مَن مُنقِذي مِن مُنقِذِيٍّ عِشقُهُ

بَحرٌ غَرِقتُ بِهِ وَما لِيَ مُنقِذُ

Who can save me from my beloved

Whose love is an ocean in which I've drowned, with no savior

مُتَدَلِّلٌ صَلَفاً عَلى مُتَذَلِّلٍ

كَلِفاً وَلَيسَ لَهُ إِلَيهِ مَنفَذُ

Arrogant yet fawning over the fawning one

Burdened, with no escape

ريمٌ مَتى ما يَرنُ تَرمِ بِأَسهُمٍ

لَحَظاتُهُ حبَّ القُلوبِ فَتَنفُذُ

A spear whose wounds, when it pierces,

Pierce hearts with moments of love

فَكَأَنَّما أَذكى بِقَلبي هَجرُهُ

نارَ المَجوسِ إِذا اِصطَلاها المَوبَذُ

So that his estrangement has kindled my heart

Like a Magian fire, when the abandoned fuel is added

بَهَرَت عُقولَ العالَمينَ صِفاتُهُ

فَمُبَسمِلٌ مِن حَولِهِ وَمُعَوِّذُ

His attributes have dazzled the minds of all creation

So those around him smile, protected

إِن تَستَلِذَّ عَذابَنا فَقُلوبُنا

في جَنَّةٍ بِعَذابِها تَتَلَذَّذُ

If you enjoy our torment, our hearts are in a paradise

Delighting in their torment

مُتَصَرِّفٌ في سَلبِ أَلبابِ الوَرى

فَكَأَنَّما هُوَ في التَصَرُّفِ جهبذُ

Disposing freely of the minds of all mankind

As if he were a supreme master in his actions

كَبِدي بِعَقرَبِ صُدغِهِ مَسلوبَةٌ

وَبِلَحظِهِ إِذ كانَ سَيفاً تَفلَذُ

My liver is plundered by the scorpion sting of his cheek

And by his glance, which is like an unsheathed sword

اُنبُذ مَلامي يا عَذولُ فَإِنَّني

لِلعَذلِ فيهِ وَراءَ ظَهري أَنبُذُ

Stop blaming me, O critic, for I

Have discarded blame behind my back

فَجَمالُ يوسُفَ لَو رَأَى حُسنَ الَّذي

أَهوى لَكانَ لِحُسنِهِ يَتَتَلمَذُ

If Joseph’s beauty saw the loveliness I love

It would become his student in beauty

ظَبيٌ يَسُلُّ مِنَ الجُفونِ السودِ بي

ضَ الهِندِ تُصقَلُ لِلجِلادِ وَتُشحَذُ

A gazelle drawing pure white swords from its eyelids

To be burnished and sharpened for slaughter