يَقولُ عَتيقٌ إِذ شَكَوتُ صَبابَتي

وَبَيَّنَ داءٌ مِن فُؤادي مُخامِرُ

Atiq said when I complained of my youth

And an ailment from my heart made itself felt:

أَحَقّاً لَئِن دارُ الرَبابِ تَباعَدَت

أَوِ اِنبَتَّ حَبلٌ أَنَّ قَلبَكَ طائِرُ

“Is it right that if the house of the beloved moves away

Or a rope breaks that your heart should fly off?

أَفِق قَد أَفاقَ العاشِقونَ وَفارَقوا ال

هَوى وَاِستَمَرَّت بِالرِجالِ المَرائِرُ

Be sensible - lovers have come to their senses and left

Passion, while men continue with stratagems.

زَعِ القَلبَ وَاِستَبقِ الحَياءَ فَإِنَّما

تُباعِدُ أَو تُدني الرَبابَ المَقادِرُ

Control your heart and keep your honor intact

For fate alone brings the beloved closer or pushes away.

فَإِن كُنتَ عُلِّقتَ الرَبابَ فَلا تَكُن

أَحاديثَ مَن يَبدو وَمَن هُوَ حاضِرُ

If you have hung on to the beloved, don’t listen

To the words of one who makes a show or pretends.

أَمِت حُبَّها وَاِجعَل قَديمَ وِصالِها

وَعِشرَتِها أَمثالَ مَن لا تُعاشِرُ

Forget her love and imagine your intimacy with her

And company like one you don’t keep company with.

وَهَبها كَشَيءٍ لَم يَكُن أَو كَنازِحٍ

بِهِ الدارُ أَو مَن غَيَّبَتهُ المَقابِرُ

Consider her like something that was not

Or someone the tombs have made disappear.

فَإِن أَنتَ لَم تَفعَل وَلَستَ بِفاعِلٍ

وَلا قابِلٍ نُصحاً لِمَن هُوَ زاجِرُ

If you don’t do this - and you won’t and can’t

Or accept advice from one giving counsel -

فَلا تَفتَضِح عَيناً أَتَيتَ الَّذي تَرى

وَطاوَعتَ هَذا القَلبَ إِذ أَنتَ سادِرُ

Then don’t disgrace yourself by going to her

And indulging this heart when you can lead.

وَما زِلتُ حَتّى اِستَنكَرَ الناسُ مَدخَلي

وَحَتّى تَراءَتني العُيونُ النَواظِرُ

I didn’t stop until people frowned at my visits

And eyes watched me with disapproval.”