Sol 6.1

  1. أَتاني كِتابٌ مِنكِ فيهِ تَعَتُّبٌ

    عَلَيَّ وَإِسراعٌ هُديتِ إِلى عَذلي

    A letter came to me from you, bearing reproach

    against me, and haste—may you be guided—to blame me.

  2. فَعَزَّيتُ نَفسي ثُمَّ مالَ بِيَ الهَوى

    وَقَبلِيَ قادَ الحُبَّ مَن كانَ ذا تَبلِ

    So I consoled myself; then passion swayed me,

    and before me, love had led those stricken with longing.

  3. فَقُلتُ إِذا كافَأتُ مَن هُوَ مُذنِبٌ

    مُسيءٌ بِما أَسدى إِلَيَّ فَما فَضلي

    So I said: if I repay one who is guilty,

    a wrongdoer, with the same harm he dealt me, what virtue have I?

  4. لِمَ أَرتَجي حِلمي إِذا أَنا لَم أَعُد

    عَلَيكِ وَلَم يُجمَع لِجَهلِكُمُ جَهلي

    What can I hope from my forbearance, if I do not show

    you kindness without adding my folly to yours?

  5. فَلا تَقتُليني إِن رَأَيتِ صَبابَتي

    إِلَيكِ فَإِنّي لا يَحِلُّ لَكُم قَتلي

    So do not kill me if you see my yearning

    for you—for you have no right to kill me.

  6. وَقُلتُ لَها وَاللَهِ ما زِلتُ طائِعاً

    لَكُم سامِعاً في رَجعِ قَولٍ وَفي فِعلِ

    And I told her: by God, I have always been obedient

    to you, heeding you in replies and in deeds.

  7. فَما أَنسَ مِن وُدٍّ تَقادَمُ عَهدَهُ

    فَلَستُ بِناسِن ما هَدَت قَدَمي نَعلي

    Whatever old affection I may forget,

    I shall not forget, so long as my sandal guides my foot,

  8. عَشِيَّةَ قالَت وَالدُموعُ بِعَينِها

    هَنيئاً لِقَلبٍ عَنكَ لَم يُسلِهِ مُسلي

    the evening she said, with tears in her eye:

    Blessed is a heart no comforter has weaned from you!

  9. لَقَد كانَ في إِقراضِكَ الوُدَّ غَيرَنا

    وَفِعلِكَ ناهٍ لي لَوَ اِنَّ مَعي عَقلي

    Indeed, your lending love to others besides us

    and your conduct were warning enough for me—had I had my wits.

  10. فَهَذا الَّذي في غَيرِ ذَنبٍ عَلِمتُهُ

    صَنيعُكَ بي حَتّى كَأَنّي أَخو ذَحلِ

    This, then, for no fault that I know of,

    is how you treat me, as though I were a blood-enemy.

  11. هَلِ الصَرمُ إِلّا مُسلِمي إِن صَرَمتِني

    إِلى سَقَمٍ ما عِشتُ أَو بالِغٌ قَتلي

    Will parting, if you forsake me, do anything but deliver me

    to sickness for as long as I live, or bring about my death?

  12. سَأَملِكُ نَفسي ما اِستَطَعتُ فَإِن تَصِل

    أَصِلكَ وَإِن تَصرِم حِبالِكَ مِن حَبلي

    I shall master myself as best I can; if you keep our bond,

    I shall keep it with you; and if you sever your cords from mine,

  13. أَكُن كَالَّذي أَسدى إِلى غَيرِ شاكِرٍ

    يَداً لَم يُثَب فيها بِحَمدٍ وَلا بَذلِ

    I shall be like one who offered an ungrateful person

    a helping hand and received neither praise nor generosity in return.