مَن عاذرٌ لي ومَن للصبِّ يَعذُرُهُ

من ناقِضِ العهدِ يَنْساني وأذكُرُهُ

Who excuses me, and who excuses the passionate one

Who forgets the covenant, forgets me, yet I remember him

يَقْتَادُني نحوَه شَوقي ويَصْرِفُني

خوفي عليه فأهواهُ وأهجرُهُ

My longing pulls me toward him, my fear for him pushes me away

So I love him and shun him

تَرى محاسِنَهُ عَيْنِي وتُعرِضُ عن

قَبِيحِ أفعالِهِ أو ليسَ تُبْصِرهُ

My eyes see his beauty but overlook

His ugly deeds - or don't they see him?

يأتي بما ساءَنِي عمداً فأعذرُهُ

ويَظهرُ الغدرُ لي منهُ فأُنكِرُهُ

He wrongs me intentionally, yet I excuse him

His betrayal is evident, yet I deny it