كَتَمتُ الهَوى وَهَجَرتُ الحَبيبا

وَأَضمَرتُ في القَلبِ شَوقاً عَجيبا

I concealed my love and abandoned my beloved

And harbored in my heart a wondrous yearning

وَلَم يَكُ هَجريهِ عَن بِغضَةٍ

وَلَكِن خَشيتُ عَلَيهِ العُيوبا

My abandonment was not out of hatred

But fear of defects befalling him

سَأَرعى وَأَكتُمُ أَسرارَهُ

وَأَحفَظُ ما عِشتُ مِنهُ المَغيبا

I will keep to myself and conceal his secrets

And for as long as I live, guard the unseen from him

فَكَم باسِطينَ إِلى وَصلِنا

أَكُفَّهُمُ لَم يَنالوا نَصيبا

So many extending their hands for our union

I held them back, they attained no share

فَيا مَن رَضيتُ بِما قَد لَقي

تُ مِن حُبِّهِ مُخطِئاً أَو مُصيبا

Oh you with whom I was content with all

I have faced from his love, in error or aright

وَيا مَن دَعاني إِلَيهِ الهَوى

فَلَبَّيتُ لَمّا دَعاني مُجيبا

Oh you whom desire called me to

And I responded when he called me, compliant

وَيا مَن تَعَلَّقتُهُ ناشِئاً

فَشِبتُ وَما آنَ لي أَن أَشيبا

Oh you whom I clung to in my youth

And grew up still not ready to grow old

لَعَمري لَقَد كَذَبَ الزاعِمو

نَ أَنَّ القُلوبَ تُجازي القُلوبا

By my life, those who claim

That hearts reward hearts have lied

وَلَو كانَ حَقّاً كَما يَزعُمونَ

لَما كانَ يَجفو حَبيبٌ حَبيبا

If what they claim were true

No beloved would spurn a beloved

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ كَما أَشتَهي

حَبيبٌ يَرى حَسَناتي ذُنوبا

How can it be as I wish

A beloved who sees my virtues as sins

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَكِ في العالَمي

نَ نِصفاً كَثيباً وَنِصفاً قَضيبا

I have not seen your like in all the world

Half so thick, half so thin

وَأَنَّكِ لَو تَطِئينَ التُرابَ

لَزِدتِ التُرابَ عَلى الطيبِ طيبا

For if you tread on dust

You would add more sweetness to the sweet dust