قامَت بِعَذلي لَدى المَحبوبِ أَقوام

وَصَمَّموا عَذلتي عَنهُ وَقَد حاموا

Some people stood against me before my beloved

And insisted on keeping me away from him, though they were misguided

وَكُلَّما رُمت قُربا مِن شَمائِلِهِ

جاءَت تهددني لِلحَظ أَسهام

And whenever I tried to get closer to his features

Their arrows came threatening me with misfortune

كَأَنَّهُم بعنادى عصبة كَفَروا

ما حل في قَلبِهِم صدق وَاِسلام

It was as if they were an obstinate gang of unbelievers

In whose hearts dwelt no truth or submission

ضَلوا لِطُغيانِهِم جَهلا بحكمة مِن

بِأَمرِهِ كانَ اِيجادُ وَاِعدام

They went astray in their tyranny, ignorant of the wisdom of Him

By whose command creation and destruction come to be

وَأَبرَموا قَتلتي بِالبُعد عَن رَشَأ

لَولاهُ ما رَفَعتُ لِلحُبِّ أَعلام

And they plotted my death through separation from the fresh pasture

Without which I would not have raised the banners of love

هُم اِستَجَدّوا ببحر الحُب ما وَهَنوا

وَما اِستَكانوا وَما خاضوا وما عاموا

They embarked upon the sea of love without weakening or humbling

Without yielding or swimming or effort

لَم يَعلَموا اِن قَضيت العُمر في الجج

وَلي بِبَحر الهَوى عوم وَأَعوام

They did not know that I have spent my life in ardour

Swimming in the sea of passion for years

فَكَم رَبِحتَ عُقودا مِنهُ مثمنة

وَطالب الدر لا يُثنيه أَوهام

So how many precious necklaces have I gained from Him

While the pearl seeker is not discouraged by fantasies

وَكَم صدمت بِشَعب في مَسالِكِه

حَتّى اِستَوى فيهِ عِندي الزبد وَالخام

And how many times have I crashed against rocks in His paths

Until foam and gems were the same to me

وَكل ما نالَني في الوَجد يَعلَمُهُ

ذاكَ الغَزالُ كَما خصته أَقلام

And He knows all that has come upon me in passion

As I have described to that gazelle in my poems

لكِنَّهُ سالِك أُسلوب عصبته

في كُل ما قَعَدوا عَنهُ وَما قالوا

But he follows the ways of his gang

In all they desisted from and said

بِالحِقدِ هاموا وَحاشا اِن أَمثَلَهُم

بِآل يوسِف مذفى جهلَهُم هاموا

With malice they erred, far from resembling

The family of Joseph though their ignorance made them stumble

وَاِن تَلوا في الهَوى آيات غرته

وَجودِها وَاِن صَلوا وَاِن صاموا

And if they recited verses of love's deception in devotion

Whether praying or fasting

اِني أَرى في مَجاري لَحظِهِم أَبَدا

مَناويا هي في الاِحشامِ اِسهام

I always see in the course of their glances

Arrows that in the darkness are quivers

اِخشي عَلى الريم مِن نَجوى ضَغائِنِهم

لاِن اليَتهم في الغَدرِ ضَرغام

I fear for the gaze from the whispering of their resentments

Since their hands are quick to betray

يَدي عَلى الكَبدِ في صُبح بدا وَمَسى

عَلى شَقيق لَهُ في الحَي ما داموا

My hand is on my heart morning and night

For one who still lives though his companion is no more