قالوا الأَحِبَّةُ ما صَدّوا وَلا وَصَلوا

إِذاً فَقُل لِيَ ما أَحيَوا وَما قَتَلوا

They said the loved ones neither turned away nor joined

Then tell me if they ever lived or were they killed

وَالقَتلُ لي راحَةٌ لَكِنَّهُم أَبَداً

لا يَسمَحونَ بِشَيءٍ فيهِ لي أَمَلُ

And death for me would be rest but they

Would never allow anything in which I have hope

مِثلُ العَواذِلِ لَمّا ضَلَّ سَعيُهُمُ

لا أَمسَكوا عَذلَهُم عَنّي وَلا عَذَلوا

Like the indifferent when their quest went astray

They spared me not their indifference nor felt indifference

ما لي بِهِم وَبِهِجرانِ الحَبيبِ وَإِس

رافِ الرَقيبِ وَتَشنيعِ العِدا قِبَلُ

What have I to do with them or with the beloved's estrangement and the watchman's

Surveillance and the enemy's accusation. I cannot bear

وَلَيسَ في خاطِري أَيضاً وَلا زَمَني

وَلا لِمَعشارِ ما أَلقاهُ مُحتَمَلُ

Nor does it cross my mind or stay in my memory

Or anything like what I have endured

إِن زَلَّ عَزمِيَ فَهوَ البَحرُ زَلزَلَةً

وَقَد يَخِفُّ إِذا ما زُلزِلُ الجَبَلُ

If my resolve falters it's the sea shuddering

And the mountain may quake when made to quiver

أَخرَجتُموني مِنَ الدُنيا وَما خَرَجَت

نَفسي وَفارَقَها مَن لا لَهُ أَمَلُ

You've cast me out of life and my soul never left

And left it one with no hope

فَالنَفسُ مِن هَمِّها في جِسمِها اِعتُقِلَت

بَل صاحِبُ النَفسِ تَحتَ الهَمِّ مُعتَقَلُ

So the soul from its worries remains imprisoned in its body

Nay, the soul's companion remains imprisoned under worries

الذنبُ لِلحُسنِ لا لِلحُبِّ إِن عَدَلوا

في الحُكمِ لَكِنَّهُم في الحُكمِ ما عَدَلوا

The sin is for beauty not for love if they judge fairly

But they never judge fairly

مَنِ الَّذي مِنهُما مِن قَبلِ صاحِبِهِ

أَم لَم يَكُن بَينَ وَجدانَيهِما مَهَلُ

Who of the two failed the other

Or was there no respite between their two passions

مالي سَبيلٌ إِلى الدُنيا وَكَيفَ بِها

يا لَيتَني مِثلُ مَن ضاقَت بِهِ السُبُلُ

I have no way to life now how can I live it

Oh would that I were like one whose paths are blocked