أَلا يا حَبَّذا وَاللَ

هِ مَن حَمَّلتُهُ وُدّي

Oh, how blessed and modest is he

Whom I have cherished with my love

أُحِبُّ الوَعدَ مِن فيهِ

وَإِن لَم يوفِ بِالعَهدِ

I love the promise from his mouth

Even if he doesn’t keep his word

حَبيبٌ قُربُهُ الخُلدُ

وَأَنّى لَكَ بِالخُلدِ

A beloved whose nearness is eternity

But how can you attain eternity?

كَأَنّي في الهَوى جَهداً

وَقَد زادَ عَلى الجَهدِ

It's as if with passion I'm exhausted

Yet surpassing exhaustion he remains

تَرى مِنّي لَهُ بُدّاً

وَما لي مِنهُ مِن بُدِّ

You see me completely devoted to him

And I cannot turn away at all

فَمَن يُنصِفُني مِنهُ

عَلى ما بي لَهُ مُدّي

Who then can judge me against him

Despite how much I've given to him

مِنَ اللُؤلُؤِ وَالياقو

تِ أَو مِن عَنبَرِ الهِندِ

Of pearls or jacinth

Ambergris or Indian scent

أَوِ المِسكِ فَإِن المِس

كَ مِن أَشباهِهِ عِندي

Musk - for musk among fragrances

Is what I prefer and frequent

فَلَو بِتنا بِهِ لَيلاً

مَعَ الأَسفاطِ وَالوَردِ

If we would spend a night together

With wine and roses and the like

قَضَينا حاجَةَ النَفسِ

وَلَم نُصبِح عَلى وَجدِ

We'd fulfill our souls desire

And not wake feeling melancholy