أَرى كُلَّ مَعشوقَينِ غَيري وَغَيرُها

يِلَذّانِ في الدُنيا وَيَغتَبِطانِ

I see every other lover and his beloved

Enjoying life and feeling blissful,

وَأَمشي وَتَمشي في البِلادِ كَأَنَّنا

أَسيرانِ لِلأَعداءِ مُرتَهَنانِ

While I walk and she walks in the lands as if

We are two captives pledged to the enemies.

أُصَلّي فَأَبكي في الصَلاةِ لِذِكرِها

لِيَ الوَيلُ مِمّا يَكتُبُ المَلَكانِ

I pray and weep during the prayer, remembering her,

Woe to me for what the two angels record!

ضَمِنتُ لَها أَن لا أُهيمَ بِغَيرِها

وَقَد وَثِقَت مِنّي بِغَيرِ ضَمانِ

I promised her I would not love anyone else.

Yet she trusted me without any guarantee.

أَلا يا عِبادَ اللَهِ قوموا لِتَسمَعوا

خُصومَةَ مَعشوقَينِ يَختَصِمانِ

O servants of God, arise and listen

To the dispute of two lovers arguing!

وَفي كُلِّ عامٍ يَستَجِدّانِ مَرَّةً

عِتاباً وَهَجراً ثُمَّ يَصطَلِحانِ

Every year they get once

Reproach, estrangement, then reconcile.

يَعيشانِ في الدُنيا غَريبَينِ أَينَما

أَقاما وَفي الأَعوامِ يَلتَقِيانِ

They live in the world two strangers, wherever

They stay, and across years they meet.

وَما صادِياتٌ حُمنَ يَوماً وَلَيلَةً

عَلى الماءِ يُغشَينَ العِصِيَّ حَواني

But ducks gathered never spend a day or night

On the water without covering the sticks with their wings.

لَواغِبُ لا يَصدُرنَ عَنهُ لِوِجهَةٍ

وَلا هُنَّ مِن بَردِ الحِياضِ دَواني

Ardent, they never leave for any purpose,

Nor are they distracted by the cold ponds.

يَرَينَ حَبابَ الماءِ وَالمَوتُ دونَهُ

فَهُنَّ لِأَصواتِ السُقاةِ رَواني

They see the water bubbles and death beyond,

So they are content with the sounds of the water-bearers.

بِأَكثَرَ مِنّي غُلَّةً وَصَبابَةً

إِلَيكِ وَلَكِنَّ العَدُوَّ عَداني

With more passion and coquetry toward you

Than I, but the enemy has stood against me.