سَترتُ حُبّكَ في قَلبٍ إَلَيكَ صَبا

شَوقاً وَخَيرُ الهَوى ما كانَ مَستُورا

I concealed my love for you in a heart inclining towards you,

Yearning, for the best love is that kept hidden.

فَلا تَظُننَّ قَلبي عَنكَ مُنصَرِفاً

وَإِن يَكُن باتَ بِالأَشجان مَكسورا

So do not think that my heart has turned away from you,

Even if it spent the night broken with sorrow.

لَكِنَّ رَبَّ الهَوى وَالحُبّ مُتَّهَمٌ

ما زالَ مُحتَذِراً طَوراً وَمَحذورا

But the Lord of love and passion is accused,

Always hesitant, now and then forbidden.

فَمِلتُ لِلهَجرِ لا عَن رَغبَةٍ وَرِضىً

لكن أُعدُّ لَدى التَحقيقِ مَهجوراً

I grew weary of estrangement, not out of desire and consent,

But I fear at the time of reckoning I will be spurned.

وَذي إِشارةِ مَوصولٍ بِحُبِّكُمُ

ضمَّنتُ أَكثَرَها حَذفاً وَتَقديرا

And she whose gestures are connected to your love -

I have omitted most of them, curtailing and inferring.