1. I see that closeness has become rare
And prolonged greetings, brief
١. أَرى ذَلِكَ القُربَ صارَ اِزوِرارا
وَصارَ طَويلُ السَلامِ اِختِصارا
2. You left me today in embarrassment
I die repeatedly and live repeatedly
٢. تَرَكتَني اليَومَ في خَجلَةٍ
أَموتُ مِراراً وَأَحيا مِرارا
3. I steal glances at you bashfully
And hold back my racing horse
٣. أُسارِقُكَ اللَحظَ مُستَحيِياً
وَأَزجُرُ في الخَيلِ مُهري سِرارا
4. And I know if I apologized to you
My apology would want more apology
٤. وَأَعلَمُ أَنّي إِذا ما اِعتَذَرتُ
إِلَيكَ أَرادَ اِعتِذاري اِعتِذارا
5. I denied your shining virtues
If that was my choice
٥. كَفَرتُ مَكارِمَكَ الباهِرا
تِ إِن كانَ ذَلِكَ مِنّي اِختِيارا
6. But poetry's fever spared little
Like sleep's fever spared little
٦. وَلَكِن حَمى الشِعرَ إِلّا القَليلَ
هَمٌّ حَمى النَومَ إِلّا غِرارا
7. And I did not make my body ill with it
Nor ignited a fire in my heart
٧. وَما أَنا أَسقَمتُ جِسمي بِهِ
وَما أَنا أَضرَمتُ في القَلبِ نارا
8. So do not blame me for the sins of time
It did evil to me and harmed me
٨. فَلا تُلزِمَنّي ذُنوبَ الزَمانِ
إِلَيَّ أَساءَ وَإِيّايَ ضارا
9. And for you are my wanderings
That choose no land as their abode
٩. وَعِندي لَكَ الشُرُدُ السائِراتُ
لا يَختَصِصنَ مِنَ الأَرضِ دارا
10. Camels, when they walk away from my words
Climb mountains and plunge into seas
١٠. قَوافٍ إِذا سِرنَ عَن مِقوَلي
وَثَبنَ الجِبالَ وَخُضنَ البِحارا
11. And I have in you what no sayer has said
And what no moon has reached wherever it traveled
١١. وَلي فيكَ ما لَم يَقُل قائِلٌ
وَما لَم يَسِر قَمَرٌ حَيثُ سارا
12. So if people were created in their eras
They would be darkness and you would be day
١٢. فَلَو خُلِقَ الناسُ مِن دَهرِهِم
لَكانوا الظَلامَ وَكُنتَ النَهارا
13. The fiercest of them in waving
The lamest of them in racing
١٣. أَشَدُّهُمُ في النَدى هِزَّةً
وَأَبمَدُهُم في عَدُوٍّ مُغارا
14. By you my worries are above worries
So I do not count ease as ease
١٤. سَما بِكَ هَمِّيَ فَوقَ الهُمومِ
فَلَستُ أَعُدُّ يَساراً يَسارا
15. And whoever you were an ocean to, O Ali
Would not accept pearls unless big
١٥. وَمَن كُنتَ بَحراً لَهُ يا عَلِيُّ
لَم يَقبَلِ الدُرَّ إِلّا كِبارا