عَلِمتُ مِنَ الحُسنِ ما يَجهَلُ

فَلا كانَ مِن جاهِلٍ يَعذِلُ

I have learned of beauty what an ignorant man does not know

So I do not blame one who is ignorant and finds fault

وَقَد سَلَبَ اللَهُ عَنهُ القَبولَ

وَيَعلَمُ أَنّي لا أَقبَلُ

For God has denied him acceptance

And he knows I do not accept

وَلَو كانَ لي عَزمَةٌ في السُلُوِّ

لَما كُنتُ مِن أَجلِهِ أَفعَلُ

If I had a strong resolve in determination

I would not act this way because of him

أَجِئتَ عَلى القَلبِ مُستَأذِناً

فَقَد حَلَفَ القَلبُ لا تَدخُلُ

You came to my heart asking permission to enter

But my heart has sworn you cannot enter

ثَقيلٌ عَلى القَلبِ مِنكَ السُكوتُ

وَأَنتَ إِذا قُلتَ لي أَثقَلُ

Your silence is a heavy burden on my heart

And when you speak to me it is even harder to bear

فَقُل لي وَما لَكَ مَعنىً يَصِحُّ

عَلى أَيِّ شَيءٍ تُرى تُحمَلُ

So tell me, what meaning can be valid

For what reason can you be blamed?

كَفاكَ الهَوى أَجَلي أَن تَراهُ

فَحَسبُكَ أَنّيَ مُستَعجِلُ

Your love for me is enough, do not wish for more

It is enough that I am hasty

وَما الحُبُّ إِلّا الحُسامُ الصَديء

إِذا العَذلُ مَرَّ بِهِ يُصقَلُ

Love is but the polished sword

When blame passes over it, it is polished

مِنَ الحَيِّ أَوجُهُهُم في الدُجى

تُنيرُ فَما لَيلُهُم أَليَلُ

The fairest of faces in the darkness of night

Their light dispels the gloom, their night is not dark

تُرى نارُهُم لِحَريقِ القُلوبِ

فَقَد أَوقَدوها وَلَم يَصطَلوا

You see their fire set for burning hearts

They lit it but did not light their own lamps

وَبَينَ بُيوتِهِمُ أَنصُلٌ

خِضابُ الظَلامِ بِها يَنصُلُ

Between their homes are unsheathed swords

The darkness takes its hue from these bared blades

أَتِلكَ الَّتي قَتَلتَ بِالعُيونِ

هُنالِكَ أُصرَعُ أَو أُقتَلُ

Are those the ones your eyes have killed?

There I shall be slain or be the slayer