رقيب طالما عرف الغراما

وقاسي الوجد وامتنع المناما

The guard has long known passion

A watchful guardian who had long known passionate love,

And suffered intense love pains and sleepless nights

Who endured deep yearning and was forsaken by sleep,

ولاقى في الهوى ألماً أليما

وكاد الحب يؤرده الحماما

He found great agony in love

Who suffered excruciating agony in the path of love,

And love nearly destroyed him completely

When passion had nearly driven him to the gates of death,

وأتقن حيله الصب المعنى

ولم يضع الاشارة والكلاما

He mastered the ways of patient, meaningful love

Master of all the subtleties of the tormented lover,

Yet did not overtly express his feelings in words

Never failing to catch a covert glance or spoken word;

وأعقبه التسلي بعد هذا

وضار يرى الهوى عاراً وذاما

After this, he was eased by consolation

Yet solace came to him after all he had suffered,

And saw that his love brought only shame and blame

And he came to see love as a dishonor and a shame.

وصير دون من أهوى رقيباً

ليبعد عنه صبا مستهاما

So below the one he loved he became a guard

Now he is set as a sentinel before the one I adore,

To protect him from reckless, heedless youth

To drive away an enraptured, love-consumed heart.

فأي بليه صبت علينا

وأي مصيبة حلت لماما

What calamity you have unleashed upon me!

What an affliction has been poured out upon us!

What tragedy has befallen me because of you!

What a cruel calamity has suddenly befallen us!