أَنا بِالمَوتِ عِشتُ في الأَحياءِ

ناعِمَ العَيشِ في الهَوى بِشَقائي

In life with death I lived among the living,

Luxuriously indulging in passionate love through my misery,

وَلَهُ بِالبَراءِ مِن عُذَّلي فيهِ

لَدَيهِ قَد صَحَّ عَقدُ وَلائي

And due to his being innocent of reproaching me for it,

My allegiance has been firmly bound to him.

أَيُّ وَجدٍ بَينَ الوَرى مِثلُ وَجدي

بِفَنائي وَجَدتُ فيهِ بَقائي

What passion is there in the world like my passion?

Through my demise in it I found my survival,

وَبِذُلّي لَدَيهِ لاقَيتُ عِزّي

وَبِفَقري إِلَيهِ نِلتُ غَنائي

And by dedicating myself to him I attained my honour,

And through my poverty unto him I gained my wealth.

فَهوَ لي صاحِبٌ إِذا أَنا سافَرتُ

وَفي الأَهلِ أَرأَفُ الحُلَفاءِ

So he is my companion whenever I travel

And the most compassionate of intimates.

جامِعٌ لِلنَقيضِ فِيَّ عَلَيهِ

دونَ قَومي جَعَلتُ وَقفاً هَوائي

He unites opposites in me, upon him

I made my very passions subservient instead of my people.

وَلَهُ ما بِهِ وَجَدتُ وُجودي

قَبلَ كَوني وَشِدَّتي وَرَخائي

And by him I found my existence,

Before my being, firmness, and tranquility.