طِفلٌ كَفاهُ القَلبُ داراً لَهُ

طِفلٌ كَفاهُ القَلبُ داراً لَهُ

كَأَنَّما القَلبُ لَهُ قالَبُ

كَأَنَّما القَلبُ لَهُ قالَبُ

A child—the heart sufficed him as a home,

A child, his heart suffices as a home for him

As though the heart were a mold for him.

As if the heart was a mold made just for him

كَيوسُفِ الحُسنِ وَقَلبي لَهُ

كَيوسُفِ الحُسنِ وَقَلبي لَهُ

سِجنٌ وَما ثَمَّ لَهُ صاحِبُ

سِجنٌ وَما ثَمَّ لَهُ صاحِبُ

Like Joseph in beauty, and my heart for him

With the beauty of Joseph, and my heart is for him

Is a prison, with no companion there for him.

A prison, without a companion therein

أَصبَحَ وَالقَلبُ لِباسٌ لَهُ

أَصبَحَ وَالقَلبُ لِباسٌ لَهُ

لاَ قاصِرٌ عَنهُ وَلا ساحِبُ

لاَ قاصِرٌ عَنهُ وَلا ساحِبُ

He now has the heart as his garment,

Morning came, and my heart is a garment for him

Neither too short for him nor trailing.

Neither too short nor long for him

وَهوَ بِعَيني وَهوَ إِنسانُها

وَهوَ بِعَيني وَهوَ إِنسانُها

وَهيَ لَهُ مِن خارِجٍ حاجِبُ

وَهيَ لَهُ مِن خارِجٍ حاجِبُ

And he is in my eye, and he is its pupil,

He is in my eyes, he is their beloved

And it is his gatekeeper on the outside.

While she is for him a lowered veil

ضاقَ بِهِ ضيقُ عِناقي لَهُ

ضاقَ بِهِ ضيقُ عِناقي لَهُ

فَلَم يَسَع ما قالَهُ العائِبُ

فَلَم يَسَع ما قالَهُ العائِبُ

The narrow space of my embrace grew tight around him,

My embrace was too tight for him

And had no room for what the faultfinder said.

It could not contain what the critic says