أَطَاعَ ما قالَهُ الواشي وما هَرَفَا

أَطَاعَ ما قالَهُ الواشي وما هَرَفَا

فعادَ يُنْكرُ منِّا كلَّ ما عَرَفَا

فعادَ يُنْكرُ منِّا كلَّ ما عَرَفَا

He heeded what the slanderer said and what he babbled,

He obeyed the slanderer's lies, turned from all he knew of me,

then began disowning all he had known of us.

Estranged himself until his absence pierced my soul. If he

وصدَ حتّى استَمرَّ الهجرُ منه فَلَو

وصدَ حتّى استَمرَّ الهجرُ منه فَلَو

أَلمَّ بِي منهُ طيفٌ في الكَرى صَدَفَا

أَلمَّ بِي منهُ طيفٌ في الكَرى صَدَفَا

He turned away until his estrangement became unbroken; were

Appeared before me now in this abode, amazing it would be!

a phantom of him to visit me in sleep, it too would turn away.

He blames me, yet no crime or sin have I committed. He

يَجنِي وعندي له العُتْبَى فواعجبَا

يَجنِي وعندي له العُتْبَى فواعجبَا

من مُعتِبٍ ما جَنَى جُرما ولا اقْتَرفَا

من مُعتِبٍ ما جَنَى جُرما ولا اقْتَرفَا

He wrongs me, yet I offer him amends—how strange

Held my obedient heart only to break it. Rarely can the free

that one should make amends without committing any offense or wrong!

Control who tyrannizes them. His estrangement pained me, yet to him

ملَّكْتُهُ طائعاً قلباً تعسّفَهُ

ملَّكْتُهُ طائعاً قلباً تعسّفَهُ

وقَلَّما يملِكُ الأحرارَ مَن عَسفَا

وقَلَّما يملِكُ الأحرارَ مَن عَسفَا

I willingly made him master of a heart he oppressed;

I acquiesce to his decrees though they be unfair.

yet rarely does an oppressor gain mastery over the free.

After intimacy he shunned me, turned away in scorn. Then his

لي منه ما ساءَنِي من هجرهِ ولَه

لي منه ما ساءَنِي من هجرهِ ولَه

منّي الرِّضا بقَضَاياهُ وإن جَنَفَا

منّي الرِّضا بقَضَاياهُ وإن جَنَفَا

I receive from him the hurt of his desertion, while he receives

Affection returned, inconstant as the moon. Oh you who flee

from me acceptance of his judgments, even when he is unjust.

All blame but boredom, he called and you flocked to his cry.

ألقاهُ بعد التَّصافي مُعرِضاً حَنِقاً

ألقاهُ بعد التَّصافي مُعرِضاً حَنِقاً

وبعدَ إِقبالهِ بالوُدِّ مُنحرفَا

وبعدَ إِقبالهِ بالوُدِّ مُنحرفَا

I find him, after our mutual affection, aloof and angry,

Why do I see division when our house could unify

and, after his loving approach, turned away.

Your hearts, which now hurl arrows from afar? Do not hasten with

يَا هاجرينَ لِلاذَنْبٍ سوَى مَللٍ

يَا هاجرينَ لِلاذَنْبٍ سوَى مَللٍ

دَعَا فَهَبُّوا إلى داعيهِ إذ هَتَفَا

دَعَا فَهَبُّوا إلى داعيهِ إذ هَتَفَا

O you who forsake me for no fault but boredom,

Parting, for death’s specter parts us soon enough. Reconcile

which called—and you sprang to its herald when he cried out.

A heart when you have calmed its turmoil, dry its tears when you

مالي أرى بَيْننا والدَّارُ جامِعَةٌ

مالي أرى بَيْننا والدَّارُ جامِعَةٌ

قريبةٌ من تَجنّيكُم نَوىً قُذُفَا

قريبةٌ من تَجنّيكُم نَوىً قُذُفَا

Why do I see between us—though our abode unites us

Have soothed it, for it is yours though you are cruel. I love

and is near—a far-flung separation born of your unfounded reproaches?

You still, though you are unjust. It pleases me not, yet would be

لا تَعجَلُوا بِفِراقٍ سوف يُدرِكُنا

لا تَعجَلُوا بِفِراقٍ سوف يُدرِكُنا

كَفَى بنا فُرقةً ريبُ المَنونِ كَفَى

كَفَى بنا فُرقةً ريبُ المَنونِ كَفَى

Do not hasten a parting that will overtake us;

Worse if exceeded further. Thus is my lot with loved ones - the heart

the calamities of death are enough to part us—enough!

That settles upon them brings estrangement and abandonment.

صِلُوا فؤاداً إذا سكَّنتُ رَوعَتَهُ

صِلُوا فؤاداً إذا سكَّنتُ رَوعَتَهُ

هَفَا ودمعاً إذا نَهنهتُهُ وَكَفَا

هَفَا ودمعاً إذا نَهنهتُهُ وَكَفَا

Grant union to a heart that, whenever I calm its terror,

So changed is friendship now. Blameless it was, now blemished.

flutters, and to tears that, whenever I restrain them, stream.

لكُم هَوايَ وإن جُرتُم وجَورُكُمُ

لكُم هَوايَ وإن جُرتُم وجَورُكُمُ

مُستحسنٌ منكُمُ لو لم يَكُن سَرَفَا

مُستحسنٌ منكُمُ لو لم يَكُن سَرَفَا

My love is yours, even if you wrong me; your injustice

would be lovely coming from you, were it not excessive.

كذاكَ حَظِّي من الأحْباب من سكنَتْ

كذاكَ حَظِّي من الأحْباب من سكنَتْ

نَفسي إليه حَبانِي الهجرَ والشّنَفَا

نَفسي إليه حَبانِي الهجرَ والشّنَفَا

Such is my lot with loved ones: whoever

my soul finds peace with bestows desertion and hatred upon me.

حتى لقد غيَّرَ الجَدُّ العثورُ فلاَ

حتى لقد غيَّرَ الجَدُّ العثورُ فلاَ

لَعاً لَهُ ماجِداً ما كان مُطَّرَفَا

لَعاً لَهُ ماجِداً ما كان مُطَّرَفَا

So much so that stumbling fortune has changed—may it never

rise again!—a noble man who had never been fickle.