لم يخلُ من فكري ولا حِسِّي

لم يخلُ من فكري ولا حِسِّي

شَخْصُكَ في يومي ولا أمسي

شَخْصُكَ في يومي ولا أمسي

Never absent from my thoughts or my senses

You have not been absent from my thoughts or feelings,

has your presence been, today or yesterday.

My dear, neither yesterday nor today.

وكيف أنسى من بذكراهُم

وكيف أنسى من بذكراهُم

يصخُّ لي تأديةُ الخمسِ

يصخُّ لي تأديةُ الخمسِ

And how could I forget those through whose remembrance

And how could I forget those whose mere mention

the performance of the five prayers resounds for me?

Wrings out my soul's excess?

إليك يا عبدَ المليكِ انتمى

إليك يا عبدَ المليكِ انتمى

سماحُ كعبٍ وحجى قُسِّ

سماحُ كعبٍ وحجى قُسِّ

To you, O ʿAbd al-Malīk, belong

To you, O Abd al-Malik, I belong entirely,

Kaʿb's generosity and Quss's wisdom.

Your generosity being Kacb's, your dignity Quss's.

يا ذا الذي ينزلُ من هاشمٍ

يا ذا الذي ينزلُ من هاشمٍ

منزلةَ الروحِ منَ النفسِ

منزلةَ الروحِ منَ النفسِ

O you who stand in relation to Hāshim

O you who descend from Hashim

as the spirit stands in relation to the soul.

With the status of the soul vis-à-vis the self,

أقام لي عتبكمُ مأتماً

أقام لي عتبكمُ مأتماً

يُفضي به العذرُ إلى عُرس

يُفضي به العذرُ إلى عُرس

Your reproach has set up a mourning gathering for me,

Your reproach has set up a funeral for me

which my excuse turns into a wedding celebration.

Where apology leads to celebration.

فانظرْ إلى عذري بعين الرضا

فانظرْ إلى عذري بعين الرضا

تحللْ بعذري عُقَدَ اللَّبسِ

تحللْ بعذري عُقَدَ اللَّبسِ

So view my excuse with an approving eye;

So look upon my excuse with eyes of consent

through my excuse, you will untie the knots of confusion.

And undo with my excuse the knots of confusion.

فما انقباضي عنك من جفوةٍ

فما انقباضي عنك من جفوةٍ

تعدلُ بالحُرِّ عن الأنس

تعدلُ بالحُرِّ عن الأنس

For my withdrawal from you is not born of coldness

For my aloofness from you springs from no disdain

that turns a noble man away from companionship.

That would make the free man shun intimacy.

بل حار في جودِكَ شكري ومَنْ

بل حار في جودِكَ شكري ومَنْ

يملأ عينيهِ منَ الشمس

يملأ عينيهِ منَ الشمس

Rather, my gratitude is bewildered by your generosity—and who

Rather, overwhelmed by your bounty, my thanks

can fill both his eyes with the sun?

Fill my eyes, as the sun fills them.