أَفدي حَبيباً لِساني لَيسَ يَذكُرُهُ

أَفدي حَبيباً لِساني لَيسَ يَذكُرُهُ

خَوفَ الوُشاةِ وَقَلبي لَيسَ يَنساهُ

خَوفَ الوُشاةِ وَقَلبي لَيسَ يَنساهُ

I would ransom a beloved whom my tongue does not name,

My tongue ransoms a beloved though it does not mention him

for fear of tale-bearers, though my heart does not forget him.

And my heart does not forget him though fearing the slanderers

أَهوى التَهَتُّكَ فيهِ ثُمَّ يَمنَعُني

أَهوى التَهَتُّكَ فيهِ ثُمَّ يَمنَعُني

إِنَّ التَهَتُّكَ فيهِ لَيسَ يَرضاهُ

إِنَّ التَهَتُّكَ فيهِ لَيسَ يَرضاهُ

I long to cast off restraint in loving him, but he holds me back;

I yearn to be engrossed in him then he prevents me

indeed, he does not approve of such abandon in love for him.

For being engrossed in him does not please him

وَالناسُ فينا بِبَعضِ القَولِ قَد لَهِجوا

وَالناسُ فينا بِبَعضِ القَولِ قَد لَهِجوا

لَو صَحَّ ما ذَكَروا ما كُنتُ آباهُ

لَو صَحَّ ما ذَكَروا ما كُنتُ آباهُ

And people have been repeating certain tales about us;

And people have become malicious towards us with some talk

if what they said were true, I would not refuse it.

Had what they mentioned been true I would not have cared for him

يا مَن أُكابِدُ فيهِ ما أُكابِدُهُ

يا مَن أُكابِدُ فيهِ ما أُكابِدُهُ

مَولايَ أَصبِرُ حَتّى يَحكُمَ اللَهُ

مَولايَ أَصبِرُ حَتّى يَحكُمَ اللَهُ

O you for whose sake I endure what I endure,

O you whom I endure for what I endure

my lord, I remain patient until God gives judgment.

My Master, I am patient until Allah judges

سَمَّيتُ غَيرَكَ مَحبوبي مُغالَطَةً

سَمَّيتُ غَيرَكَ مَحبوبي مُغالَطَةً

لَمَعشَرٍ فيكَ قَد فاهوا بِما فاهوا

لَمَعشَرٍ فيكَ قَد فاهوا بِما فاهوا

I called someone other than you my beloved, as a ruse

I called another my beloved, deceiving

for a group who have said what they said about you.

A group regarding you who babbled confusedly

أَقولُ زَيدٌ وَزَيدٌ لَستُ أَعرِفُهُ

أَقولُ زَيدٌ وَزَيدٌ لَستُ أَعرِفُهُ

وَإِنَّما هُوَ لَفظٌ أَنتَ مَعناهُ

وَإِنَّما هُوَ لَفظٌ أَنتَ مَعناهُ

I say, “Zayd”—yet Zayd is someone I do not know;

I say Zayd, Zayd though I do not know him

and it is only a word; you are its meaning.

He is but a name, you are its meaning

وَكَم ذَكَرتُ مُسَمّىً لا اِكتِراثَ بِهِ

وَكَم ذَكَرتُ مُسَمّىً لا اِكتِراثَ بِهِ

حَتّى يَجُرَّ إِلى ذِكراكَ ذِكراهُ

حَتّى يَجُرَّ إِلى ذِكراكَ ذِكراهُ

And how often I have named someone of no concern to me,

And how often I mentioned an unimportant name

so that mentioning him may lead to mentioning you.

Until its mention led to your mention

أَتيهُ فيكَ عَلى العُشّاقِ كُلِّهِمُ

أَتيهُ فيكَ عَلى العُشّاقِ كُلِّهِمُ

قَد عَزَّ مَن أَنتَ يا مَولايَ مَولاهُ

قَد عَزَّ مَن أَنتَ يا مَولايَ مَولاهُ

I pride myself on you above all lovers;

For you, over all lovers I came to excel

truly exalted is he whose lord you are, O my lord.

He has become cherished, my Master, my Master

وَصارَ لي فيكَ حُسّادٌ وَلا بَلَغوا

وَصارَ لي فيكَ حُسّادٌ وَلا بَلَغوا

كُلّاً أَرى مِنهُمُ دَعوايَ دَعواهُ

كُلّاً أَرى مِنهُمُ دَعوايَ دَعواهُ

And I have gained enviers because of you—may they never succeed!

And for you I got envious enemies, though they did not reach

I see each of them making my claim his own.

Each time I see their scheming as their scheming

كادَت عُيونُهُمُ بِالبُغضِ تَنطِقُ لي

كادَت عُيونُهُمُ بِالبُغضِ تَنطِقُ لي

حَتّى كَأَنَّ عُيونَ القَومِ أَفواهُ

حَتّى كَأَنَّ عُيونَ القَومِ أَفواهُ

Their eyes all but spoke to me with hatred,

Their eyes were about to speak to me with hatred

so that the people's eyes seemed like mouths.

As if the eyes of the people were their mouths

يامَن أَتى زائِراً يَوماً فَشَرَّفَني

يامَن أَتى زائِراً يَوماً فَشَرَّفَني

لا أَصغَرَ اللَهُ مِن مَولايَ مَمشاهُ

لا أَصغَرَ اللَهُ مِن مَولايَ مَمشاهُ

O you who came to visit one day and thus honored me,

O you who came visiting one day thus honoring me

may God never belittle my lord's coming.

May Allah not make less my Master's arrival

عِندي حَديثٌ أُريدُ اليَومَ أَذكُرُهُ

عِندي حَديثٌ أُريدُ اليَومَ أَذكُرُهُ

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ دونَ الناسِ فَحواهُ

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ دونَ الناسِ فَحواهُ

I have a tale I wish to tell today,

I have a conversation today I want to mention

and you alone, of all people, know its meaning.

And you know apart from people its contents