يا صاحِبَيَّ قِفا نُقَضِّ لُبانَةً
وَعَلى الظَعائِن قَبلَ بَينِكُما اِعرِضا
My friend, stop to gather fragrant herbs
And turn away from slander before you two part
لا تُعجِلاني أَن أَقولَ بِحاجَةٍ
وَقِفا فَقَد زُوِّدتُ داءً مُحرِضا
Don't rush me to speak of my need
Stop, for I have been given a provoking sickness
ما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ الَذي بَذَلَت لَنا
مِنها عَلى عَجلِ الرَحيلِ لِتُمرِضا
I cannot forget what she offered us
In her haste to depart and nurse us
وَمَقالَها بِالنَعفِ نَعفِ مُحَسِّرٍ
لِفَتاتِها هَل تَعرِفينَ المُعرِضا
Her words were like the whimper of a bereaved woman
Do you recognize the one who turned away?
هَذا الَّذي أَعطى مَواثِقَ عَهدِهِ
حَتّى رَضيتُ وَقُلتِ لي لَن يَنقُضا
He who gave pledges to keep his word
Until I was pleased and said he would not break them
وَزَعَمتِ لي أَن لا يَحولُ فَإِنَّهُ
ساعٍ طَوالَ حَياتِهِ لي بِالرِضا
And claimed he would not change, for he
Was striving to please me all his life
وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ إِن ظَفِرتُ بِمِثلِها
مِنهُ لَيَعتَرِفَنَّ ما قَد أَقرَضا
By God, if I found another like her
She would admit what they both borrowed
فَأَصَختُ سَمعي نَحوَها فَكَأَنَّما
أَورَيتُ بَينَ جَوانِحي جَمرَ الغَضا
So I turned my hearing toward her, as if
I had kindled coals of anger in my heart
فَعَطَفتُ راحِلَتي وَقُلتُ لِصاحِبي
أُنظُر بِعَمرِكَ نَحوَها أَن تومِضا
I turned my she-camel and said to my friend
Look, by your life, if she flashes her eyes
قالَ الجَري قَد أَومَضَت قُلتُ اِئتِها
وَاِحذَر حَريذَ مَقالِها أَن يُعرِضا
He said, she already flashed her eyes, I said go to her
And beware if she refuses your words
قالَت لَهُ بِاللَهِ رَبِّكَ قُل لَهُ
قَولاً يُحَرِّكُهُ عَسى أَن يَمعَضا
She said to him, By God, your Lord, say to him
Some words that may move him, perhaps he will relent
حَمَّلتَها وَجداً لَوَ مسى مِثلُهُ
يَوماً عَلى جَبَلٍ إِذاً لَتَقَضقَضا
You have burdened me with grief, if the like of it
Touched a mountain one day, it would crumble
وَتَنَظَّرَت مِنّي الجَزاءَ لِوَعدِها
حَولاً تَجَرَّمَ كُلَّهُ حَتّى اِنقَضى
She looked to me for reward for her promise
A whole year passed by before it was fulfilled
فَأَجَبتُها إِن قُلتُ فَاِعفوا وَاِصفَحوا
فَأَنا الَّذي لا عُذرَ لي فيما مَضى
So I answered her: If I say forgive and pardon
It is I who has no excuse for what has passed
زَعَمَت بِأَنّي قَد سَلَوتُ وَلَو دَرَت
أَن لَم أَجِد مِن حُبِّها مُتَعَرَّضا
She claimed I had turned away, and if she knew
I could not find her love to be transient
ما عُدتُ أُرضي الكاشِحينَ بِهَجرِها
أَبَداً وَإِن قَلَ النَصيحُ وَعَرَّضا
I will never please the slanderers with her estrangement
Even if advice is little and spurned
وَأَطَعتُ فيها الكاشِحينَ فَأَكثَروا
فيها المَقالَةَ شامِتاً وَمُعَرِّضا
I obeyed the slanderers so they multiplied
Malicious and spurned talk against me
طاوَعتُ فيها واشِياً فَكأَنَّني
في صَرمِ ذاتِ الخالِ كُنتُ مُغَمِّضا
I complied with the informer, as if I
Had shut my eyes in the bonds of a trusted friend
وَسَفاهَةً بِالمَرءِ صَرمُ صَديقِهِ
يُرضي بِهِجرَتِهِ العَدوَّ المُبغِضا
It is foolishness if a man pleases his friend's enemy
By estranging himself from his friend’s hatred
اِرجِع فَعاوِدها المَساءَ فَإِنَّني
أَخشى مِنَ العادي بِها أَن يَعرِضا
Go back and visit her at night, for I
Fear the usual one with her may turn away
