خُشّابَ هَل لِمُحِبٍّ عِندَكُم فَرَجُ

أَو لا فَإِنّي بِحَبلِ المَوتِ مُعتَلِجُ

Khushebb, is there any hope for a lover with you all?

Or not, for I am struggling with the rope of death

لَو كانَ ما بي بِخَلقِ اللَهِ كُلِّهِمُ

لا يَخلُصونَ إِلى أَحبابِهِم دَرَجوا

If what is in me was in all of God's creation

They would not attain their beloveds' abodes

لِلهَجرِ نارٌ عَلى قَلبي وَفي كَبِدي

إِذا نَأَيتِ وَرُؤيا وَجهِكِ الثَلَجُ

For estrangement there is a fire in my heart and liver

When you are distant, and the vision of your snow-like face

كَأَنَّ حُبَّكِ فَوقي حينَ أَكتُمُهُ

وَتَحتَ رِجلَيَّ لُجٌّ فَوقَهُ لُجَجُ

It is as if your love is above me when I conceal it

And under my feet a swamp over which swamps surge

قَد بُحتُ بِالحُبِّ ضَيقاً عَن جَلالَتِهِ

وَأَنتِ كَالصاعِ تُطوى تَحتَهُ السُرُجُ

I have been indiscreet about love, belittling its majesty

While you are like a bucket folded under the saddles

خُشّابَ جودي جِهاراً أَو مُسارَقَةً

فَقَد بُليتُ وَمَرَّت بِالمُنى حِجَجُ

Khushebb give freely, openly or stealthily

For I have been tested and the wishes have passed

حَتّى مَتى أَنتِ يا خُشّابَ جالِسَةً

لا تَخرُجينَ لَنا يَوماً وَلا تَلِجُ

How long will you sit, Khushebb, without coming out

Not giving us a day, not drawing near?

لَو كُنتِ تَلقينَ ما نَلقى قَسَمتِ لَنا

يَوماً نَعيشُ بِهِ مِنكُم وَنَبتَهِجُ

If you were to experience what we experience you would allocate for us

A day in which we could live with you and rejoice

لا خَيرَ في العَيشِ إِن كُنّا كَذا أَبَداً

لا نَلتَقي وَسَبيلُ المُلتَقى نَهَجُ

There is no good in life if we are to be like this forever

Neither meeting, though the path to meet is paved

مَن راقَبَ الناسَ لَم يَظفَر بِحاجَتِهِ

وَفازَ بِالطَيِّباتِ الفاتِكُ اللَهِجُ

Whoever watches people will not attain his need

But the harsh speaking attains good things

وَقَد نَهاكِ أُناسٌ لا صَفا لَهُمُ

عَيشٌ وَلا عَدِموا خَصماً وَلا فَلَجوا

Some people lacking purity have forbidden you

They live without an enemy or solve problems

قالوا حَرامٌ تَلاقينا فَقَد كَذَبوا

ما في اِلتِزامٍ وَلا في قُبلَةٍ حَرَجُ

They have lied saying it is forbidden for us to meet

There is no sin in an embrace or a kiss

أَما شَعَرتِ فَدَتكِ النَفسُ جارِيَةً

أَن لَيسَ لي دونَ ما مَنَّيتِني فَرَجُ

Don't you feel, my soul ransoms you, a neighbor

That I have no relief except what you wish for me

إِنّي أُبَشِّرُ نَفسي كُلَّما اِختَلَجَت

عَيني أَقولُ بِنَيلٍ مِنكِ تَختَلِجُ

Whenever my eyes grow teary, I promise myself

Attaining you, I writhe

وَقَد تَمَنَّيتُ أَن أَلقاكِ خالِيَةً

يَوماً وَأَنّي وَفيما قُلتِ لي عِوَجُ

And I have wished to meet you alone

One day, and that I in what you told me have no crookedness

أَشكو إِلى اللَهِ شَوقاً لا يُفَرِّطُني

وَشُرَّعاً في سَوادِ القَلبِ تَختَلِجُ

I complain to God of a longing that gives me no respite

And desires churning in the darkness of my heart

يا رَبِّ لا صَبرَ لي عَن قُربِ جارِيَةٍ

تَنأى دَلالاً وَفيها إِن دَنَت غَنَجُ

O Lord I have no patience to be away from a neighbor girl

Who charms from afar, and if she draws near, smiles

غَرّاءَ حَوراءَ مِن طيبٍ إِذا نَكَهَت

لِلبَيتِ وَالدارِ مِن أَنفاسِها أَرَجُ

A radiant, fair maid, when she smiles

The house and abode are perfumed with her scent

كَأَنَّها قَمَرٌ رابٍ رَوادِفُهُ

عَذبُ الثَنايا بَدا في عَينِهِ دَعَجُ

As if she were a rising moon escorted

By sweet-lipped brightness, in her eye a flutter