أَجيرَةَ بَيتي ما لَكُم بِكُمُ السَهوُ

أَمَرَّ لَكُم شَجوٌ وَطابَ لي الشَجوُ

The wages of my house go to you, though you are heedless

I have given you sorrow, though joy is for me

خَدَعتُكُمُ وَاِستَأثَرَ القَلبُ بِالهَوى

لَكُم مُرُّهُ البادي وَفي كَبِدي الحُلوُ

I have deceived you, and love has kept my heart for itself

Bitterness is for you, but sweetness in my liver

أَبَت كَبِدُ المُشتاقِ أَن تَسأَمَ الجَوى

وَلضو سَئِمَت لَم يَسأَمِ الجَسَدُ النَضوُ

The liver of the lover refused to tire of passion

And though satiety was exhausted, the body did not tire of freshness

لَقَد سَقَمَت أَهواؤُكُم فَزَلَّلتُم

وَلَو صَحَّت الأَهواءُ لَاِتَّصَلَ الخَطوُ

Indeed your passions have been sick, so you slipped

Had passions been well, steps would have continued

وَلي سَيِّدٌ لَم يَعلَم الناسُ كُنهَهُ

قَريبٌ فَإِن هاجَرتُهُ بَعدُ الشَأوُ

And I have a lord whom people don't know his reality

Nearby, though his aloofness is remote

جَوادٌ إِذا فَرَّ المُسيءُ بِذَنبِهِ

إِلَيهِ فَأَدنى جودَهُ الصَفحُ وَالعَفوُ

Generous, so if the evildoer escapes through his sin

His generosity and pardon bring him closer

تَشاغَلَ أَقوامٌ بِخِدمَةِ عِزِّهِ

فَعُزّوا وَأَعلى عِزَّهُم ذَلِكَ الفَتوُ

Some were busy serving his glory

So they became glorious, and that valiance raised their glory

رَدَدتُ بِحُبّيهِ عَلى الناسِ حُبِّهُم

وَهل كُنتُ أَستَسقي وَفي يَدِيَ الدَلوُ

I returned people's love with my love of him

Was I seeking water while the bucket was in my hand?

وَما سَرني أَن أَملِكَ الأَرضَ كُلَّها

وَأَنَّ فُؤادي مِن مَحَبَّتِهِ خِلوُ

I was not delighted to own all the earth

With my heart empty of love for him

وَلَو أَنَّ قَلبي في يَدَيَّ بِلا هَوى

لَجُنَّ فَما ظَنّي بِهِ وَهوَ الحَشوُ

If my heart were in my hands without passion

I would be mad, for what is my opinion of it while it is raving?

إِذا هاجَ لي شَوقٌ تَيَمَّمتُ نَحوَهُ

عَلىأَنَّ مَن أَحبَبتُ لَيسَ لَهُ نَحوُ

When longing stirred in me, I headed towards it

Though the one I loved has no counterpart

وَلَيسَ لَهُ أَينَ وَلَيسَ لَهُ لَدنُ

وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِثلٌ وَلَيسَ لَهُ صِنوُ

He has neither where, nor presence

Neither likeness, nor match

أَمَثَّلُهُ في خاطِري فَيَفوتُني

وَبِالقَلبِ مِن عَرفانِهِ التيهُ وَالزَهوُ

I imagined him in my mind, so he eluded me

And my heart was lost and confused in knowing him

وَقَد طارَ حَتّى قَرَّ في مَطلَعِ الهُدى

فَسَوداءَهُ حَضرٌ وَأَضلاعُهُ بَدوُ

He flew until he landed at the horizon of guidance

His darkness present, and his ribs Bedouin

أُواصِلُهُ في كُلِّ خَطرَةِ خاطِرِ

وَلا لَعِبٌ عِندَ الوِصالِ وَلا لَهوُ

I seek him in every thought of my mind

No playfulness in union, nor jest

وُقوفاً عَلى سَفلِ البِساطِ تَجَلَّةٌ

وَلَولا اِنبِساطي كانَ مَوقِفِيَ العُلوُ

Standing at the bottom of the carpet, bowing down

And if not for my outstretching, my stance would be lofty

فَوا حَسرَتي إِن خابَ مَسعايَ عَنكُمُ

وَلَو خابَ أَيضاً ما اِعتَرى حُبِّيَ السَهوُ

Oh my sorrow if my quest misses you

And if it misses, my love would not be heedless

وَلا كَهَذا فَليَهوَ مَن كانَ ذا هَوى

وَإِلّا فَحُبُّ الناسِ أَكثَرهُ لَهوُ

Not so, then whoever has passion, let him rave

Else, most people's love is jest

سُقيتُ الهَوى صِرفاً فَعَربَدتُ صاحِياً

وَلَكِنَّ صَحوي دونَ أَيسَرِهِ النَشوُ

I was made to drink passion while sober, so I was sleep talking

But my sobriety was less than ease

حَنانيكَ إِنَّ الحُبَّ كَأسٌ شَرِبتُها

عَلى ظَمَأٍ صَفواً فَكَدَّرَني الصَفوُ

Your affection, love is a cup I have drunk

Quenching thirst, though the pure made me turbid

فَدونَكُمُ يا أَيُّها الشَربُ فَاِنعَموا

دُموعي لَكُم خَمرٌ وَنمَوحي لَكُم شَدوُ

Apart from you, O the drink, so enjoy yourselves

My tears are wine for you, and my poetry is chanting for you