إِذا اِبتَهَلتُ سَأَلتُ اللَهَ رَحمَتَهُ

كَنَّيتُ عَنكَ وَما يَعدوكَ إِضماري

When I pray I ask Allah for His mercy

When I stand in supplication, beseeching God for His Mercy,

I pretended not to think of you though you were in my thoughts

I speak in code of you, for my secret heart seeks none but you.

أَحبَبتُ مِن شِعرِ بَشّارٍ لِحُبِّكُمُ

مَيتاً شُغِفتُ بِهِ مِن شِعرِ بَشّارِ

I loved Basher's poetry for your love

For your sake, I have grown to love the poetry of Bashar,

Though dead, his poetry made me long for you

Enamored with a dead man's words found in his verse:

يا رَحمَةَ اللَهِ حُلّي في مَنازِلِنا

وَجاوِرينا فَدَتكِ النَفسُ مِن جارِ

O Allah's mercy, beautify our homes

"O Mercy of God, descend and dwell within our homes,"

And dwell with us, I would give my soul for a neighbor like you

"And be our neighbor—may my soul be ransom for such a neighbor!"