رِضَا الْمُتَجَنِّي غَايَةٌ لِيْسِ تُدْرَكُ

وَفِي كُلِّ وَجْهٍ لِلتَّجَرُّمِ مَسْلَكُ

Complete contentment is an aim I cannot attain,

And down every path lies an excuse for misdeeds.

إِذَا صَاحِبٌ يَوْمَاً تَجَنَّى تَرَكْتُهُ

عَلَى طَبْعِهِ فِي الغَدْرِ وَالطَّبْعُ أَمْلَكُ

When a friend one day showed fickleness, I abandoned him -

To his nature, so prone as it was to betrayal and treachery.

وَصَلْتُكَ لَمَّا كُنْتَ فِيَّ مُوَحِّدَاً

وَعَزَّيْتُ عَنْكَ القَلْبَ إِذْ أَنْتَ مُشْرِكُ

I drew close to you when you were wholly true to me,

And estranged my heart when you turned polytheist.

فَإِنْ عُدْتَ بِالإِخْلاَصِ عَادَ بِهِ أَخٌ

وَإِنْ تَأْبَ إِلاَّ تَرْكَهُ فَهْوَ أَتْرَكُ

If you return in utter sincerity, a brother returns the same,

But if you insist on leaving it, then leave it I shall!