صَدعتُ بِحُبِّهِ من بَعدِ كَتمِي

صَدعتُ بِحُبِّهِ من بَعدِ كَتمِي

أليسَ السِّرُّ مِنِّي صارَ جَهرا

أليسَ السِّرُّ مِنِّي صارَ جَهرا

I proclaimed my love for him after concealing it.

I confided in him after my silence,

Has not the secret become public through me?

Is not my secret with me now overt?

سأصبِرُ ما قَدَرتُ على اصطِبَارٍ

سأصبِرُ ما قَدَرتُ على اصطِبَارٍ

إلى أن يَقضِىَ الرحمانُ أمرا

إلى أن يَقضِىَ الرحمانُ أمرا

I shall endure as long as I can bear it,

I will be patient as much as I can be patient,

until the All-Merciful settles the matter.

Until the Merciful fulfills the matter.

أُأُرسِلُه ولم أحسُدك شِعري

أُأُرسِلُه ولم أحسُدك شِعري

وأنتَ تَحوزُه وتُجيبُ شٍعرا

وأنتَ تَحوزُه وتُجيبُ شٍعرا

Shall I send it, though I have not begrudged you my verse,

I send it to you though I do not envy you, my poetry,

while you possess him and reply in verse?

While you possess it and answer with poetry.

وصُغتَه خدعةً لي منكَ يَحكي

وصُغتَه خدعةً لي منكَ يَحكي

لِجَوهَرِ ثَغرِه شطراً وشَطرا

لِجَوهَرِ ثَغرِه شطراً وشَطرا

And you fashioned it as a trick of yours on me, mirroring

And I wove it to trick you into telling

the jewels of his mouth, half-line after half-line.

Of the essence of his mouth, a verse and a verse.

ولولا لَحظُه أوحاكَ شيئاً

ولولا لَحظُه أوحاكَ شيئاً

لمَّا أودَعتُ شِعرَكَ منهُ سِحرا

لمَّا أودَعتُ شِعرَكَ منهُ سِحرا

And had his glance not inspired you with something,

And if not for his glances inspiring you something,

I would not have put some of his magic into your verse.

I would not have made your poetry of him contain magic.

ولو بإشارَةٍ أدَّى مَقالي

ولو بإشارَةٍ أدَّى مَقالي

لمَا انتَظمَ القريضُ لديكَ دُراّ

لمَا انتَظمَ القريضُ لديكَ دُراّ

And had he conveyed my words, even by a gesture,

And if with a gesture I spoke my words,

verse would not have formed a string of pearls for you.

The poem would not have been strung with pearls for you.

وتَحبِسُه وتُخلِصُ لي وِداداً

وتَحبِسُه وتُخلِصُ لي وِداداً

لقد أسقَيتَني حُلواً ومُرَّا

لقد أسقَيتَني حُلواً ومُرَّا

And you hold him back while offering me sincere affection;

You detain him and free me with love,

indeed, you have made me drink sweetness and bitterness.

Indeed you have given me sweet and bitter.

وتَجعَلُنِي ثَلاثاً لا أراهُ

وتَجعَلُنِي ثَلاثاً لا أراهُ

وأنتَ بما بِقَلبِ الصَّبِّ درى

وأنتَ بما بِقَلبِ الصَّبِّ درى

And you leave me three [nights] without seeing him,

And make me three without seeing him,

though you know what lies in the lovesick heart.

While you are aware of what is in the passionate heart.

وتزعُمُ ما نقضتَ حُقوقَ عَهدي

وتزعُمُ ما نقضتَ حُقوقَ عَهدي

وقد أشغَلَتني قَلباُ وفِكرَا

وقد أشغَلَتني قَلباُ وفِكرَا

And you claim you have not violated the rights of my pact,

And you claim you have not broken the rights of our pact,

yet you have occupied me, heart and mind.

When you have occupied my heart and thoughts.