خفَقَ الفُؤادُ لِذكرِ سعْدِ

خفَقَ الفُؤادُ لِذكرِ سعْدِ

وبَقيتُ مُضْطرباً بِوَجدي

وبَقيتُ مُضْطرباً بِوَجدي

The heart fluttered at the mention of Saʿd,

The heart fluttered at the mention of Sa'd,

and I remained distraught with passionate love.

And I remained agitated by my longing.

فهوَ التَدلُّلُ عِندهُ

فهوَ التَدلُّلُ عِندهُ

وأنا التَّذلُّلُ ظَلَّ عِندي

وأنا التَّذلُّلُ ظَلَّ عِندي

For coy aloofness is his,

So coyness belongs to him,

while lowly submission has remained mine.

While self-abasement remained with me.

مَلكَ التَّعزُّزَ وحدهُ

مَلكَ التَّعزُّزَ وحدهُ

ومَلكْتُ طَوْرَ الذُّلِّ وحدي

ومَلكْتُ طَوْرَ الذُّلِّ وحدي

He alone possessed proud reserve,

He alone possessed proud aloofness,

while I alone possessed the estate of abasement.

And I alone possessed the state of abasement.

وتَقابلَ الشَّأنانِ من

وتَقابلَ الشَّأنانِ من

سُلْطانهِ وضَعيفِ جُهدي

سُلْطانهِ وضَعيفِ جُهدي

And the two conditions met—those of

And the two states stood opposed: those of

his sovereign power and my feeble striving.

His dominion and my feeble effort.

فأباحَني منهُ الرِّضا

فأباحَني منهُ الرِّضا

وأبَحتهُ شُكري وحَمْدي

وأبَحتهُ شُكري وحَمْدي

Then he freely granted me his good pleasure,

So he granted me his favor,

and I freely gave him my thanks and praise.

And I offered him my thanks and praise.