مِن عاشِقٍ كَلِفِ الفُؤادِ مُتَيَّمِ

يُهدي السَلامَ إِلى المَليحَةِ كُلثُمِ

From a lover with a weary heart

Sending greetings to the beautiful rosebud

وَيَبوحُ بِالسِرِّ المَصونِ وَبِالهَوى

يُدري لِيُعلِمَها بِما لَم تَعلَمِ

He confides his hidden love and passion

So she knows what she did not before

كَي لا تَشُكَّ عَلى التَجَنُّبِ أَنَّها

عِندي بِمَنزِلَةِ المُحِبِّ المُكرَمِ

Lest she doubt that to me she is

Like a dear and honored beloved

أَخَذَت مِنَ القَلبِ العَميدِ بِقُوَّةٍ

وَمِنَ الوِصالِ بِمَتنِ حَبلٍ مُبرَمِ

She has firmly gripped my stalwart heart

With the rope of fulfilled union

وَتَمَكَّنَت في النَفسِ حَيثُ تَمَكَّنَت

نَفسُ المُحِبِّ مِنَ الحَبيبِ المُغرَمِ

She is anchored in my soul anchored

As the soul of the doting lover

وَلَقَد قَرَأتُ كِتابَها فَفَهِمتُهُ

لَو كانَ غَيرَ كِتابَها لَم أَفهَمِ

Indeed I read her book and understood it

Had it been other than her book, I'd not understand

عَجَمَت عَلَيهِ بِكَفِّها وَبَنانِها

مِن ماءِ مُقلَتِها بِغَيرِ المُعجَمِ

She obscured it with her palm and fingers

With the water of her eyes, uncoded

وَمَشى الرَسولُ بِحاجَةٍ مَكتومَةٍ

لَولا مَلاحَةُ بَعضِها لَم تُكتَمِ

The messenger walked with a secret need

Had some of it not leaked, it'd stay concealed

في غَفلَةٍ مِمَّن نُحاذِرُ قَولَهُ

وَسَوادِ لَيلٍ ذي دَواجٍ مُظلِمِ

Unbeknownst to those whose talk we fear

In the darkness of a gloomy night

ديني وَدينُكِ يا كُليثِمُ واحِدٌ

نَرفُض وَقَيتُكِ دينَنا أَو نُسلِمِ

My faith and yours, O Kullthum, are one

We reject your time or surrender to our faith