أقمتُ ببابك في جفوةٍ

أقمتُ ببابك في جفوةٍ

يُلوِّن لي قولَه الحاجبُ

يُلوِّن لي قولَه الحاجبُ

I have remained at your door, met with coldness;

I stood at your door in aloofness

the doorkeeper keeps changing his words to me.

His words were colored by his frown

فيطمعني تارةً في الوصول

فيطمعني تارةً في الوصول

وربَّتَما قال لي راكبُ

وربَّتَما قال لي راكبُ

At times he gives me hope of admission,

At times he gave me hope of union

and sometimes he tells me, "He is out riding."

At others he told me move on

فاعلم عند اختلاف الكلام

فاعلم عند اختلاف الكلام

وتخليطه أنَّه كاذبُ

وتخليطه أنَّه كاذبُ

So know, when his words conflict

Know that when words contradict

and become muddled, that he is a liar.

And mingle, it is but a lie

وأعزم عزماً فيأبى عليّ

وأعزم عزماً فيأبى عليّ

امضاءَه رأيي الثاقبُ

امضاءَه رأيي الثاقبُ

I make a firm resolve, yet I am held back

I am determined, though he refuses

from carrying it out by my penetrating judgment.

To honor what my insight implies

وأني أراقب حتى يثو

وأني أراقب حتى يثو

بَ للحرِّ من رأيه ثائبُ

بَ للحرِّ من رأيه ثائبُ

And I watch and wait until there returns

I watch until confusion takes

to the freeborn man some of his own good sense.

Its toll on his fickle mind’s prize

فإن تعتذرْ تُلِفِني عاذراً

فإن تعتذرْ تُلِفِني عاذراً

صَفوحاَ وذاك هو الواجبُ

صَفوحاَ وذاك هو الواجبُ

If you apologize, you will find me ready to excuse you,

If he makes amends, I’ll meet him gently

forgiving—and that is what duty requires.

That is what should suffice

وإلا فإني إذا ما الحبا

وإلا فإني إذا ما الحبا

ل رَثَّتْ قُواها لها قاضبُ

ل رَثَّتْ قُواها لها قاضبُ

Otherwise, whenever the ropes

If not, when passions dissipate

grow worn in their strands, I cut them.

A firm rescinder will suffice