أَلا كلُّ شيءٍ للأنامِ مُحَبَّبٌ

إِليَّ بغيضٌ والحبيبُ حَبيبُ

Alas, everything desired by people

Is hateful to me, and my beloved is the beloved one.

أما عجباً أن هام فيه رقيبُهُ

وأَني على ذاك الرقيبِ رقيب

How strange that his watcher is infatuated with him,

Yet I watch over that watcher.

ومما برى جسمِي وأَرَّق ناظري

وعلَّمَ قلبي فيه كيف يذوب

What has distracted my body and delighted my eyes,

And taught my heart how it could melt for him,

حبيبٌ اراه سائغاً كلَّ ساعةٍ

ينال سوايَ وصلَهُ وأَخيب

Is a beloved whom I see as sweet every hour,

He attains intimacy with me and then eludes me.

فوا أسفا لي إِنني ليثُ غابةٍ

ويظفَرُ دوني بالفريسةِ ذيبُ

Oh what a pity for me that I am a lion of the jungle,

Yet a wolf takes my prey from right under me!