خَدَمْتُ بِديوَانِ المَحَبَّةِ ناظِرا

خَدَمْتُ بِديوَانِ المَحَبَّةِ ناظِرا

عَلى غرَّةٍ يا لَيْتَنِي فِيهِ عامِلُ

عَلى غرَّةٍ يا لَيْتَنِي فِيهِ عامِلُ

I served in love’s bureau as an overseer,

I served in the ministry of love as an overseer

Unawares—oh, would that I were a worker there!

Of a youth—would that I were still there, working!

وَحاسَبَ فَرْطُ السُّقْمِ جِسْمِي فَلَمْ تَكُنْ

وَحاسَبَ فَرْطُ السُّقْمِ جِسْمِي فَلَمْ تَكُنْ

بَواقِيْهِ إِلاَّ أَعْظُمٌ وَمَفاصِلُ

بَواقِيْهِ إِلاَّ أَعْظُمٌ وَمَفاصِلُ

And the severity of sickness audited my body, leaving

My body's sickness took its toll when we reckoned accounts—

Nothing of it but bones and joints.

Nothing was left me save my bones and joints.