قَلبُ المُحِبِّ إِلى الأَحبابِ مَقلوبُ

وَجِسمُهُ بِيَدِ الأَسقامِ مَنهوبُ

The lover's heart is overturned towards the beloved

And his body in the hands of tormentors plundered

وَقائِلٍ كَيفَ طَعمُ الحُبِّ قُلتُ لَهُ

الحُبُّ عَذبٌ وَلَكِن فيهِ تَعذيبُ

And someone asked me, “How does love taste?” I said,

“Love is sweet but there is torment in it.”

في كُلِّ يَومٍ بِعَسّالِ القَوامِ لَنا

وَصارِمِ اللَحظِ مَطعونٌ وَمضروبُ

With slender waisted sweethearts we have

Every spear-straight glance wounded and beaten

أَفدي الَّذينَ عَلى خَدَّيّ بَعدَهُم

دَمي وَدَمعِيَ مَسفوكٌ وَمسكوبُ

I ransom those whose tears after them

My blood and tears spilled and poured

أَنا السَمَوأَلُ في حِفظِ الوِدادِ لَهُم

وَهُم إِذا وَعَدوا بِالوَصلِ عُرقوبُ

I am the questioner in keeping the affection for them

And they, when they promise union, delayed

ما في الخِيامِ وَقَد سارَت حُمولُهُمُ

إِلّا مُحِبٌّ لَهُ في الظَعنِ مَحبوبُ

In the tents, when their caravans departed

Was no lover but for him in parting a beloved

كَأَنَّما يَوسُفٌ في كُلِّ راحِلَةٍ

وَالحَيُّ في كُلِّ بَيتٍ مِنهُ يَعقوبُ

It's as if Joseph is in every rider

And the living in every house has a Jacob