لَئِن بُحتُ بِالشَكوى إِلَيكَ مَحَبَّةً

فَلَستُ لِمَخلوقٍ سِواكَ أَبوحُ

If I complain to you out of love,

I have no other creature to confide in but you.

وَإِنَّ سُكوتي إِن عَرَتني ضَرُورَةٌ

وَكِتمانَها مِمَّن أُحِبُّ قَبيحُ

If silence overtakes me out of necessity,

Concealing it from one I love is ugly.

وَما لِيَ أُخفي عَن حَبيبي ضَرورَتي

وَما هُوَ إِلاّ مُشفِقٌ وَنَصيحُ

Why would I hide my troubles from my beloved?

He is only sympathetic and benevolent.

بِروحِيَ مَن أَشكو إِلَيهِ وَأَنثَني

وَقَد صارَ لي مِن لُطفِهِ لِيَ روحُ

To whom shall I complain but the one who gave me life,

And whose kindness has become my spirit.

وَلَو لَم يَكُن إِلاّ الحَديثُ فَإِنَّهُ

يُخَفِّفُ أَشجانَ الفَتى وَيُريحُ

Even just talking relieves the worries of a young man,

And gives him comfort.

وَكَم رُمتُ أَنّي لا أَقولُ فَخِفتُ أَن

يَقولَ لِسانُ الحالِ وَهوَ فَصيحُ

How often I wished to speak but held back,

Fearing the eloquent tongue of fortune.

وَكِدتُ بِكِتماني أَصيرُ مُفرِّطاً

فَأَبكي عَلى ما فاتَني وَأَنوحُ

By my silence I almost failed in my duty,

Weeping over missed chances and sighing.

وَأَندَمُ بَعدَ الفَوتِ أَوفى نَدامَةٍ

وَأَغدو كَما لا أَشتَهي وَأَروحُ

After the loss I regretted intensely,

Becoming as I did not want, restless.

تَكَهَّنتُ في الأَمرِ الَّذي قَد لَقيتُهُ

وَلي خَطَراتٌ كُلُّهُنَّ فُتوحُ

I guessed at what had happened,

Many thoughts occurred, all revealed.

فَراسَةُ عَبدٍ مُؤمِنٍ لا كَهانَةٌ

وَمَن هُوَ شِقٌّ عِندَها وَسَطيحُ

A faithful servant’s insight, not divination,

To him ambiguities are clear.

فَما حَرَّفَت مِن ذاكَ حَرفاً كَهانَتي

فَلِلَّهِ ظَنّي إِنَّهُ لَصَحيحُ

My insight did not distort anything,

By God, my assumption is correct.