1. And a woman asked, what did you get from love?
I said: distress and fear in distance and nearness.
١. وَقائِلَةٍ ماذا لَقيتَ مِنَ الحُبِّ
فَقُلتُ الرَدى وَالخَوفَ في البُعد وَالقُربِ
2. She said: I knew love earns its Lord
Traits of pride that cannot be attained without love.
٢. فَقالَت عَهَدتُ الحُبَّ يَكسَبُ رَبَّهُ
شَمائِلَ غُرّاً لا تُنالُ بِلا حُبِّ
3. I said to her: It was love once but his
Disdain for desires made it war.
٣. فَقُلتُ لَها قَد كانَ حُبّاً فَزادَهُ
نُفورُ المَهى راءً فَأَمسَيتُ في حَربِ
4. And I had a heart once and had no passion
But when I knew love, I became heartless.
٤. وَقَد كانَ لي قَلب وَكُنتُ بِلا هَوىً
فَلَمّا عَرَفتُ الحُبَّ صُرتُ بِلا قَلبِ