إقرَأ سَلامي عَلى مَن لا أُسَمّيهِ

وَمَن بِروحي مِنَ الأَسواءِ أَفديهِ

Read my greetings to the one I do not name

The one whose soul I would ransom from adversities

وَمَن أُعَرِّضُ عَنهُ حينَ أَذكُرُهُ

فَإِن ذَكَرتُ سِواهُ كُنتُ أَعنيهِ

The one I pretend not to notice when I remember

For if I recalled another, it would be him I mean

أَشِر بِذِكرِيَ في ضِمنِ الحَديثِ لَهُ

إِنَّ الإِشارَةَ في مَعنايَ تَكفيهِ

Hint at me when speaking confidentially to him

For implication in my meanings suffices him

وَاِسأَلهُ إِن كانَ يُرضيهِ ضَنى جَسَدي

فَحَبَّذا كُلَّ شَيءٍ كانَ يُرضيهِ

And ask if he is pleased with my body's deprivation

Then how pleasing is all that would please him

فَلَيتَ عَينَ حَبيبي في البُعادِ تَرى

حالي وَما بِيَ مِن ضُرٍّ أُقاسيهِ

If only my beloved's eyes could see me from afar

My state and the adversity I endure for him

هَل كُنتُ مِن قَومِ موسى في مَحَبَّتِهِ

حَتّى أَطالَ عَذابي مِنهُ بِالتيهِ

Was I of Moses' people in my love for him

That my torment from him wanders endlessly?

أَحبَبتُ كُلَّ سَمِيٍّ في الأَنامِ لَهُ

وَكُلَّ مَن فيهِ مَعنىً مِن مَعانيهِ

I loved all who bore his name among people

And all who embodied any of his qualities

يَغيبُ عَنّي وَأَفكاري تُمَثِّلُهُ

حَتّى يُخَيَّلَ لي أَنّي أُناجيهِ

He is absent yet my thoughts depict him

It seems I confide my innermost thoughts to him

لا ضَيمَ يَخشاهُ قَلبي وَالحَبيبُ بِهِ

فَإِنَّ ساكِنَ ذاكَ البَيتِ يَحميهِ

My heart fears no injustice with my beloved within

For the dweller of that abode protects him

مَن مِثلُ قَلبي أَو مَن مِثلُ ساكِنِهِ

اللَهُ يَحفَظُ قَلبي وَالَّذي فيهِ

Who is like my heart or the one dwelling in it?

God protect my heart and him inside it

يا أَحسَنَ الناسِ يا مَن لا أَبوحُ بِهِ

يا مَن تَجَنّى وَما أَحلى تَجَنّيهِ

O fairest of all, o you I do not confess

O you who picked me, and how sweet your picking

قَد أَتعَسَ اللَهُ عَيناً صِرتَ توحِشُها

وَأَسعَدَ اللَهُ قَلباً صِرتَ تَأويهِ

God has saddened an eye that now loneliness pains

And God has gladdened a heart that now houses him

مَولايَ أَصبَحَ وَجدي فيكَ مُشتَهِراً

فَكَيفَ أَستُرُهُ أَم كَيفَ أُخفيهِ

My Master, ardent love for you now widely known

How can I hide it or keep it unseen?

وَصارَ ذِكرِيَ لِلواشي بِهِ وَلَعٌ

لَقَد تَكَلَّفَ أَمراً لَيسَ يَعنيهِ

Talk of me excites the slanderer's fancy

He has concerned himself with what's not his business

فَمَن أَذاعَ حَديثاً كُنتُ أَكتُمُهُ

حَتّى وَجَدتُ نَسيمَ الرَوضِ يَرويهِ

So one who spread a secret I used to hide

Until I found the garden's breeze relaying it

فَيارَسولي تَضَرَّع في السُؤالِ لَهُ

عَساكَ تَعطِفُهُ نَحوي وَتَثنيهِ

My messenger, beseech him when you ask

Perhaps you will incline him affectionately toward me

إِذا سَأَلتَ فَسَل مَن فيهِ مَكرُمَةٌ

لا تَطلِبِ الماءَ إِلّا مِن مَجاريهِ

When asking, seek one noble in his glory

Do not request water but from its springs