يا مَن كَلِفتُ بِحُبِّهِ إِذ كانَ عَن

عَينِ المَلاحِظِ بِالحَيا مُتَبَرقِعا

O you whom I was charged with loving though you were

veiled from the observer's eye, wearing the garb of caution,

وَمَنَحتُهُ صَفوَ المَوَدَّةِ باذِلاً

لِلنَفسِ فيهِ حَيثُ كانَ مُمَنَّعا

And I granted you the essence of affection, laying down

my soul for you though you were forbidden,

وَأَرَيتُهُ وَجهَ النَصيحَةِ راغِباً

في أَن يَكونَ عَنِ الخَنا مُتَرَفِّعا

And I showed you the face of good advice, wishing

you to rise above baseness,

وَحَفِظتُهُ جُهدي وَلَكِن رَأيُهُ ال

بادجي أَبى أَلّا يَكونَ مُضَيَّعا

And I preserved you with my effort but your opinion, my friend, refused to be lost,

I was let down in my good expectations of you, so farewell

أَخلَفتُ حُسنَ الظَنَّ فيكَ فَهُن عَلى

قُربِ المَزارِ فَلا رَجِعتَ مُوَدَّعا

at the gravesite, may you not return to bid goodbye,

You exposed yourself to the arrows but paid no heed to

عَرَّضتَ نَفسَكَ لِلنِبالِ فَلَم تُبَل

بِمقالِ مَن أَضحى عَلَيكَ مُشَنِّعا

the words of one who had become your defamer,

Or had you not given me a pact to always remain

أَو لَم تَكُن أَعطَيتَني عَهداً عَلى

أَن لا تَزالَ عَنِ الوَرى مُتَبَرقِعا

veiled from the world?

And I admonished your heart but it would not heed,

وَلَقَد وَعِظتُ القَلبَ مِنكَ فَما اِرعَوى

وَقَرَعتُ سَمعَكَ بِالمَلامِ فَما وَعى

And I appealed to your hearing but you did not listen,

So I despaired of reforming you when I found no hope

فَرَفَضتُ يَأسي مِنكَ لَمّا لَم أَجِد

لي بِالنَصيحَةِ في صَلاحِكَ مَطمَعا

in my advice for your betterment,