وَلا تَحسَبوني بائِحاً بِحَديثِكُم

فَذاكَ قَطينٌ لا يَريمُ ضُلوعي

Do not think me shameless if I speak of you,

That is a flea that cannot pierce my ribs.

إلى مَن وَقَد حَدَّثتُ عَيني بِسِرِّكُم

فَنَمَّت مَعانيهِ بِلَفظِ دُموعي

To whom have I confided the secret of my eyes,

That their meanings took shape in the words of my tears.

تَحولُ دُموعُ العَينِ بَيني وَبَينَكُم

وَلا سِيَّما إِن شُبتُها بِنَجيعِ

My tears stand between me and you,

Especially when their flow is copious.

فَلا إِن حَضَرتُمُ مُلِّئَت بِوُجوهِكُم

وَلا حينَ غِبتُم عُلِّلَت بِرُجوعِ

So neither when you are present am I filled with your faces,

Nor when you are absent am I troubled by your return.

لَها اللَهُ مِن عَينٍ تَغَطَّت بِأَدمُعٍ

فَلَم تَرَ عِندَ العَتبِ ذُلَّ خُضوعي

Praise be to Allah for an eye that is veiled in tears

That did not see humiliation in reproach.

وَلَمّا رَمَيتُم مِن عُيونٍ بِأَسهُمٍ

تَلَقَّيتُها مِن أَدمُعٍ بِدُروعي

And when you shot from eyes vindictive arrows

I received them from tears with my armor.