Excerpt from the Poem ‘Accept Excuses from the One Who Comes to You Apologizing’ by Imam al-Shafi’i
Accept the excuses of those who come to you with apologies,
If their deeds align positively with your expectations or if they diverge.
Indeed, those who seek to please you on the surface have obeyed you,
And those who disobey but keep their transgressions hidden hold you in esteem.
Excerpt from the Poem ‘I Was Told Such and Such Has Wronged You’ by Imam al-Shafi’i
I have been informed that a certain person has wronged you,
And being in a state of humiliation is indeed a shame for a young man.
I replied that he came to me and offered an excuse,
For in our eyes, the atonement for a fault is the act of apologizing.
Excerpt from the Poem ‘I Detracted from Ibn Abi al-Tahir’ by Abu Hafan al-Mahzumi
I have spoken ill of Ibn Abi al-Tahir,
Whom I regard as the very essence and head of our community.
If it weren’t for the thefts of poetry,
He would possess no merit worthy of mention.
When he recites poetry to you,
Just acknowledge that he is no better than the best.
Excerpt from the Poem ‘I Offer My Apology’ by Nizar Qabbani
My dear friend, I have returned to extend my apologies.
Will you accept my heartfelt contrition? I present it to you,
Your sorrowful visage akin to the sun in winter and the sunset glow.
I apologize for the writings I have penned regarding the folly of my actions,
For every damaging thought that troubled your pure and innocent being,
And for all the dust I raised around you.
I apologize for the malevolent verses I composed in moments of love and despair.
Poetry, my friend, is both my refuge and my demise; it is my purification and my nakedness.
I never want you to bear shame due to my undressing.
This is why I have come to you, my friend, to offer my sincere apologies.
Excerpt from the Poem ‘Forgive Me’ by Ahmed Saad
Forgive me and pardon my mistakes; embrace me as I am, with all my ailments,
And do not threaten me with your departure, for I cannot bear to be away from you, even for a moment.
I acknowledge that I have been selfish in love, and at times, I acted foolishly and animalistically.
I know my anxiety and impulsiveness have burdened you greatly.
I apologize and sincerely ask for your acceptance of my apology.
Do you claim that I do not appreciate your beauty sufficiently,
That I fail to express my admiration, and that I neglect you?
Do you believe I have been stingy in my affections? Oh, my beloved, do not believe that!
I adore you immensely and cherish you deeply,
And I rely on you profoundly. With you, I am not a miser.
So please forgive me for my flaws, my life.
Excerpt from the Poem ‘If You Say Sorry, I Shall Not Weary’
If you say ‘sorry,’ then I shall not grow weary;
For indeed, one who apologizes may not have committed a grievous act.
And how could you grow weary of expressing congratulations,
When you have previously graced glory with goodness?
She used to pray to God for healing for the afflicted,
To quench the thirst of her enemies with fire.
In every car upon this earth, she opened no other door,
That could yield such a rich bounty for lyric poetry.
She shines like a star in the eyes of the beholder,
And like a spark in the night, it is recognized.
Do you think, by the Lord of the Throne, she has received
All that she wished for, while this affliction has persisted?
The tongue of gratitude sleeps when weariness overtakes it;
If it does, then my tongue shall lie lifeless without fatigue.
Ask the magnificent one if I have rejected
His blessings or worshiped any idol besides Him.
The glory is not diminished by her having erred,
In the lineage of virtue that once bore him blame.
But perhaps she, too, desires to be born anew,
And her creative thoughts have remained amidst the intact.
Her produce has often yielded a bountiful return,
And the living have benefited from her offerings.
A newly birthed creation in the garment of beauty,
Nourished by wisdom in a time from which it has been weaned.
She has approached, and the path of beauty is always broad,
It may constrict the steps even if no crime is committed.
Every step she has taken to reach it,
If wanting, her shortcomings have turned back.
Until she has surrounded the prospects of the good,
Where the Creator places His glance, and the grace lies.
A people who discipline the ignorance of the age with their intellect,
Until they witness the age’s maturity blossom from its past.
Their existence is a remedy for those who suffer through scarcity;
In all of creation, no year is without scarcity’s harm.
So how could complaints reach them as they navigate?
A part of glory, where glory’s joy lingers in relief,
It has wept and laughed, bringing delight and grandeur.
In these trials, time grasps its strength and smiles;
Fate was cruel yet she never fails to offer a smile.