1. أهدي إلى السامي المقام سلامِيَهْ

    وأبثّ أشواقي له وغراميَهْ

    I offer my greeting to him of exalted rank,

    And pour out to him my longings and my passion.

  2. وإليه أشكو لوعة وصبابة

    لو كان يعلمها لرّق لحاليهْ

    To him I lament my anguish and ardent longing,

    If he knew it, he would take pity on my plight;

  3. ولواعجا أذكى البعادُ لهيبها

    ومدامعاً رقت فأضحت جاريهْ

    And burning pangs whose blaze separation has fanned,

    And tears that grew thin and began to flow;

  4. ضُمْر وإن السبق من أوصافها

    والعشق والبرحاء من أوصافيهْ

    Lean, though racing ahead is among their traits,

    And passionate love and torment are among mine.

  5. قسما بإخوان الصفاء وما حوى

    أرجُ الوباء من المعاني الغاليهْ

    I swear by the Brethren of Purity, and by what

    the fragrance of the plague held of precious meanings;

  6. وبما دنا للقلب من ألم الضنا

    وبما عليه قد انطوت أحشائيهْ

    And by the pain of wasting sickness that drew near the heart,

    And by what my inward parts have enfolded;

  7. وبدمعي القاني وشجو فؤادي ال

    عاني وحرّ صبابتي المتواليهْ

    And by my crimson tears and the sorrow of my heart—

    afflicted—and the heat of my unceasing longing;

  8. وبطيب أيام خلت وبكُم جلت

    كأس الصفا صرفا وكانت خاليهْ

    And by the sweetness of days gone by; through you shone

    the cup of serenity, unmixed, though it had been empty.

  9. ما بنتمو عن مهجتي يوماً ولو

    بنتم وطال البين عن إنسانيهْ

    You have never left my heart for a day, even though

    you left my eye's pupil, and separation grew long.

  10. كلا ولا أنا ملت عن دين الهوى

    أبداً ولا نقص الزمان وداديهْ

    No indeed! Nor have I turned from the faith of love

    ever, nor has time diminished my affection.

  11. بهواكمو وبسكّريّ حديثكم

    ما زال قلبي مغرماً ولسانيهْ

    With love for you and with your sugar-sweet speech,

    my heart remains enamored, and so does my tongue.

  12. ودواء أسقامي سلامة ذكركم

    وأنا السقيم ولا أعاف دوائيهْ

    And the cure for my ailments is keeping your memory intact;

    And I am ill, yet I do not spurn my remedy.

  13. وكما علمت صبابتي وتشوقي

    لحماك والشيطان ما أنسانيهْ

    And, as you know, my ardent longing and yearning

    are for your sanctuary—Satan has not made me forget it.

  14. وإليك يا قطب المعارف أصبحت

    بكتابها نصف المعدل ساريهْ

    And toward you, O pole of learning, it is now

    traveling by night with its letter across half the equator.

  15. والعذر كل العذر في تأخيرها

    عنكم فليس الأمر طبق مراديهْ

    And I ask full pardon for its delay

    in reaching you, for matters are not as I wish.

  16. هذا ولولا الوقت غير مساعد

    لي والنوى والبعد شتت باليهْ

    Thus, were time not unfavorable

    to me, and had parting and distance not scattered my thoughts,

  17. كللت تيجان الطروس بلؤلؤ

    من مدحكم وملأت هذي القافيهْ

    I would have crowned the pages' diadems with pearls

    of praise for you, and filled this rhymed poem.