نلتُ المنى مّمن أحِبُّ فَلم أَجِدْ

أحلىَ لديَّ ولا ألذَّ وأَكرَمَا

I found the wish from the one I love, but I did not find

Anything sweeter for me or more delightful and generous

من عاشقَين تواقَفَا كي يُطفِئَا

نارَ الغرامِ ويَشْكُوانِ جَواهُما

Than two lovers who stopped to extinguish

The fire of passion and complained of their burning,

حتى إذا اعْتَنقا وأَظهَر شجوَهُ

هذا لهذا ساعةً وتكلَّما

Until when they embraced and revealed their longing

For each other for a moment and spoke,

رَأَيَا الرقَّيب وفي النفوس بقيَةٌ

وقد استطارَا لذّةً وتَتَيُّما

They saw the watcher, and there remained in the souls

A craving, and they had reached the height of pleasure and became orphans,

فاستعمَلا الإطراقَ ثم تجلَّدَا

واستَبكَما وتكلّمتْ عَيناهما

So they pretended not to notice, then showed patience,

Grew sullen, and their eyes spoke,

وإذا العيون تكلَمتْ وتراسلتْ

فَهِمَ المحبُّ عن الحبيب وأَفهَما

And when the eyes speak and correspond with each other

The lover understands the beloved and makes him understand.