صَدَّت بُثَينَةُ عَنّي أَن سَعى ساعِ

وَآيَسَت بَعدَ مَوعِدٍ وَإِطماعِ

Buthaina turned me away when for an hour I tried,

And gave up hope after promise and expectation.

وَصَدَّقَت فيَّ أَقوالاً تَقَوَّلَها

واشٍ وَما أَنا لِلواشي بِمِطواعِ

She believed in lies told by a slanderer,

A mischief-maker, and I am no obedient servant to mischief-makers.

فَإِن تَبيني بِلا جُرمٍ وَلا تِرَةٍ

وَتولَعي بِيَ ظُلماً أَيُّ إيلاعِ

If you find me innocent, without crime or sin,

And still reject me unjustly - what rejection!

فَقَد يَرى اللَهُ أَنّي قَد أُحِبُّكُمُ

حُبّاً أَقامَ جَواهُ بَينَ أَضلاعي

God may see that I loved you all

With a love that established itself in my ribs.

لَولا الَّذي أَرتَجي مِنهُ وَآمُلُهُ

لَقَد أَشاعَ بِمَوتي عِندَها ناعي

Had it not been for the one I hope for and expect

For certain she would have announced my death to her.

يا بَثنُ جودي وَكافي عاشِقاً دَنِفاً

وَاِشفي بِذَلِكَ أَسقامي وَأَوجاعي

O generous Buthaina, suffice a humble lover,

And heal with that my illnesses and pains.

إِنَّ القَليلَ كَثيرٌ مِنكِ يَنفَعُني

وَما سِواهُ كَثيرٌ غَيرُ نَفّاعِ

A little from you benefits me;

Anything else, however plentiful, is of no use.

آلَيتُ لا أَصطَفي بِالحُبِّ غَيرَكُمُ

حَتّى أُغَيَّبَ تَحتَ الرَمسِ بِالقاعِ

I have determined to love none but you

Until I am hidden beneath the earth in a grave.

قَد كُنتُ عَنكُم بَعيدَ الدارِ مُغتَرِباً

حَتّى دَعاني لِحيني مِنكُمُ داعِ

Long was I far from you, an exile,

Until one of you called me for a time.

فَاِهتاجَ قَلبي لِحُزنٍ قَد يُضَيِّقَهُ

فَما أُغَمِّضُ غُمضاً غَيرَ تَهياعِ

So my heart was aroused to sorrow that squeezes it,

And I do not close my eyes except in wakefulness.

وَلا تُضيعَنَّ سِرّي إِن ظَفِرتِ بِهِ

إِنّي لِسِرِّكِ حَقّاً غَيرُ مِضياعِ

And do not divulge my secret if you discover it,

For I am truly not one to squander your secrets.

أَصونُ سِرِّكِ في قَلبي وَأَحفَظهُ

إِذا تَضايَقَ صَدرُ الضَيِّقِ الباعِ

I protect your secret in my heart and guard it

When the breast of the narrow-spirited one is constricted.

ثُمَّ اِعلَمي أَنَّ ما اِستَودَعتِني ثِقَةً

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ عِندَ الحافِظِ الواعي

Then know that what you entrusted me as a confidence

Will remain morning and evening with the vigilant guardian.