1. قد أسمع القلب داعي الحب حين دعا

    ولج فى عذله اللاحي فما استمعا

    Love's caller made the heart hear him when he called;

    and the reproacher persisted in rebuking it, but it did not listen.

  2. وقد أراه طريق الشوق واضحة

    برق بأعلى ثنيات الحمى لمعا

    And it was shown the clear path of longing

    by lightning flashing atop the sanctuary's passes.

  3. يا برق أذكرتني ما لا نسيت أعد

    فمؤمن الحبّ بالذكرى قد انتفعا

    O lightning, you recalled what I have never forgotten; flash again,

    for the believer in love has benefited from remembrance.

  4. ويا أمانيّ هل حقا يعود لنا

    عيش بخيف منى ولّى وما رجعا

    And O my hopes, will there truly return to us

    a life at the Khayf of Mina that departed and never returned?

  5. ويا أمانيّ هل حقا يواصلنى

    بدر باعلى سماء الحسن قد طلعا

    And O my hopes, will I truly be united

    with a full moon risen in beauty's highest heaven?

  6. بدا على الخيف واستخفى بكاظمة

    أفديه أفديه ان أعطى وان منعا

    He appeared over Khayf and hid himself at Kazimah;

    I would ransom him, ransom him, whether he gives or withholds.

  7. يا حبذا زمني بالخيف من زمن

    وحبذا مربعي بالخيف مرتبعا

    O how lovely my time at Khayf—what a time it was!

    And how lovely my spring abode at Khayf—what a dwelling!

  8. وحبذا لذة الوصل التي سلفت

    وكان ساير لذاتي لها تبعا

    And how lovely the pleasure of union that has passed,

    while all my other pleasures were subordinate to it.

  9. أيام أعطي قيادي للصبى مرحا

    ولو منعت قيادي عنه ما امتنعا

    The days when I merrily yielded my reins to youthful passion,

    and even had I withheld my reins from it, they would not have held back;

  10. أخا شباب ولهو قلّما افترفا

    وصبوة وعفاف قلّما اجتمعا

    a brother to youth and revelry, which seldom parted,

    and to youthful desire and chastity, which seldom came together.

  11. يا جيرة المنحنى ان نال أنسكم

    بالذكر قلبي فطرفي منه قد منعا

    O neighbors of the bend, if your companionship has been won

    through remembrance by my heart, my eye has been denied it.

  12. واخيبة الطرف لا يغفى وليس يرى

    جمال أشخاصكم الا اذا هجعا

    Alas for the eye's disappointment! It does not doze, nor does it see

    the beauty of your forms except when it sleeps.

  13. بالرغم مني أن تنأى الديار بكم

    وان يفرق شمل كان مجتمعا

    It is against my will that the lands bear you far away,

    and that a company once united should be scattered,

  14. وان تعود ديار الانس موحشةً

    وأن يكون طريق الوصل منقطعا

    and that the homes of companionship should become desolate,

    and that the path of union should be cut off.

  15. لم يبق غيركم مني سوى طمعتي

    فيكم ويا ليته يبقى لي الطمعا

    Nothing of me remains, apart from you, save my hope

    in you; oh, would that hope might remain mine!

  16. أصبحت أقنع بالآمال بعدكم

    والصب ان هو لم يعط الرضا قنعا

    After your departure, I have come to be content with hopes;

    and the lovesick lover, if denied satisfaction, makes do.

  17. ما لاح برق ولا هبّت يمانية

    الا تعاظم خرق الوجد واتسعا

    No lightning ever flashed, nor did a Yemeni breeze blow,

    without the rent of longing growing greater and wider.

  18. ولا شدا طائر الا وضعت يدي

    على فؤادي أظن القلب قد وقعا

    Nor did a bird sing but I placed my hand

    upon my heart, thinking the heart had fallen.

  19. يا من يراعيه قلبى كلما نظرت

    عيناى او سمعت أذناى مستمعا

    O you whom my heart keeps in view whenever

    my eyes look or my ears hear a sound,

  20. يا منيراعيه قلبى كلما نظرت

    عيناى او سمعت اذناى مستمعا

    O you whom my heart keeps in view whenever

    my eyes look or my ears hear a sound,

  21. الحسن منك بدا معناه ثم غدا

    مفرقا فى الورى لكن لك اجتمعا

    Beauty's essence appeared from you, then became

    scattered among creation, yet united in you.

  22. أقررت عينى اذا ما زلت أشهد أن

    كل المرائى جمالا منك مظبعا

    You have gladdened my eye, as I still witness that

    every sight is imprinted with beauty from you [uncertain reading].

  23. إن تنظر العين الا أنت لانظرت

    وان دعا السمع الا منك لا سمعا

    If the eye looks at anyone but you, may it never look!

    And if a call comes to my hearing from any but you, may it never hear!

  24. وعنك ان بردت أحشاى لا بردت

    ودونك الطرف ان يهجع فلا هجعا

    And if my inward parts grow cool away from you, may they never cool!

    And if the eye sleeps without you, may it never sleep!

  25. فقرى اليك غنى والشغل عنك عنا

    والعذل فيك الى طيب الغرام دعا

    My poverty before you is wealth; distraction from you is hardship,

    and reproach for loving you has called me to passion's sweetness.

  26. وقد بلغت بحبّي فيك منزلةً

    جلالها عن حضيض النطق قد رفعا

    And through my love for you I have reached a station

    whose majesty has been raised above the lowly ground of speech.

  27. يا جامع الشمل حقا للمتيم أن

    يفنى سرورا بأن الشمل قد جمعا

    O uniter of the company, the enthralled lover may rightly

    perish for joy that the company has been reunited.