جَاءَتْ رِسَالَةُ مَنْ أَهْوَىَ وَأَسْعَدَنِيْ

عَذْبُ الْكَلاَمِ , وَمَا خَطَّتْهُ يُمْنَاهَا

The message came from the one I love and made me happy

Sweet words, and what its right hand wrote

سَارَعْتُ أَقْرَأُ فَحْوَاهَا , وَأَلْثُمُهَا

عَشْرَاً . وَعُذْرِيْ مَا اسْتَوْعَبْتُ مَعْنَاهَا

I rushed to read its contents and kiss it

Ten times. And my excuse is that I did not understand its meaning

يَا مَنْ ظَنَنْتَ بعذري شابهُ وَهَنٌ

غَيْرِيْ لِنَاقَةِ مَنْ يَهْوَىَ تَمَنَّاهَا

O you who thought my excuse was weak and disdainful

Someone else longing for his she-camel wished for it

مَا كَانَ حَاجَتُهُ فِي عِشْقِ نَاقَتِهَا

لَكِنَّ حَاجَتُهُ فِي النَّفْسِ أَخْفَاهَا

His need was not in loving his she-camel

But his soul's need he concealed

وَالْعُذْرُ يُصْبِحُ , مَا لاَنَتْ دَعَائِمُهُ

لِلْعَاشِقِيْنَ , مِنَ الأَعْذَارِ أَقْوَاهَا

The excuse becomes, its pillars not weakening

For lovers, of excuses the strongest

بيتُ العناكبِ في البنيانِ أوهنُها

وَالسِّرُ فِيْ وَهْنِهَا فِيْ الغَارِ قَوَّاهَا

The spider's house in the building is the weakest

And the secret in its weakness, the cave strengthened it

هَلْ تَغْفِرُوْنَ إِذَا الأَسْبَابُ قَدْ خَفِيَتْ

لِمَ الرِّسَالَةُ مَرَّاتٍ قَرَأْنَاهَا!

If the causes are hidden, do you forgive

Why the message many times did we read it!

إِنيِّ وَجَدْتُ لِعُذْرِيْ مَا يُبَرِّرُهُ

فَقَد لَثَمْتُ حُرُوفاً لاَمَسَتْ فَاهَا

I found for my excuse what justifies it

For I have kissed letters her mouth touched

مَنْ جَرَّبَ العِشْقَ . فَالأَسْبَابُ واضِحَةٌ

لَوْلاَ الْمَلاَمَةُ , مَا كُنَّا كَشَفْنَاهَا

Whoever tries love, the causes are clear

Were it not for blame, we would not have revealed them