وَحَياتِهِ لا خُنْتُهُ وَحَياتِهِ

وَلأَدْخُلَنَّ النَّارَ في مَرْضاتِهِ

By his life I betrayed him not, by his life

And yet into the flames for his pleasure I’d run

قَمَرٌ إِذا اسْتَقْبَلْتَهُ لِضِيائِهِ

أَبْصَرْتَ وَجهكَ مِنْهُ في وَجَناتِهِ

A moon, when you face him, his brilliance makes

Your own face shine in his radiance, like the sun

تَتَحَيَّرُ الأَوْهامُ في تَرْكيبِهِ

والوَصْفُ يَعْجِزُ عن صِفاتِ صِفاتِهِ

The mind is confused by his composition

And speech fails describing his attributes’ traits

وَيَميلُ مِنْ حَرَكاتِهِ فَكأنَّما

يَهْتَزُّ غُصْنُ البانِ في حَرَكاتِهِ

He sways and it seems like a branch of basil

Is shaking with movement in all of his gaits

مَا لاحَظَتْ لَحَظاتُهُ لَحْظَ امْرئٍ

إِلا اسْتَعاذَ اللحْظُ مِنْ لَحَظاتِهِ

Whenever his glances met someone’s own staring

That glance sought protection from his lightning gazes

أَحْياهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ المَمَاتِ بِوَصْلِهِ

وَأَماتَهُ بِالهَجْرِ قَبْلَ مَماتِهِ

He brought me to life when we rejoined through his love

And yet killed me with parting before my life's phases

لِمَ لا أُخاطِرُ في هَواهُ بِمُهْجَةٍ

وَقَفَتْ خَواطِرُها عَلَى خُطُواتِهِ

Why not risk all and confess this devotion

When all my thoughts paused before his steps’ motion