تَحَوَّلتَ عَن عَيني إِلى مُضمَرِ السِّرِّ

فَمَثواكَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ وَالصَّدرِ

You have turned away from my eyes to the hidden place of secrets

So your dwelling is between my innermost being and my chest

فَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ القَريبَ مُبَعَّدٌ

لأَنَّكَ مِن قَلبي بِمَنزِلَةِ السِّرِّ

And though you are near, you are distant

For you are to my heart like a secret

وَلِلسِّرِّ مِنّي مَوضِعٌ لا يَنالُهُ

حَبيبٌ عَلى أَنَّ الحَبيبَ كَما تَدرِي

And for the secret there is within me a place no beloved can reach

Even though the beloved knows as you know

فَيا رَبِّ ما لي وَالزَّمانُ يَروعُنِي

بِتَشتِيتِ شَملِ الخِلِّ وَالدَّمعِ وَالسَّهرِ

So oh Lord, why does time alarm me

With the scattering of the gathering of friends, tears, and wakefulness

فَلَو قيلَ لي اِختَر ما تُرِيد لَقُلتُ لا

أُريدُ سِوَى قُربِ الفَقيهِ أَبي بَكرِ

If told to choose what I want, I would say nothing

But nearness to the learned Abu Bakr