إن خانَ عهدَك من تَودُّهْ

ونأَى فلا يَحزُنْك فَقدُهْ

If one you love betrays his oath

And turns away, don't let his loss upset you

واهجرْهُ هجرَكَ من تُحبِ

بُ إذا قَضى وحواهُ لحدُهْ

And abandon those who abandon you

When death takes him and lays him in his grave

وإذا سُئِلتَ عَلامَ تَه

جُرهُ فَقُلْ ما صَحَّ عهدُهْ

And if asked why you shun him

Say, his oath was not kept

وعَلامَ أرغبُ في مَلُو

لٍ خَائنٍ قد بان زُهدُهْ

Why would I long for a traitor

Whose faithlessness is manifest?

واحْذَر مقالةَ من يقو

لُ الحبُّ تخضعُ فيهِ أُسدُهْ

Beware the words of one who says

Love means you must submit, like lions do

وإذَا خضعتَ لمن يخُو

نُكَ فالإبَاءُ لِمَن تُعِدُّهْ

If you submit to one who betrays you

Then dignity belongs to those you value

إن راعَ قلبَكَ هَجرُهُ

فغداً يَلينُ لهُ أَشَدُّهْ

If his abandonment troubles your heart

Tomorrow it will soften, though now harsh

والصّبرُ سُمٌّ ناقعٌ

لكنَّ منهُ يُشارُ شُهدُهْ

Patience is bitter poison

But honey comes from its pressing

وإذا صرفتَ القلبَ فَهْ

وَ كأمسِ لا يُسطاعُ رَدُّهْ

If you turn your heart away

As if yesterday cannot be undone

غَالَطتَ نفسَكَ فيهِ وال

مَشغُوفُ يَعزُب عنهُ رُشْدُهْ

You’ve fooled yourself, for the lovesick

Lose their reason when passion takes hold

وظَنَنْتَه قَصَدَ ازديا

دَكَ في الهَوى وسِواكَ قَصْدُهْ

You thought he aimed to increase

Your love, that you were his sole desire

وأنَا الفِداءُ لباخلٍ

بالوعدِ والأحلامُ وَعْدُهْ

But I ransom myself for the miser

With promises, dreams, and words only

أرضَى بباطِله ويُقْ

نِطُنِي تجَهُّمُه ورَدُّهْ

I'm content with his lies and he appeases me

With his frown and his rejection

لَدْنُ القَوامِ يُعلِّمُ الأغ

صانَ كيف تَميسُ قَدُّهْ

The days teach the overzealous

How to bear their frosty treatment

يَفتَرُّ عن عَذْب المقَّب

بَلِ يُضرمُ الأحشاءَ بردُهْ

Turning from the sweet greeting

To inflame my heart with their coldness

لا شكّ لُؤلُؤ ثغرِه

من عقدِه أو منهُ عقدُهْ

No doubt, the pearls of his lips

Are from his teeth or his speech

للخَمرِ ريقَتُهُ ولل

وردِ الجنيِّ النّضْرِ خَدُّهْ

The wine is the color of his mouth

And the blush of roses, his cheek