فَرَضَ الحبيب ُ دَلالَهُ وتَمَنَّعَ

وَأَبَى بغيرِ عذابِنَا أَنْ يَقْنعا

My beloved acted coy and aloof

And refused to be content without our torment

ما حيلتي وأنا المكبّلُ بالهوى

ناديته فأصَرَّ ألاّ يسمعا

What can I do, when I am enslaved by passion?

I called to him, but he insisted not to hear

وعجبتُ من قلبٍ يرقُّ لظالمٍ

ويُطيقُ رغمَ إبائِهِ أنْ يَخْضَعَا

I wondered at a heart that softens towards an unjust person

And can bear - despite his refusal - to surrender

فأجابَ قلبي لا تَلُمني فالهوى

قَدَرٌ وليس بأمرِنَا أَنْ يُرْفَعَا

So my heart responded: "Do not blame me, for passion

Is destiny, and it is not up to us to dismiss it

والظلمُ في شَرْعِ الحبيبِ عدالةٌ

مهما جَفَا كنتَ المُحِبَّ المُُولَعَا

Injustice in the law of the beloved is justice

No matter how aloof he is, you remain the ardent lover

ولقد طربتُ لصوتِه ودلالِهِ

واحتلّتْ اللفتاتُ فيّ الأضلُعَا

I was enraptured by his voice and coyness

And his glances nestled into my ribs

البدرُ من وجهِ الحبيبِ ضياؤه

والعطرُ من وردِ الخدودِ تضوَّعَا

The full moon is the brightness of my beloved's face

And the fragrance is from the roses of his cheeks

والفجرُ يبزغُ من بهاءِ جَبينِهِ

والشمسُ ذابَتْ في العيونِ لتسطعَا

The dawn breaks from the splendor of his forehead

And the sun melted into his eyes to radiate

يا ربّ هذا الكون أنتَ خلقتَهُ

وكسوتَهُ حُسْنَاً فكنتَ المُبْدِعَا

O Lord, You created this universe

And adorned it with beauty, so You were the Originator

وجعلته ملكاً لقلبي سيّد

لمّا على عرشِ الجمالِ تربَّعَا

And made him master of my heart, my lord

When he sat on the throne of beauty

سارتْ سفينةُ حبِّنَا في بحرِهِ

والقلبُ كانَ شراعها فتلوَّعَا

The ship of our love sailed in his sea

While the heart was its sail, so it fluttered

لعبتْ بها ريحُ الهوى فتمايلتْ

ميناؤها المنشودُ باتَ مُضّيَّعَا

The breeze of passion played with it, so it swayed

Its longed-for harbor ended up lost

يا صاحبي خُذْ للحبيبِ رسالةً

فعسى يرى بينَ السطورِ الأدمُعَا

O my companion, take a message to my beloved

Perhaps he might see the tears between the lines

بَلِّغْهُ أَنِّي في الغرامِ متيّمٌ

والقلبُ من حرِّ الفراقِ تَصَدَّعَا

Inform him that I am lovesick in passion

And my heart is cracked from the heat of separation

ما في النوى خيرٌ لنرضى بالنوى

بل أنّ كلَّ الخيرِ أن نحيا مَعَا

There is no good in vows for us to be content with vows

Rather, all good is for us to live together