لِي في الهوى حَرفانِ قد سَبق الجوى

بهِما فقاما يأسِرانِ فؤادي

I have two letters in love that surpassed companions,

With them they stood to capture my heart.

فَبِذاك أقتسمُ المساءَ مع الكرَى

ما بين تسهيدٍ ودَرْكِ مرادِ

So with that I share the evening with worries,

Between relaxation and reaching what I want.

واللهُ ربُّ العرشِ يعلمُ أنَّني

لا أنثني عنها بِصِدقِ ودادِ

And Allah, Lord of the Throne, knows that I

Do not waver from it with sincerity and affection.

يا معشرَ العشاقِ هل أُنبِئتُمُ

عن مِثلِ ذاك بِرائِحٍ أو غادِ

O people of lovers! Am I not informed

Of the like of that with a scent or presence?

سُوقُوا إلى الحضَريِّ عطْفَ مودَّةٍ

تجزيه عن هذا الأسى الوقَّادِ

Take to Al-Hadhari kindness

That rewards him for this burning sorrow.

في ليلةٍ ذهبَ السُّهادُ بِصَفْوِها

وتكاثفتْ أشجانُها لِوَفَادِ

On a night when sleep lost its purity

And its sorrows intensified for the heartache,

دَعْ عنكَ هذا السُّهْدَ واطْوِ لهيبَه

فالصَّفْوُ والتَّسهيدُ رهنُ نفادِ

Leave this relaxation and the flame of its passion,

For purity and relaxation are hostage to loss.

ولقد نصحتُ لئامَ قومٍ أدبروا

واستبدَلُوا بالودِّ شرَّ عنادِ

And I have advised the critic of a people who turned away

And replaced affection with the evil of stubbornness.

وأمرتُهم بالخيرِ لكنْ أرسَنُوا

سَفَهًا خطامَ المكرِ بعدَ رشادِ

And I commanded them with good, but they anchor

Ignorance, the bridle of scheming, after guidance.

أنَّى يقُومُ الأمرُ دونَ رشادِهم

والغيُّ فاعلَمْ رأسُ كلِّ فسادِ

How can things go well without their guidance?

And ignorance, know that it is the root of all corruption.

أمْ كيف تصمدُ للزمانِ صناعةٌ

قامت دعائمُها على الأحقادِ

Or how can a profession that

Its pillars stand on grudges withstand time?

لو أنَّهم فَطِنُوا لذلك لارتقَوا

عن كلِّ شائبةٍ مِنَ الحُسَّادِ

If only they realized that, they would rise

Above every blemish from the envious.

لكنَّهم زلَّتْ بهم أحلامُهم

ما إنْ لهم بينَ الورَى مِن هادِ

But their dreams slipped from them

When they have no guide among people.

لو أنَّهم صبروا كصبري لم يكنْ

لهمُ بهذا الشرِّ مِن إخفادِ

If only they were patient like my patience, they would not

Have this evil make them stumble.

لكنَّهم ظنُّوا الأمورَ كما ارتَأَوْا

ودعاهمُ للشرِّ سوءُ عتادِ

But they thought things as they assumed

And the evil of habit called them to evil.

لا تبتئِسْ فاللهُ ربُّكَ عندَه

لُطْفٌ، وللطَّاغِينَ بالمرصادِ

Do not despair, for Allah your Lord has

Gentleness, and for the tyrants an ambush.