يا رَبِّ إِنَّكَ قَد عَلِمتَ بِأَنَّها

أَهوى عِبادِكَ كُلِّهِم إِنسانا

O Lord, You know that of all Your servants, humankind

Is dearest to us, and the sweetest boon of all

وَأَلَذُّهُم نُعمٌ إِلَينا واحِداً

وَأَحَبُّ مَن نَأتي وَمَن حَيّانا

Is the one we love, whether present or absent.

So reward the lover with a greeting, and reward him

فَاِجزِ المُحِبَّ تَحِيَّةً وَاِجزِ الَّذي

يَبغي قَطيعَةَ حُبِّهِ هِجرانا

Who desires to sever the bonds of love with estrangement.

Amen, O Lord of the Throne, so hear us and grant

آمينُ يا ذا العَرشِ فَاِسمَع وَاِستَجِب

لِما نَقولُ وَلا تُخَيِّب دُعانا

What we ask, and do not disappoint our hopes.

I have been burdened by my love for you with a monstrous load,

حُمِّلتُ مِن حُبَّيكِ ثِقلاً فادِحاً

وَالحُبُّ يُحدِثُ لِلفَتى أَحزانا

For love brings the youth anguish and sorrow.

If you were to show us your coquetry, we would wish

لَو تَبذُلينَ لَنا دَلالَكِ لَم نُرِد

غَيرَ الدَلالِ وَكانَ ذاكَ كَفانا

For nothing else, for that would suffice.

Yet for me you obeyed slanderers who blamed you,

وَأَطَعتِ فِيَّ عَواذِلاً حَمَّلنَكُم

وَعَصَيتُ فيكِ الأَهلَ وَالإِخوانا

While you disobeyed, for my sake, family and brothers.

I was told that when our letter came to you,

أُنبِئتُ أَنَّكِ إِذ أَتاكِ كِتابُنا

أَعرَضتِ عِندَ قِراتِكِ العُنوانا

You glanced at the address and tossed it aside

Like a stick, which pained me deeply.

وَنَبَذتِهِ كَالعودِ حينَ رَأَيتِهِ

فَاِشتَدَّ ذاكَ عَلَيَّ مِنكِ وَسانا

Then, still scornful, you read it, defiant.

You said, “The messenger has lied. I have lost him

وَأَخَذتِهِ بَعدَ الصُدودِ تَكَرُّهاً

وَأَشَعتِ عِندَ قِراتِهِ عِصيانا

For spreading falsehoods, hoping for favors.”

"The messenger lied"—question the source of this tale,

قالَت لَقَد كَذَبَ الرَسولُ فَقَدتُهُ

أَبِقَولِ زورٍ يَرتَجي إِحسانا

And do not be hasty to judge.

No, it came to me and I read it happily,

كَذَبَ الرَسولُ فَسَل مُعادَةَ هَكَذا

كانَ الحَديثُ وَلا تَكُن عَجلانا

My face smiling, and after smiling, weeping.

I said, “If only the news it bears, apart from Nazirah’s,

بَل جاءَني فَقَرَأتُهُ مُتَهَلِّلاً

وَجهي وَبَعدَ تَهَلُّلٍ أَبكانا

Were from a loyal friend, not one who betrays our secret to enemies.”

I have done no wrong in what I did. Rather,

قَد قُلتُ حينَ رَأَيتُهُ لَو أَنَّهُ

يا بِشرَ مِنهُ سِوى نَصيرَةَ جانا

The generous one rewards those who cheat and betray.

I cut your tie when you cut it, for I was told

أَرسَلتَ أَكذَبَ مَن مَشى وَأَنَمَّهُ

مَن لَيسَ يَكتُمُ سِرَّنا أَعدانا

You had fallen for Siwan.

That was a sin after the sin you committed

ما إِن ظَلَمتُ بِما فَعَلتُ وَإِنَّما

يَجزي العَطِيَّةَ مَن أَرابَ وَخانا

That wounded my heart, and other wounds like it.

You were blunt about it, not hiding the fact

وَصَرَمتُ حَبلَكَ إِذ صَرَمتَ لِأَنَّني

أُخبُرتُ أَنَّكَ قَد هَويتَ سِوانا

That you wanted nothing to do with me.

I said, “Listen, do not hastily sever ties.

هَذا وَذَنبٌ قَبلَ ذاكَ جَنَيتَهُ

سَلَّ الفُؤادَ وَمِثلُهُ سَلّانا

I swear sincerely I speak the truth.”

“The talebearer who brought you this news is a liar

صَرَّحتَ فيهِ وَما كَتَمتَ مُجاهِراً

بِالقَولِ إِنَّكَ لا تُريدُ لِقانا

Seeking to cut the cord between us.”

Do not combine estrangement and groundless divorce.

قُلتُ اِسمَعي لا تَعجَلي بِقَطيعَةٍ

بِاللَهِ أَحلِفُ صادِقاً أَيمانا

Understand me and be certain of my certainty.

To those I love and befriend

إِنَّ المُبَلِّغَكِ الحَديثَ لَكاذِبٌ

يَسعى لِيَقطَعَ بَينَنا الأَقنانا

I am intimate and gentle, not aloof or haughty.

I draw near to a friend when he desires closeness,

لا تَجمَعي صَرمي وَهَجري باطِلاً

وَتَفَهَّمي وَاِستَيقِني اِستيقانا

And I avoid him like he avoids me, at times.

If he shuns me, I treat the one who turns away with respect,

إِنّي لِمَن وادَدتُهُ وَوَصَلتُهُ

أُلفيتُ لا مَذِقاً وَلا مَنّانا

Yet find, when he leaves, another place and home,

Not divulging his secret in estrangement,

أَصِلُ الصَديقَ إِذا أَرادَ وِصالَنا

وَأَصُدُّ مِثلَ صُدودِهِ أَحيانا

But guarding what he trusted me with.

إِن صَدَّ عَنّي كُنتُ أَكرَمَ مُعرِضٍ

وَوَجَدتُ عَنهُ مَرحَلاً وَمَكانا

لا مُفشِياً عِندَ القَطيعَةِ سِرَّهُ

بَل حافِظٌ مِن ذاكَ ما اِستَرعانا