أَقيموا عَلى الإِعراضِ مَع قُربِ دارِكُم

أَقيموا عَلى الإِعراضِ مَع قُربِ دارِكُم

وَلا تُتلِفوا الأَرواحَ بِالبُعدِ عَنكُمُ

وَلا تُتلِفوا الأَرواحَ بِالبُعدِ عَنكُمُ

Persist in your aversion, with your dwelling close by,

Stay aloof though you dwell near our abode,

and do not destroy souls through distance from you.

Spare lives and spare souls the bitterness of estrangement.

فَقَد سَهَّلَ البَينَ المُشَتِّتَ بَينَنا

فَقَد سَهَّلَ البَينَ المُشَتِّتَ بَينَنا

جَفاكُم وَأَحلى صَدَّكَم وَهوَ عَلقَمُ

جَفاكُم وَأَحلى صَدَّكَم وَهوَ عَلقَمُ

For the separation that scatters us has eased

For time has made easy the hardships of separation between us,

your harshness and sweetened your rejection, though it is bitter colocynth.

Your disdain is sweeter than the intimacies of others.

وَإِنّا لَنَرضى بِالدُنُوِّ بِسُخطِكُم

وَإِنّا لَنَرضى بِالدُنُوِّ بِسُخطِكُم

وَنَقنَعُ بِالإِعراضِ في القُربِ مِنكُم

وَنَقنَعُ بِالإِعراضِ في القُربِ مِنكُم

And we are indeed content with nearness, even with your displeasure,

We are content to suffer your displeasure in nearness,

and settle for aversion while close to you.

And to choose estrangement though you are near.

وَنَختارُ أَيّامَ الصُدودِ لِأَنَّنا

وَنَختارُ أَيّامَ الصُدودِ لِأَنَّنا

نَرى عِظَماً بِالصَدِّ وَالبَينُ أَعظَمُ

نَرى عِظَماً بِالصَدِّ وَالبَينُ أَعظَمُ

And we choose the days of rejection, because we

For we see glory in estrangement, and greater glory still in remoteness.

find rejection grievous, but separation graver still.