لما بعثتُ فلم تُسْعِفْ مطالَبتي

لما بعثتُ فلم تُسْعِفْ مطالَبتي

وأمْعَنَتْ نارُ شوقي في تلهُّبِها

وأمْعَنَتْ نارُ شوقي في تلهُّبِها

When I sent my messenger, but my entreaty brought no relief,

When I sent you my plea but you did not grant it

and the fire of my longing blazed ever more fiercely,

And the fire of my longing burned ever brighter

ولم أجِدْ حيلةً تُبْقي على رَمَقي

ولم أجِدْ حيلةً تُبْقي على رَمَقي

قبَّلتُ عينَ رسولي إذ رآك بها

قبَّلتُ عينَ رسولي إذ رآك بها

and I found no way to preserve what life remained in me,

And I could find no way to preserve my life

I kissed my messenger’s eye, for with it he had seen you.

I kissed the eye of my messenger when he saw you through it