ما تَطيبُ الدُنيا لِفَقدِ حَبيبٍ

وَحَياةُ المُفارِقينَ حِمامُ

The world is not pleasant without my beloved

And the life of the separated is sorrow

فَحَياتي لا أَوحَشَ اللَهُ مِنها

وَعَلى الدَهرِ بَعدَ مَوتي السَلامُ

So my life - may Allah not make it lonelier -

And peace be upon time after my death

لَستُ أَرضى الرِضا بِأَيسَرَ مِن لا

قَعقَعَ الرَعدُ مِنهُ لي يا غَمامُ

I am not pleased with being pleased with less than

The thunder sounding for me, O clouds!

وَأَرى شَخصَهُ بِعَيني وَسَمعي

كُلَّما مَرَّ بِالصَباحِ الحَمامُ

And I see his figure with my eyes and ears

Whenever the doves pass in the morning

إِنَّ أَيّامَ مَن نَأَوهُ لَيالٍ

وَلَيالي مَن زارَهُم أَحلامُ

Indeed the days of those kept away are nights

And the nights of those who visit them are dreams

إِنَّ عَيني قَد أَغرَقَ النورُ عَيني

فَعَلى مَن تُمَوِّهُ الأَيّامُ

Indeed my eyes have been drowned in light

So who can the days deceive?

وَالتَلاقي في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ ضَوءٌ

وَالنَوى في ضِيا الصَباحِ ظَلامُ

And meeting in the darkness of night is light

While intention in the brightness of dawn is darkness

بِأَبي أَنتَ مِن هِلالٍ لِفِطرٍ

غَيرَ أَنّا مِنَ الوِصالِ صِيامُ

By my father you are a crescent moon for Eid

Except we fast from union

إِن تَصِل مَن قَطَعتَ فَالعامُ يَومٌ

أَو تَدَع مَن وَصَلتَ فَاليَومُ عامُ

If you join those you've parted, the year is a day

Or if you leave those joined, the day is a year

أَو تَقُل لي إِنَّ الغَريمَ ذَميمٌ

فَجَوابي إِنَّ الغَرامَ ذِمامُ

Or if you say the beloved is despicable

My answer is love itself is despicable

رُمتُ ما لا يَعِزُّ عَنكَ وَعَنّي

فَكَأَنّي قَد رُمتُ ما لا يُرامُ

I threw away what brings you and I no honor

As if I'd thrown away what cannot be sought

وَإِذا جُدتَ لِلمَنامِ بِطَيفٍ

فَعَلى ناظِري المَنامُ حَرامُ

And if you are true to the dream with a specter

The dream itself becomes forbidden to the seer

ساكِنٌ ناظِري وَلَم يَسكُنِ المَح

بوبُ مُذ قَطُّ ناظِراً وَالمَنامُ

My seer is settled but the beloved hasn't settled

Since he first looked while dreaming

وَإِذا الخَصمُ كانَ يَقضي عَلَينا

فَإِلى مَن فيهِ يَكونُ الخِصامُ

And if the opponent rules against us

To whom will the dispute belong?

إِنَّ في ناظِرَيكَ أَيَّ سِهامٍ

هِيَ في حَوزِها القُلوبَ سِهامُ

Indeed in your eyes are arrows

Which in their quivers capture hearts

مُسقِمٌ طَرَفَهُ بِأَوَّلِ لَحظِ

لَو تَثَنَّى لَزالَ عَنّي السَقامُ

Ailing are my eyes from the first glance

If he glanced again, my sickness would be gone

لا تُغالِط عَنِ الشِفاءِ جِراحي

ما شِفاءُ الجِراحِ إِلّا السِهامُ

Don't argue the cure from my wounds

The only cure for wounds is arrows

وَجهُكَ البَدرُ وَالغَلائِلُ سُحبٌ

وَاللَمى الأُثْرُ وَالصَقالُ اِبتِسامُ

Your face is the full moon, your tresses are clouds

Your saliva is rain and your smile the lightning

وَعَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ ما يُساوي

بَينَ بَدري وَبَدرِكَ الأَقوامُ

And for every state what equals

Between my and your full moons are people

بِتُّ أَشكو إِلى الظَلامِ هَواهُ

فَيُريني البَدرَ الَّذي لا يُسامُ

I spend the night complaining to the darkness of his love

So it shows me the incomparable full moon

وَجَرى بَينَ ناظِري وَدُجاهُ

وَدُموعي اللاتي جَرَينَ كَلامُ

And between my eyes and his darkness

Flowed my tears which became speech

أَنتَ قِسمي وَلَيسَ لي مِنكَ قِسمٌ

وَكَذا الحُبُّ وَالقِلى أَقسامُ

You are my fate and I have no fate from you

And so is love and longing for the beloved