estrangement, and for what reason the refusal and boredom?
Why have messages between us been severed?
شتان ما بيننا في الحُب حَظّكُم
مني الوفاء وحظّي منكُم الملَلُ
Great is the difference between us in love;
My share is loyalty, while your share is boredom.
قال الحواسدُ إنّي قد سَلوتُكمُ
يا كذْب ما ذكروا عنّي وما نقلوا
The slanderers said that I have become weary of you,
What a lie - what they mentioned and conveyed about me!
لا فُزْتُ يا سادتي مِنكُم بِعَطْفِ رضًى
إن كان لي عنكُم من بعدكم بَدَلُ
My masters, I have not gained from you kindness and pleased acceptance,
If after you I could find any substitute.
ولا أرى الله طرفي غُرَّ أوجهكُم
إن كانَ بعدكم بالنوم يكتَحِلُ
I do not see, after you, my eyes delighting in any faces,
If after you they adorn themselves with kohl.
ولا بلغتُ مرادي من وصالِكُم
إن كانَ يلوي فؤادي عنكُم عَذَلْ
Nor have I attained my goal in your companionship,
If after you my heart can find any consolation.
نأيتُمُ فنأى السّلوان واتّسعَتْ
أبوابُ صبري حتّى ضاقتِ الحيَلُ
You went away, so the solace departed, and the means
Of my patience expanded, until the stratagems ran out.
وكان ظنّي بكم قبل النّوى حسناً
حتّى نأيتم فخابَ الظنُ والأملُ
My expectation of you before the separation was good,
Until you went away, so hopes and wishes failed.
حملتُ فوق الذي أقوى وكنت فتىً
لا ناقةٌ ليَ في هذا ولا جملُ
I carried more than I could endure, and yet I was a young man,
Who possessed no she-camel or camel in this.
والْهَجْر يفعلُ في الأحشاء لا عجُه
ما ليسَ تفعلُه العسَّالةُ الذّبلْ
And separation works in my heartache what
No emaciated, withered one could accomplish.
وقد أتيتُ بوصفِ الشوق مختصراً
وعند مالكي التَّفصيل والجملُ
I have come with a brief description of longing,
While the details and full account are with my Master.
وموجبُ العَتْب أنِّي صرتُ مُذْ زَمنٍ
ما جاءني منكُم كتبٌ ولا رُسلُ
The reason for reproach is that for some time
No books or messages have come to me from you.
