ما أنصفُوا في الحبِّ إذ حُكِّمُوا

سَلَوْا وقَلبِي بِهِمُ مُغرَمُ

They were unfair when they judged in love

They took their ease while my heart was enamored with them

أَحببتُهم في عُنفوانِ الصّبَا

وليلُ فودِي حالكٌ أَسحَمُ

I loved them in the prime of youth

While the night of parting was obscure and bleak

حتّى إِذا عصرُ الشّبابِ اِنقضَى

وأَشرَقَتْ في ليليَ الأَنجُمُ

Until the springtime of youth came to an end

And stars shone in my gloomy night

صَدّوا وأَنساهُم ذِمَامَ الهَوى

ما اِختَلق الواشُون واللوَّمُ

They turned away and forgot the smoke of passion

Neither the slanderers nor the blamers invented this

فَمن تُرى يحفَظُ عهدَ الهَوى

إِن ضيَّعُوهُ وهُمُ ما هُمُ

So who do you think will keep the promise of love

If they break it and they are as they are

والحبُّ كالأَرزاقِ بينَ الورَى

يُرزَقُ ذَا مِنهُ وذَا يُحرِمُ

Love is like livelihoods among people

One is granted it while another is deprived

سَعَى بنا الواشي إليهمْ فَما

تَبيّنُوا الحَقَّ ولَا اِسْتَفْهَمُوا

The slanderer strove to reach them but they

Did not ascertain the truth or inquire about it

وسَمْعُ من مَلَّ قَبولٌ لمَا

يُزَخْرِفُ الكاشِحُ أو يَزعُمُ

A bored ear accepts whatever

The ugly gossip monger fabricates or claims

ولاَ وَمَن أَشْربَ قَلبي لَهُم

حُبّاً جَرى من حَيثُ يَجري الدّمُ

As for those who quenched my heart with love for them

A love which flowed from where the blood flows

ما خُنتُهُم عهداً ولا فَاهَ لِي

بما رَوى الواشُون عَنّي فَمُ

I never broke a promise to them nor did my mouth

Utter what the slanderers circulated about me

فلَو رأَوْا قَلبِي رَضُوا كلَّ ما

يُعلِنُهُ فيهمْ ومَا يَكتُمُ

If only they could see my heart they would accept everything

It reveals about them and whatever it conceals

دَعْ ذا فما يُسمَعُ عُذرُ الهَوى

بَعدَ التّقَالِي فَالقِلَى أَبكَمُ

Let that pass, the excuse of love is not heard

After separation so the remote places are dumb

براءَةُ المملُولِ مَستورَةٌ

وعُذْرُهُ الواضحُ مُستَبهِمُ

The innocence of the afflicted one is hidden

While his obvious excuse remains ambiguous

ولو سَعَى الطّيفُ بِهِ في الكَرَى

لَقيلَ هذا المُنْزَلُ المُحكَمُ

If the specter sought him in the wilds

It would be said “This is the impenetrable refuge”

فاصْبِر على جَور الهَوى إِنَّهُ

به تَقَضّى الزّمَنُ الأَقْدَمُ

So be patient with the tyranny of love

Through it the oldest eras come to an end