نَعَم يَعرِفُ الحَقَّ الجَلِيَّ وَيَصدِفُ

وَيَصدِفُ عَن وُدّي الحَفِيِّ وَيَعرِفُ

Yes, he knows the clear truth and turns away

And turns away from my intimate affection and knows

فَلا تُلزِموهُ في وِدادي كُلفَةً

فَلا خَيرَ في الودِّ الَّذي يُتَكَلَّفُ

So do not oblige him in my love with pretense

For there is no good in love which is pretended

فَلَستُ أَرى أَنَّ الخطابَ يَصِحُّ أَن

يَصِحَّ لِمَن خاطَبتَ وَهوَ مُكَلَّفُ

Thus I do not see that words can be correct

If they are correct for one you addressed yet pretended

وَيَستَوقِفُ العُشّاقَ في الرَبعِ إِن عَفا

سِوايَ عَلى رَبعٍ عَفا لا أُوَقِّفُ

And detains lovers in the ruins if he pardoned

Except me over ruins he pardoned I am not detained

وَلي عَطفَةٌ مِنهُ وَلي مِنهُ رِقَّةٌ

كَما البيضُ رَقَّت وَالقِسِيُّ تَعَطَّفُ

And he has sympathy for me and gentleness for me

As the egg is gentle and the hard one becomes sympathetic