كُلُّ مُحِبٍّ سِوايَ مَستورُ

وَالناسُ إِلّا عَن قِصَّتي عورُ

Every lover except me is concealed,

And people are blind to all but my story.

كَأَنَّ طَرفي عَينٌ عَلَيَّ لَهُم

فَكُلُّ طَيٍّ لَدَيَّ مَنشورُ

It is as if my own glance acts as a spy for them against me,

So that every secret I keep folded is spread out.

ما إِن يَغِبُّ الفَعالَ أَفعَلُهُ

حَتّى تَهاداهُ بَينَنا الدورُ

No sooner do I perform a deed,

Than the houses pass the news of it among us;

يَخرُجُ مِن هَذِهِ وَيَدخُلُ في

تِلكَ وَعَنهُ القِناعُ مَحسورُ

It leaves this one and enters into that,

With the veil stripped completely away from it.

كَأَنَّني عِندَ سَترِ مَأرَبَتي

بِكُلِّ طَرفٍ إِلَيَّ مَنظورُ

It is as if, when I attempt to cover my desire,

I am observed by every watching eye.

فَما اِحتِيالي وَقَد خُلِقتُ فَتىً

تَجري بِما ساءَني المَقاديرُ

So what is my recourse, when I was created a youth

Against whom the fates decree what brings me sorrow?

لَكِنَّ وَجهَ الَّذي كَلِفتُ بِهِ

مُحتَمَلٌ ذَنبُهُ وَمَغفورُ

Yet the face of the one with whom I am smitten—

His offense is bearable, and forgiven.