جُنَّ قَلبي فَقُلتُ يا قَلبِ مَهلا

لا تُبَدِّل بِالحِلمِ وَالعَزمِ جَهلا

My heart was troubled, so I said: O heart, wait!

Do not replace wisdom and resolve with ignorance.

حَلَفَت أَنَّ ما أَتاها يَقينٌ

قُلتُ لا تَحلِفي فَدَيتُكِ كَلّا

She swore that certainty came to her.

I said: do not swear, I ransom you, no!

أَسأَلُ اللَهَ مَن بَداكِ بِصَرمٍ

أَن يَرى في الحَياةِ ما عاشَ ذُلّا

I ask Allah, whoever harmed you with injury,

to see humiliation in life.

فَاِتَّقي اللَهَ وَاِقبَلي العُذرَ مِنّي

وَتَجافَي عَن بَعضِ ما كانَ زَلّا

So fear Allah, and accept my excuse,

and overlook some of what was a misstep.

لَم أُرَحِّب بِأَن سَخِطتِ وَلَكِن

مَرحَباً إِن رَضيتِ عَنّا وَأَهلا

I do not welcome that you were angry, but

welcome if you are pleased with me. Hello!

إِنَّ وَجهاً أَبصَرتُهُ لَيلَةَ البَد

رِ عَلَيهِ اِبتَنى الجَمالُ وَحَلّا

A face I saw on the night of the full moon,

on it beauty and adornment were built.

وَجهُكِ الوَجهُ لَو بِهِ تَسأَلُ المُز

نَ مِنَ الحُسنِ وَالجَمالِ اِستَهَلّا

Your face is the face - if with it you asked increase

of beauty and charm, it would begin.

وَأَسيلٍ مِنَ الوُجوهِ نَضيرٌ

دَقَّ فيهِ حُسنُ الجَمالِ وَجَلّا

And the most wondrous of faces, a rival

in which the beauty of charm settled and abode.

إِنَّني بِالسَلامِ مِنكِ لَراضٍ

وَأَرى ذاكَ مِن نَوَلِكِ جَزلا

I am content with greetings from you,

and I see that from your gift as plenty.

لا أَخونُ الخَليلَ ما عُشتُ حَتّى

يُنقَلَ البَحرُ بِالغَرابيلِ نَقلا

I do not betray the friend as long as I live

until the sea is ladled with sieves.

ثُمَّ قالَت لا تُعلِمَنَّ بِسِرّي

يا اِبنَ عَمّي أَقسَمتُ قُلتُ أَجَل لا

Then she said: Do not inform anyone of my secret,

cousin I swore. I said: Yes, I will not.

إِن أَكُن قَد سَأَيتُكُم فَلَكِ العُت

بى وَهانَ الَّذي سَأَلتُ وَقَلّا

If I have suspected you, then the fault is mine,

and disgrace is his who asked and few.

مَن أَرادَ الفُجورَ في الوُدِّ مِنّا

ضَرَبَ اللَهُ في ذِراعَيهِ غُلّا

Whoever desires immorality in love between us

may Allah paralyze his arms.

حَدِّثِني فَدَتكِ نَفسي وَأَهلي

أَتُحِبّينَني كَحُبِّكِ عَذلا

Tell me, your life and family ransom me,

do you love me like your love for reproach?

إِنَّ في الصَرمِ راحَةً مِن عَناءٍ

وَنَعَم في الجَوابِ أَحسَنُ مِن لا

In endurance is relief from hardship,

and goodness in the answer better than no.