1. إِنَّ في الصَّبرِ لَخَيراً فَاِصطَبِر

    وَاِستَعِذ بِاللَّهِ مِن سوءِ القَدَر

    In patience there is surely good, so persevere.

    And seek refuge in God from the evil of fate.

  2. إِجعَلِ الصَّبرَ لِما تحذرُهُ

    جُنَّةً فَالصَّبرُ مِفتاحُ الظَفَر

    Make patience, against what you fear,

    a shield, for patience is the key to victory.

  3. كُلُّ مَن حُدِّثت عَنهُ إِنَّهُ

    نالَ خَيراً فَاِعلَمَن أَن قَد صَبَر

    Everyone of whom you have been told that he

    gained good—know for certain that he persevered.

  4. إِنَّ في الصَّبرِ مُجيراً لَكَ مِن

    صَولَةِ الهَمِّ إِذا الهَمُّ حَضَر

    Indeed, in patience is a protector for you against

    the assault of sorrow when sorrow comes.

  5. عادَ بِالسّوءِ عَلَيَّ حَذَري

    رُبَّما أَدّى إِلى السّوءِ الحَذَر

    My caution brought me harm in return;

    sometimes caution leads to harm.

  6. قَدَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ أَنَّني

    لا أَرى يَومَ سُرورٍ فَأسَر

    God has decreed for me that I

    shall see no day of joy in which to rejoice.

  7. أَتجافى عَن هَناتِ لَو بِها

    مُني الخلق جَميعاً لَاِنتَحَر

    I disregard troubles that, were they to afflict

    all humankind, would drive it to kill itself.

  8. إِنَّ في قَلبي وَلا ذَنبَ لَكُم

    حُرقَةً أثبتها فيهِ النَّظَر

    Indeed, in my heart—and you bear no blame—

    is a burning ache that gazing has lodged there.

  9. بَصَري جَرَّ عَلى قَلبي الشَّقا

    فَأَراحَ اللَّهُ قَلبي مِن بَصَر

    My sight brought misery upon my heart,

    so may God relieve my heart of sight.

  10. زادَني شَوقاً إِلَيكُم هَجرُكُم

    رُبَّما يَزدادُ شَوقاً مَن هَجَر

    Your abandonment increased my longing for you;

    sometimes one who forsakes feels greater longing.

  11. وَعَجيبٌ أَنَّ حُبّي لَكُمُ

    صارَ ذَنبا عِندكُم لا يُغتَفَر

    And it is strange that my love for you

    has become, in your eyes, an unforgivable sin.

  12. لا يضق عَفوك ما بي جَلَد

    وَاِغفِري ذَنبي وَإِن كانَ كبَر

    Let your pardon not be narrow; I have no endurance.

    And forgive my sin, even if it has grown great.

  13. إِنَّ لِلمَوتِ إِلَيَّ سُبُلاً

    غَيرَ أَنَّ المَوتَ يَأتي بِقَدَر

    Indeed, death has paths to me,

    but death comes by decree.

  14. لامَني النَّاسُ عَلى حُبِّكُم

    خابَ مَن عَنَّفَ فيكُم وَخَسَر

    People blamed me for loving you;

    whoever rebuked me over you has failed and lost.

  15. وَلَكُمْ نَبلٌ حِدادٌ صُيُبٌ

    نَبلُ حُبٍّ لَم تُفَوَّق بِوَتَر

    And yours are sharp arrows that strike true,

    arrows of love, never nocked on a bowstring.

  16. فَإِذا ما شِئتِ أَن تَستَعبِدي

    أَحَداً أَرسَلتِ سَهماً فَعَقَر

    So whenever you wish to enslave

    anyone, you send an arrow, and it strikes him down.

  17. فَهوَ عَبدٌ لَيسَ يَعدو كُلَّما

    أَوجَبَ المَولى عَلَيهِ وَأَمَر

    Then he is a slave, never straying beyond whatever

    the master has imposed upon him and commanded.

  18. إِنَّني أَصبَحتُ في حُبِّكُمُ

    بَينَ حالَينِ كِلا الحالَينِ شَر

    Indeed, in my love for you I have come to be

    between two states, both of them wretched:

  19. بَينَ هجرانٍ وَبُعد أَجَّجا

    في بَناتِ القَلبِ ناراً تَستَعِر

    between estrangement and distance, which have kindled

    a blazing fire within the heart's veins.

  20. إِجعَلي نَفسَكِ لي ناصِرَةً

    لَستُ إِلَّا بِكِ مِنكُم اِنتَصَر

    Make yourself my champion;

    only through you can I prevail against you.

  21. إِنَّ في الهَجرِ لَداءً مُعضَلاً

    وَلَداءُ الحُبِّ أَدهى وَأَمَر

    Indeed, in estrangement lies an intractable disease,

    yet love's disease is more dire and more bitter.