أَرسَلَ مَن أَهوى رَسولاً لَهُ

إِلَيَّ وَالمَنسوبُ مَحبوبُ

The one I love sent a messenger to me

The one I love sent a messenger to me, and he who comes from the beloved is beloved.

And the one sent is beloved

I said, "Welcome to you as a messenger, and as a dear one whom fragrance has adorned."

فَقُلتُ أَهلاً بِكَ مِن مُرسَلٍ

وَمِن حَبيبٍ زانَهُ الطيبُ

So I said, welcome, O messenger

I flirted with him in a whisper, but he turned away, saying, "This is but a test from you."

From a beloved adorned with scent

"One like you would not love one like me, when a fair, tender beauty is enamored with you."

جَمَّشتُهُ في كِلمَةٍ فَاِنثَنى

وَقالَ هَذا مِنكَ تَجريبُ

I teased him with a word, so he recoiled

Then her envoys came saying, "Come to us," so I went to her, my heart gripped by dread.

And said, “This is but a test from you”

She said, "You fell in love with my messenger! Truly, strange wonders have appeared to us from you."

مِثلُكَ لا يَعشُقَ مِثلي وَقَد

هامَت بِهِ بَيضاءُ رُعبوبُ

One like you does not love one like me

Though the fair maidens pine for me

وَجاءَتِ الرُسلُ بِأَن آتِنا

فَجِئتُها وَالقَلبُ مَرعوبُ

And the messengers came saying “visit us”

So I came to them, heart trembling

قالَت تَعَشَّقتَ رَسولي لَقَد

بَدَت لَنا مِنكَ الأَعاجيبُ

She said, “You have fallen for my messenger

Strange wonders have appeared from you”