يا مَيُّ مَلَّ الهَوى إِلّا مَعناكِ
وَحالَ صَبٌّ صَبا إِلَا لِمَعناكِ
O water of passion none but you quenches our thirst
And the youth poured their drink only for your sake
وَغَيَّر اللَومُ مَن يَهوى سِواكِ وَلَم
تُحَل صُروفَ الرَدى مَن كانَ يَهواكِ
Blame changed those who loved another but you, yet
The calamities of fate spared none who adored you
وَأَصبَحَ الناسُ مَسروراً بِسِرِّكِ عَن
عِلمٍ وَآخِرِ مَغروراً بِأَسماكِ
And people began their day secretly happy with your mystery
While others were fooled by your names
يَغتالُهُ مِن سَرابِ الآلِ خَلَّبَهُ
فَيَنثَني عَن بَروقٍ مِن ثِناياكِ
Deluded by mirages of hopes, dissuaded
By glimmers within your folds
وَيوهِم الناسَ جَهلاً مِنهُ مَعرِفَةً
بِكَنَهِ مَعنى الهَوى عَن ضَعفِ إِدراكِ
And in ignorance they feigned knowledge
Of the essence of passion, weak was their grasp
وَكَنهُ مَعنى غَرامي لَيسَ يَشهَدُهُ
بِكَنَهِ حُسنِكَ إِلّا مَن تَمَعناكِ
But the essence of my passion none can witness
Unless immersed, meditating upon you
وَلَستُ مَن يَدَّعي وَصلاً بِلا سَفَرٍ
إِلى حِماكِ وَقُرباً دونَ لُقياكِ
I boast no union without journeying
To your protection, no nearness sans seeing you
فَكَم عَقَرتُ عَلى البَيداءِ مِن بَدَنٍ
أَكَلَهُ السَعيُ في قَصدي لِمَغناكِ
How many a camel I rode in the desert
Consumed by efforts to reach your oasis
وَكَم سَلَكتُ رُبى الوَعساءِ مُجتَهِداً
عَلَيَّ أُرَوّي صَدى قَلبي بِرَيّاكِ
And how many a sleepy settlement I passed
Yearning to appease my heart by the thought of you
وَالعِزُّ مِنكِ وَذُلّي فيكِ قَد ضَمِنّا
بِاليَأسِ مِن طَمَعي بِالوَصلِ إِهلاكي
My strength is from you, and in you my weakness
My despair to ever attain you destroys me
وَكَيفَ يَطمَعُ مِثلي في وِصالِكِ أَو
بِأَن تَرى عَينُهُ مَرعى مَطاياكِ
What hopes can my likes hold of union with you
Of eyes feasting upon your procession?
لَكِن ظُهورِكَ بِالتَأنيسِ جَسِّرَني
حَتّى تَفَوَّهتُ في سِرّي بِذِكراكِ
But your soothing presence gave me courage
To whisper my secret and your name
يا رَبَّةِ السَترِ هَل لِلكَشفِ مِن أَمَدٍ
يُقضى فَيُجلى قَذى عَيني بِرُؤياكِ
O object of veils, will disclosure come one day
Dispelling the shell from my eyes by your sight?
وَهَل لِلَيلِ الجَفا صُبحٌ فَيَرقُبُهُ
مَن لا يُرى الصُبحَ إِلّا مِن مُحَيّاكِ
Can night’s abandon know dawn, watched for
By one who sees no dawn but your smile?
وَما اِختَفى الصُبحُ عَنّي يا مُنى أَمَلي
لَكِنَّما السَقمُ عَن عَينَيَّ أَخفاكِ
The dawn never left me, O my wish
Ailment just hid it from my eyes
سِفِرتِ فَاِحتَجَبَت عَنكِ العُيونُ فَفي
حَجبِ العُيونِ كَمالُ اللُطفِ أَبداكِ
You traveled, so eyes were veiled from you
In their veil was the perfection of your grace
حَكيتِ بِالعَينِ أَعياناً شَهِدنَكِ كَال
مَحكِيِّ وَاِحتَجَبوا عَن رُؤيَةِ الحاكي
With a glance you told spectacular tales
Like a narrator, while viewers were veiled
حَتّى رَأى كُلُّ شَخصٍ مِنكَ طاقَتَهُ
في حَدِّهِ فَاِنتَفى تَحديدُ مَعناكِ
Each saw a reflection of you in themselves
So fathomless remained your essence
وَلَم يَنَل أَحَدٌ عِلمَ الإِحاطَةِ بِالغَي
بِ المَشاهِدَ في الأَكوانِ إِلّاكِ
None comprehended your mysterious whole
Except the Knower of the unseen realms
فَإِن أَقُل غَيرَ هَذا فيكِ وَاِخجَلي
مِن الغَرامِ وَواكُفري وَإِشراكي
If I say less of you, reproach me
And rebuke me for blasphemy against you
