1. إِنَّ العَواذِلَ قَد كَووا

    قَلبي بِنار العذل كَيّ

    Indeed, the reproachers have branded

    my heart with the searing fire of blame.

  2. وَمُرادَهُم أَسلو هوا

    كَ وَأَنتَ نُقطَة مقلَتي

    Their wish is that I forget my love for

    you, though you are the pupil of my eye.

  3. عَذلوا وَما عَذَروا وَكَم

    وَصل الاسى مِنهُم اِليّ

    They reproached me without excusing me; how much

    sorrow has come to me from them!

  4. كَم شَنَعوا وَتَفَوّهوا

    وَتَقَوّلوا كَذبا عَلَيّ

    How often they reviled me and spoke ill,

    and fabricated lies against me!

  5. وَأَنا وَحَقك لا تؤثر

    عندي العذال شَيء

    And I, by your worth, am not swayed

    by the reproachers in the least.

  6. حاشى يَكون لِقَولِهِم

    يا مُنيَتي أَثر لَدَيّ

    Far be it that their words should have,

    O my heart's desire, any effect on me.

  7. يا حادى الاظعان يَط

    وى البيد بِالاحباب طىء

    O driver of the caravans, folding

    the deserts away with my loved ones, fold upon fold,

  8. مَهلا بِهِم حَتى أَمت

    ع ناظِري مِنهُم شوي

    Gently with them, till I may feast

    my eyes on them a little while.

  9. يا عاذِلي فيهِم لَقَد

    أَسمَعت لَو نادَيت حي

    O you who blame me for them, you would indeed

    have made yourself heard, had you called to one alive.

  10. قُل لي بِأَية سَنَة

    الحُب عار أَم بِأَيّ

    Tell me: by what custom

    is love a disgrace—or by what law?

  11. يا صاحِبي وَمن قَضى

    اني أَحاور صاحبي

    O my friend, by Him who ordained

    that I should converse with my friend,

  12. ما حلت عَن عَهدي وَلَو

    قطع العَواذل أَخدعي

    I have not turned from my pledge, even if

    the reproachers should sever my two neck-veins.

  13. لا يا أَخي وَلا أَقو

    ل لِعاذلي لا يا أَخي

    No, my brother! Nor do I say

    to my reproacher, 'No, my brother.'

  14. لا وَالَّذي جعل الهَوى

    في شَرع أَهل الغَي غَي

    No, by Him who made passion

    error in the law of the erring:

  15. ما همت يَوماً بِالرِبا

    ب وَلا بِهند وَلا بمي

    I never, for a single day, pined for al-Ribab,

    nor for Hind, nor for Mayy.

  16. لكن شَغَفت بحب آ

    ل البَيت بَيت بني قَصى

    Rather, I am enraptured by love for the family

    of the House—the house of Qusayy's sons,

  17. المنتَمين بِذلك النَس

    ب الشَريف الى لُؤي

    who trace, through that lineage,

    their noble descent to Lu'ayy.

  18. قَوم اِذا ما أَتهم

    ذو كُربَة نادوه هي

    A people who, whenever there comes to them

    one in distress, call to him, 'Come!'

  19. هم عمدتي وَوَسيلَتي

    مَهما لَواني الدَهر لي

    They are my mainstay and my means of approach,

    however fiercely Time may twist me.

  20. يا آل طه قَد حسب

    ت عَلَيكُم في حالَتي

    O family of Ta-Ha, I have indeed been counted

    as yours in my present state.

  21. وَبجاهكم آل النَبِيّ

    تَمَسكت كلتا يَدي

    And to your high standing, O family of the Prophet,

    both my hands have clung.

  22. أَرجو بِكُم حسن الخَتا

    م اِذا ارتَهنت بِأَصغري

    I hope through you for a good end,

    when I am held in pledge for my two lesser organs—heart and tongue.