إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا وَالوُشاة بِمَجلِسٍ

إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا وَالوُشاة بِمَجلِسٍ

فَلَيسَ لَنا رُسلٌ سِوى الطَرفِ بِالطَرفِ

فَلَيسَ لَنا رُسلٌ سِوى الطَرفِ بِالطَرفِ

Whenever we meet with slanderers present at a gathering,

When we meet, with spies in the gathering

Then our only messengers are glances exchanged.

We have no messengers but glances exchanged

فَإِن غَفَلَ الواشونَ فُزتُ بِنَظرَةٍ

فَإِن غَفَلَ الواشونَ فُزتُ بِنَظرَةٍ

وَإِن نَظَروا نَحوي نَظَرتُ إِلى السَقفِ

وَإِن نَظَروا نَحوي نَظَرتُ إِلى السَقفِ

So if the slanderers are heedless, I win a glance;

If the spies are heedless, I steal a glance

And if they look toward me, I look at the ceiling.

If they look at me, I look up at the ceiling

أُسارِقُ مَولاها السُرورَ بِقُربِها

أُسارِقُ مَولاها السُرورَ بِقُربِها

وَأَهجُرُ أَحياناً وَفي هَجرِهِم حَتفي

وَأَهجُرُ أَحياناً وَفي هَجرِهِم حَتفي

I steal from her master the joy of being near her,

I steal the joy of her company when near her

And sometimes I keep away, though separation from them is my death.

And sometimes shun her, finding my doom in estrangement