وإني لأنسى السرَّ كي لا أذيعه

وإني لأنسى السرَّ كي لا أذيعه

فيا من رأى شيئاً يُصان بأن ينسى

فيا من رأى شيئاً يُصان بأن ينسى

Indeed, I forget a secret lest I divulge it—

And indeed I forget the secret so as not to divulge it.

so, O one who deems a thing safeguarded by being forgotten—

So who has ever seen something safeguarded by being forgotten?

مخافةَ أن يجري ببالي ذكره

مخافةَ أن يجري ببالي ذكره

فينبذه قلبي إلى مقولي خَلسا

فينبذه قلبي إلى مقولي خَلسا

for fear that the thought of it should cross my mind,

For fear that its memory might cross my mind,

and my heart should cast it stealthily into my speech.

and my heart then cast it furtively to my tongue.

فيوشك من لم ينس سرّاً وجال في

فيوشك من لم ينس سرّاً وجال في

خواطره ألّا يُطيق له حَبسا

خواطره ألّا يُطيق له حَبسا

For one who has not forgotten a secret, and it roams through

So one who has not forgotten a secret is likely, as it wanders through

his thoughts, will soon be unable to keep it confined.

his thoughts, to be unable to keep it confined.