مَاذَا التَّهَاجُرُ يَا مُنَى الْقَلْبِ

مِنْ غَيْرِ مَا جُرْمٍ وَلاَ ذَنْبِ

What is this estrangement, O solace of my heart,

Why this estrangement, O desire of my heart,

Though I have done no wrong nor sinned?

Without any crime or any sin?

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظيمَ عَدَا

أنِّي أُحِبُّكَ غَايَةَ الْحُبِّ

I ask God’s great forgiveness, though

I seek forgiveness from Almighty God, except

I love you with utmost passion.

For loving you with the utmost love,

وَتَذَلُّلَي لِبَدِيعِ حُسْنِكُمُ

يَاحُسْنَ ذَاكَ الْفِعْلِ مِنْ صَبِّ

My pleading for your sublime beauty

And humbling myself before your wondrous beauty;

O, that beautiful act, of youth,

Oh, how beautiful is such an act from a lover!

صِلْنِي أَصِلْكَ وَدَعْ مُعَاتَبَتِي

وَافْلُلْ شَبَاةَ الذُّعْرِ وَالرُّعْبِ

Join me to you, and cease reproaching me,

Unite with me, I will unite with you, and cease your reprimands,

And remove the dread and fear.

And blunt the sharp edge of panic and terror.

وَلْتُطْفِ مِنْ نَارِ الصُّدُودِ فَقَدْ

أَفْنَى أُوَارُ لَهِيبِهَا قَلْبِي

Let the fires of aloofness die down, for

And extinguish the fire of your rejection, for indeed

Its flames have consumed my heart.

The scorching heat of its flames has consumed my heart.

وَاهْنَأْ بِمِلْكِ فَتىً أَخِي ثِقَةٍ

مُسْتَبْصِرٍ بِالطَّعْنِ وَالضَّرْبِ

Rejoice in the rule of a trusted youth,

Rejoice in possessing a trustworthy youth,

Keen of insight, blow and stroke,

Insightful in the arts of thrusting and striking,

ذِيِ عِفَّةٍ تَحْمِيهِ هِمَّتُهُ

عَنْ أَنْ يَجِيءَ بِفَاحِشٍ نَكْبِ

Of virtue that protects him

Possessing a chastity safeguarded by his resolve

From committing ugly sins,

From committing any foul and calamitous deed.

أزْرَى بِمِقْوَلِهِ وَمَنْصِبِهِ

بِابْنِ الْحُسَيْنِوَعَمْرٍو ذِي الْكَلْبِ

I stand with his words and position

He has eclipsed, through his eloquence and rank,

Regarding Ibn Al-Hussein and Amr of the dogs

Ibn al-Husayn and Amr Dhi al-Kalb.

وَعلَيكَ مَا غَنَّتْ مُطَوَّقَةٌ

أَزْكى سَلامي يَا مُنَى القلْبِ

And upon you what the adorned woman sang

And upon you, as long as the ring-necked dove sings,

The most fragrant salutations, O solace of my heart

Be my purest greetings, O desire of my heart,

أَذْكى مِنَ النِّسْرينِ في سَحَرٍ

تُبْرِي رَوَائِحُهُ مِنَ اللَّسْبِ

More aromatic than the nisreen at dawn

More fragrant than the sweetbrier at dawn,

Whose fragrances cure all sorrows

Whose scents bring healing from the scorpion's sting.