قُل لِلَّذي يَهوى تَفَرُّقَ بَينِنا

بِحَبلِ وِدادي أَيَّ ذَلِكَ يَفعَلُ

Tell the one who desires our separation

With the rope of my love, how can he do that?

فَوَيلُ اِمِّها أُمنِيَّةً لَو تَفَهَّمَت

مَعانِيَها أَو كانَتِ اللُبَّ تُعمِلُ

Woe to his mother! If only she understood

Its meaning or if only the mind could work

أَغَيظي تَمَنَّت أَم أَرادَت فِراقَها

إِلَيَّ فَلا حاشايَ بَل أَنا أَقبَلُ

Did she wish to anger me or want our separation?

No, it’s towards me so I accept

أُؤَمِّنُ فَاِدعُ اللَهَ يَجمَعُ بَينَنا

بِحَبلٍ شَديدِ العَقدِ لا يَتَحَلَّلُ

I believe, so pray to God to reunite us

With a strongly knotted rope that won't unravel

وَدِدنا وَنُعطى ما يَجودُ لَوَ أَنَّهُ

لَنا رائِمٌ حَتّى يَأوبَ المُنَخَّلُ

We love each other and are given freely what He bestows

If only for us it would last until the star disperses

لَستُ بِناسٍ ما حَيّتُ مَقالَها

لَنا لَيلَةَ البَطحاءِ وَالدَمعُ يَهمِلُ

I'm not a person whose words since living

Were for us the night of al-Bat'ha and tears that flow

فَقَد غَنِيَت نَفسي وَأَنتَ بِهَمِّها

فَقَد جَعَلَت وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ تَذهَلُ

So my soul is content while you are worried

Indeed, praise be to God, it has become confused

أَراكَ تُسَوِّني بِمَن لَستُ مِثلَهُ

وَلِلحِفظِ أَهلٌ وَالصَبابَةِ مَنزِلُ

I see you equating me with one who is not my equal

Yet protection has its people and youth its abode

وَلَو كُنتَ صَبّاً بي كَما أَنا صَبَّةٌ

أَطَعتَ وَلَكِنّي أَجِدُّ وَتَهزِلُ

If you were a youth like me, you would obey

But I am serious and you jest

فَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ اِمرِئٍ مُتَحَفِّظٍ

تَجَلَّدَ عَمداً وَهوَ لِلصُلحِ أَشكَلُ

So I said to her words of a cautious man

Who deliberately endures though inclined to reconcile

أَبيني لَنا إِن كانَ هَذا تَجَنُّباً

لِصَرمٍ فَتَصريحُ الصَريمَةِ أَجمَلُ

Reveal to me whether this avoidance

Is to avoid harm, for clarity is better

وَإِن كانَ إِنكاراً لِأَمرٍ كَرِهتِهِ

فَرابَكِ إِنّي تائِبٌ مُتَنَصِّلُ

And if it’s denial of something you hated

Then I repent, completely turning away

وَقَد عَلِمَت إِذ باعَدَتني تَجَنُّباً

فَدَت نَفسَها نَفسي عَلى مَن تُعَوِّلُ

You knew when you distanced me to avoid

You ransomed my soul for one you rely on

هَنيئاً لِقَلبٍ كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ

إِذا شاءَ سالٍ عَنكِ أَو مُتَبَدِّلُ

Congratulations to a heart I thought

If it willed, it would ask about or change you

فَمُت كَمَداً يا قَلبِ أَو عِش فَإِنَّما

رَأَيتُكَ بِالجافي البَخيلِ مُوَكَّلُ

So die suppressed, O heart, or live, for indeed

I see you entrusted to the miserly and stingy