عَلَيَّ أَلِيَّةٌ وَعَلَيَّ نَذرٌ

أَمَسُّكِ طائِعاً إِلّا بِعودِ

I am bound by oath and vow

To clasp your hand submissively, or not at all.

أَتَيتُكَ زائِراً فَوَضَمتِ كَفّي

عَلى أَيرٍ أَشَدَّ مِنَ الحَديدِ

I came to you a visitor; then you pressed

My hand as if it were harder than iron.

فَخَيرٌ مِنكِ مَن لا خَيرَ فيهِ

وَخَيرٌ مِن زِيارَتِكُم قُعودي

Better than you is one in whom no good resides,

And better than visiting you is my sitting far from you.