اللَيلُ في صَدري بَدا يُظلمُ

لا كَوكَبٌ فيهِ وَلا أَنجُمُ

The night in my chest began to darken

No stars in it, no moon

يعثُر قَلبي هائِماً في الدُجى

بِأَعظُمِ الصَدرِ فَلا يَسلَمُ

My heart stumbles lost in the gloom

With the greatest anguish, and cannot be saved

إِن يَكُ ظَمآناً فَما من دَم

جَفَّت عُروقي لَيسَ فيها دَمُ

If it is thirsty, there is no blood

My veins are dry, no blood in them

وَإِن يَكُن جاعَ فَلا مَأكَلٌ

يَغذوهُ إِلّا ذلِكَ العَلقَمُ

And if it is hungry, there is no food

That can nourish it except that gum

يَشقى وَلا يَعلَمُ ماذا بِهِ

يَذوبُ كَالشَمعِ وَلا يَعلَمُ

It suffers but does not know what ails it

It melts like a candle but does not know

وَرغمَ هذا عِندَ مَرأى الهَوى

يُقدم كَالنِمرِ وَلا يُحجمُ

And despite this, at the sight of love

It advances like a tiger, and does not hesitate

طَوائِفُ الجِنِّ تَراءَت لَهُ

فَخافَ مِنها الحلكُ الأَدهَمُ

Legions of jinn appeared to him

The pitch-black tattoo was afraid of them

وَاِتَّخَذت في جُنبه مسكِناً

تُفشي إِلَيهِ الوَيلَ لا تَكتمُ

And they took residence by his side

Spreading misery to him, not hiding it

لمّا رَآهُ حبُّه قالَ لي

هذا عَظيمٌ قُلتُ بل أَعظَمُ

When his love saw him, he said to me

This is terrible, I said no, it's worse

قالَ وَأَينَ اللَهُ قلتُ اِقتَضى

في الشَرعِ أَلّا يُرحَمُ المغرمُ

He said where is God, I said the law requires

That the infatuated not be shown mercy

قالَ وَأَينَ العَدل قُلتُ اِنثَنى

مِن هذِهِ الدُنيا فَلا يقدُمُ

He said where is justice, I said it recoiled

From this world, so does not advance

قالَ عَجيبٌ لَيسَ من راحِمٍ

وَأَينَ سَلمى قُلتُ لا ترحمُ

He said how strange, there is no compassion

And where is Salma, I said do not have mercy