صَدعتُ بِحُبِّهِ من بَعدِ كَتمِي

أليسَ السِّرُّ مِنِّي صارَ جَهرا

I confided in him after my silence,

Is not my secret with me now overt?

سأصبِرُ ما قَدَرتُ على اصطِبَارٍ

إلى أن يَقضِىَ الرحمانُ أمرا

I will be patient as much as I can be patient,

Until the Merciful fulfills the matter.

أُأُرسِلُه ولم أحسُدك شِعري

وأنتَ تَحوزُه وتُجيبُ شٍعرا

I send it to you though I do not envy you, my poetry,

While you possess it and answer with poetry.

وصُغتَه خدعةً لي منكَ يَحكي

لِجَوهَرِ ثَغرِه شطراً وشَطرا

And I wove it to trick you into telling

Of the essence of his mouth, a verse and a verse.

ولولا لَحظُه أوحاكَ شيئاً

لمَّا أودَعتُ شِعرَكَ منهُ سِحرا

And if not for his glances inspiring you something,

I would not have made your poetry of him contain magic.

ولو بإشارَةٍ أدَّى مَقالي

لمَا انتَظمَ القريضُ لديكَ دُراّ

And if with a gesture I spoke my words,

The poem would not have been strung with pearls for you.

وتَحبِسُه وتُخلِصُ لي وِداداً

لقد أسقَيتَني حُلواً ومُرَّا

You detain him and free me with love,

Indeed you have given me sweet and bitter.

وتَجعَلُنِي ثَلاثاً لا أراهُ

وأنتَ بما بِقَلبِ الصَّبِّ درى

And make me three without seeing him,

While you are aware of what is in the passionate heart.

وتزعُمُ ما نقضتَ حُقوقَ عَهدي

وقد أشغَلَتني قَلباُ وفِكرَا

And you claim you have not broken the rights of our pact,

When you have occupied my heart and thoughts.