كتم الهَوى جلدي فَلَيسَ بِذائع

كتم الهَوى جلدي فَلَيسَ بِذائع

سرّ الحَبيب لِناظرٍ وَلِسامِعِ

سرّ الحَبيب لِناظرٍ وَلِسامِعِ

My fortitude concealed my love, so undisclosed remains

My restraint concealed my passion, so it was not spread

The beloved’s secret to any watcher or listener.

The secret of the beloved is not for the onlooker or listener

وَمُذ اِستَفاض الدَمع ذكر مَرابِعي

وَمُذ اِستَفاض الدَمع ذكر مَرابِعي

خاضَ العَواذل في حَديث مَدامِعي

خاضَ العَواذل في حَديث مَدامِعي

And when tears overflowed as I recalled my haunts,

And since my tears began to flow frequently

The reproachers waded into talk of my tears,

The censurers talked of my weeping

لَمّا جَرى كَالسَيل سُرعة سَيرِهِ

لَمّا جَرى كَالسَيل سُرعة سَيرِهِ

أَحبابا لا وَالَّذي سوّاكمُ

أَحبابا لا وَالَّذي سوّاكمُ

When they flowed like a torrent, so swift was their course.

When it flowed like a torrent in its swift course

O loved ones—no, by Him who fashioned you,

O beloved ones, by Him who formed you

ما صُنتُ دَمعي مائِلاً لِسِواكُمُ

ما صُنتُ دَمعي مائِلاً لِسِواكُمُ

لَكن جَرى فَتَحدّثوا بِجَفاكُمُ

لَكن جَرى فَتَحدّثوا بِجَفاكُمُ

Not because I was drawn to anyone but you did I hold back my tears;

I did not let my tears flow inclined towards anyone but you

But my tears flowed, and they spoke of your coldness.

But it flowed, so talk of your disdain

فَحبسته لِأَصون سرَّ هَواكُمُ

فَحبسته لِأَصون سرَّ هَواكُمُ

حَتّى يَخوضوا في حَديث غَيرِهِ

حَتّى يَخوضوا في حَديث غَيرِهِ

So I held them back to safeguard the secret of my love for you,

I held it back to guard the secret of my love for you

Until they turned to talking of something else.

Until they talked of something other than it