بِذِمَامِ الحُبِّ يَا أَهْلَ زَرُودِ

مَنْ تُرَى عَلَّمَكُمْ نَقْضَ العُهُودِ

With the reins of love, O people of fickleness,

Who taught you the breaking of pacts?

أَتُرَاكُمْ قَدْ مَلَلَّتُمْ عَبْدَكُمْ

أَمْ سَمِعْتُمْ فيه أَقْوَالَ الحَسُودِ

Do you think you have wearied your slave,

Or have you heard the words of the envious about him?

هَكَذَا كُلُّ مُحِبٍّ لَكُمُ

أَمْ أَنَا المخَصْوصُ وَحْدِي بِالصُّدوُدِ

Thus is every lover of you,

Or am I the only one singled out with estrangement?

كَيْفَ مَا شِئْتُ فَكُونُوا سِادَتي

أَنا في حُبِّى لَكُمْ بَعْضُ الْعَبِيدِ

However you wish, be my masters,

For in my love of you, I am but one of the slaves.

وَلَكُمْ عُهْدَةُ رِقًى كُتِبَتْ

بِمِدَادِ الدَّمْعِ في رَقً الخُدُودِ

And you have a pact of kindness that was written

With the ink of tears upon the cheeks.

كُلَّمَا رُمْتُ تَقَاضِي وَصْلِكُمْ

وَقَفَ الإِجْلاَلُ بِي دُونَ وُرُودِ

Whenever I wanted the attainment of your company,

Reverence stopped me short of the goal.