ليالي سلمى ترتقي لي وتراقيا

بروقاً فليلي كالنهار رقى لِيا

Salma's nights ascend to me and we ascend together,

With lightnings, so my night is illuminated for me.

ظواهر من سلمى سرتْ لبواطني

فأصبحتُ بالساري أُباري العواليا

Phenomena from Salma crept into my inner self,

So I became, with the rising of the morning star, calling to the highlands.

وبتُّ وأحشائي تُقَطَّعُ بالهوى

ومن حُرَقِ الأشواق باتت صَوادِيا

I spent the night while my insides are cut up with passion,

And from the burning of longing my bedclothes became my companions.

وبت وقلبي من لظاها بجنة

وجنَّةُ ذِكراها تُذَكِّرُ ناسيا

I spent the night while my heart is scorched with her traits,

And the paradise of remembering her reminds the forgetful one.

تضوّع منها نَشْرُ بنت غزالة

إذا الطيف أبدى نشرها والغواليا

The spreading of the scent of Bint Ghazala blossomed from it,

When the phantom revealed its blossoming and the twisting.

ولو ذُقْتُ فاها قلت هذا معتق

عتيق من التجار للنفس سابيا

If I tasted her mouth I would say this is a freed

Ancient slave for the soul pacing quickly.

لها من ظباء الرمل جِيدٌ ومُقْلَةٌ

وحِقفٌ ثقيل في القيام كما هيا

She has from the gazelles of the sand a supple neck and a sway,

And a heavy hind that is burdened while walking like her.

فقلت لِطَيفي إنْ سليمى سرت لنا

نَصِيبُ الجزا لاقت وإن أنت لاقيا

So I said to my phantom, if Salima crept to us

Our share of reward found her even if you did not find her.

فكلّمني رأْداً فقال وكلَّمَتْ

دُهوراً بلى أي لا سبيل له بيا

So speak to me gently, and it spoke

For ages, yes, but alas no way leads to her.

ولكن تجلَّى من قديم ظهوره

فطشتُ ولا أدري سبيلاً إلى ذيا

However, its ancient manifestation appeared,

So I was perplexed and knew no way to anyone.

إذا هي روض للرواتع مرتع

وترتاح في الأرواح تتلو المتاليا

When she is a meadow for the graceful ones, a pasture,

And rests in the spirits reciting poetry.

رتعت ودوني رَوحٌ ريحان روحه

لعل الذي اشتاق يدني بذاتيا

She grazed while next to me is a soul like a basil plant, its breath

Perhaps the one who longed will come near to me.

فقلت جواباً والجواب معمّمٌ

دعا نَفْسَ حِبٍّ للحبيب تناجيا

So I replied while the reply is ambiguous:

A soul of love called its beloved whispering.

تناجي شكوراً في منامي وَيقْظَتي

بعهد وثيق لا يناقض باديا

It whispers gratefully in my sleep and my wakefulness

With a strong covenant that does not contradict the remote one.

خطابُ ألست الله من نال عنده

عنايته نال الجواب جوابيا

Doesn't the speech say: the one who gained His care gained a response to his speech?

The events altogether already answered before:

أجابت به قبلُ الحوادثُ كلُّها

فقامت على ما كان قبلُ وجائيا

So it stood on what was before, coming.

So He clothed her with bounty, a gown, and honored her,

فألبَسها فضلاً رداء وعزها

فعزت وبزَّتْ من سواه محاشيا

So she was honored and surpassed those other than her.

And He gave the manifestation of the essence sleep out of bounty,

وأعطى تجلِّي الذات نوماً تفضُّلاً

فشاهدته فرداً بجمعي فانيا

So I saw Him alone with my collected self, vanishing.

So He returned my witnessing in my existence through His bounty,

فردَّ شهودي في وجودي بجوده

فلا أين أدري لا له مَعْ ولا ليا

So I do not know where I am, neither for Him nor for me.

And if it were not for the unseen of the secret and love preventing

ولولا غيوب السر والحب مانع

وسر غيوب من حواضر عافيا

And the secret of the unseen from the sights being chaste,

I would say no, no, no, yes, and my reality

لَقُلْتُ فلا لا لا نعم وحقيقتي

شريعة من أحمى بوحيٍ حمائيا

Is a law from the most ardent in inspiration protecting me.

And I am all for You from my ancient and recent past,

وكلِّي لَكُنْ لي من قديمي وحادثي

ولست أُنادي غير من لي مناديا

And I do not call but the one who calls to me.

But rather my Lord wanted what I wanted,

ولكنما ربي أراد أرَدْتُهُ

وعن ذكر ما يخفى صرفت عنانيا

And I turned away my rein from mentioning what is hidden.