وَكَم حاجِبٍ قَد خافَ عَيناً فَلَم يُشِر

وَكَم حاجِبٍ قَد خافَ عَيناً فَلَم يُشِر

وَعَينٍ عَلَيها دونَ عَبدِكَ حاجِبُ

وَعَينٍ عَلَيها دونَ عَبدِكَ حاجِبُ

And many a doorkeeper has feared an eye and so made no sign;

How many an eyelid has feared an eye, so it did not wink,

And many an eye has a doorkeeper keeping your servant from it.

While my eye has upon it, apart from Your servant, an eyelid.

أَضمَّكَ لَمّا بانَ غِربانُ بَينِهِ

أَضمَّكَ لَمّا بانَ غِربانُ بَينِهِ

فَتِلكَ النَواعي لِلفَسادِ النَواعِبُ

فَتِلكَ النَواعي لِلفَسادِ النَواعِبُ

Did he embrace you when the crows of his parting appeared?

It drew you near when the crows of his hoariness appeared between us,

For those are the death-heralds, cawing of ruin.

So those intimacies are preludes to corrupting intimacies.

وَقَد ضامَني لا ضَمَّني فَسَأَلتُهُ

وَقَد ضامَني لا ضَمَّني فَسَأَلتُهُ

مَتى أَتَأَمَّلْ مِن مَسيرِكَ آيِبُ

مَتى أَتَأَمَّلْ مِن مَسيرِكَ آيِبُ

And he indeed wronged me, not embraced me, so I asked him:

And he guaranteed me - but did not shelter me - so I asked him,

When may I expect you back from your journey?

"When will I look forward to your coming?"

وَإِنّي لِلأَخلاقِ مِنهُ لِشاكِرٌ

وَإِنّي لِلأَخلاقِ مِنهُ لِشاكِرٌ

وَإِنّي عَلى الأَيّامِ مِنهُ لَعاتِبُ

وَإِنّي عَلى الأَيّامِ مِنهُ لَعاتِبُ

And I am indeed grateful for his character;

And indeed I thank him for his manners,

And I indeed reproach the days on his account.

And indeed I reproach the days for keeping him from me.