1. بِاِسمِ الإِلَهِ تَحيَّةٌ لِمُتَيَّمِ

    تُهدى إِلى حَسَنِ القَوامِ مُكَرَّمِ

    In God's name, a greeting for one enslaved by love,

    offered to one of graceful stature, held in honor.

  2. وَصَحيفَةٌ ضَمَّنتُها بِأَمانَةٍ

    عِندَ الرَحيلِ إِلَيكِ أُمَّ الهَيثَمِ

    And a letter I entrusted in good faith

    at departure, to you, Umm al-Haytham.

  3. فيها التَحِيَّةُ وَالسَلامُ وَرَحمَةٌ

    حَفَّ الدُموعُ كِتابَها بِالمُعجَمِ

    Within it are greetings, peace, and mercy;

    tears have ringed its writing with dots.

  4. مِن عاشِقٍ كَلِفٍ يَبوءُ بِذَنبِهِ

    صَبِّ الفُؤادِ مُعاقَبٍ لَم يَظلِمِ

    From an infatuated lover who admits his sin,

    lovesick at heart, punished though he did no wrong.

  5. بادي الصَبابَةِ قَد ذَهَبتِ بِعَقلِهِ

    كِلفٍ بِحُبِّكِ يا عُثَيمَ مُتَيَّمِ

    His longing is plain; you have taken away his reason,

    consumed with love for you, Uthaym, utterly enthralled.

  6. يَشكو إِلَيكِ بِعَبرَةٍ وَبِعَولَةٍ

    وَيَقولُ أَمّا إِذ مَلِلتِ فَأَنعِمي

    He complains to you with a tear and a wail,

    and says: Now that you have grown weary, be gracious.

  7. لا تَقتُليني يا عُثَيمَ فَإِنَّني

    أَخشى عَلَيكِ عِقابَ رَبِّكِ في دَمي

    Do not kill me, Uthaym, for I

    fear for you your Lord's punishment for shedding my blood.

  8. إِن لَم يَكُن لَكِ رَحمَةٌ وَتَعَطُّفٌ

    فَتَحَرَّجي مِن قَتلِنا أَن تَأثَمي

    If you have no mercy or tenderness,

    then refrain from killing us, lest you sin.

  9. لَم يُخطِ سَهمُكِ إِذ رَميتِ مَقاتِلي

    وَتَطيشُ عَنكِ إِذا رَمَيتُكِ أَسهُمي

    Your arrow did not miss when you shot at my vital spots,

    yet my arrows stray from you whenever I shoot at you.

  10. وَوَجَدتُ حَوضَ الحُبِّ حينَ وَرَدتُهُ

    مُرَّ المَذاقَةِ طَعمُهُ كَاِلعَلقَمِ

    And I found love's pool, when I came to drink from it,

    bitter to the taste, its flavor like colocynth.

  11. لا وَالَّذي بَعَثَ النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّداً

    بِالنورِ وَالإِسلامِ دينِ القَيِّمِ

    No, by Him who sent the Prophet Muhammad

    with light and Islam, the upright faith,

  12. وَبِما أَهَلَّ بِهِ الحَجيجُ وَكَبَّروا

    عِندَ المَقامِ وَرُكنِ بَيتِ المَحرَمِ

    and by the pilgrims' invocations and cries of 'God is greatest'

    at the Station and the corner of the Sacred House,

  13. وَالمَسجِدِ الأَقصى المُبارَكِ حَولَهُ

    وَالطَورِ حِلفَةَ صادِقٍ لَم يَأثَمِ

    and by al-Aqsa Mosque, whose surroundings are blessed,

    and by the Mount—an oath of a truthful man who has not sinned—

  14. ما خُنتُ عَهدَكِ يا عُثَيمَ وَلا هَفا

    قَلبي إِلى وَصلٍ لِغَيرِكِ فَاعلَمي

    I have not betrayed your pledge, Uthaym, nor has

    my heart yearned for union with anyone but you—know this.

  15. فُكّي أَسيراً يا عُثَيمَ فَإِنَّهُ

    خَلَطَ الحَياءَ بِعِفَّةٍ وَتَكَرُّمِ

    Set a captive free, Uthaym, for he

    has joined modesty with chastity and generosity.

  16. وَرَعى الأَمانَةَ في المَغيبِ وَلَم يَخُن

    غيبَ الصَديقِ وَذاكَ فِعلُ المُسلِمِ

    He kept the trust in absence, and did not betray

    a friend behind their back; that is a Muslim's conduct.

  17. أَحصَيتُ خَمسَةَ أَشهُرِ مَعدودَةٍ

    وَثَلاثَةً مِن بَعدِها لَم توهَمِ

    I have counted five months, carefully reckoned,

    and three after them, with no mistake.

  18. هَذي ثَمانِيَةٌ تَهُلُّ وَتَنقَضي

    عالَجتُ فيها سُقمَ صَبٍّ مُغرَمِ

    These are eight months that dawn and pass away;

    in them I wrestled with the sickness of a lovesick, enthralled man.

  19. مَكَثَ الرَسولُ لَدَيكُمُ حَتّى إِذا

    قَدِمَ الرَسولُ وَلَيتَهُ لَم يَقدَمِ

    The messenger stayed with you; when at last

    the messenger came—would that he had not come!—

  20. لَم يَأتِني لَكُمُ بِخَطٍّ واحِدٍ

    يَشفي غَليلَ فُؤادِيَ المُتَقَسِّمِ

    he brought me not a single written line from you

    to slake the burning thirst of my torn heart.

  21. وَحَرَمتِني رَدَّ السَلامِ وَما أَرى

    رَدَّ السَلامِ عَلى الكَريمِ بِمَحرَمِ

    And you denied me a greeting in return, though I do not deem

    answering a noble man's greeting forbidden.

  22. إِن كُنتِ عاتِبَةً عَلَيَّ فَأَهلَ ما

    أَن تَعتَبي فيما عَتَبتِ وَتُكرِمي

    If you hold a grievance against me, you are well entitled

    to reproach me for what vexed you, and to be gracious.

  23. أَنتِ الأَميرَةُ فَاِسمَعي لِمَقالَتي

    وَتَفَهَّمي مِن بَعضِ ما لَم تَفهَمي

    You are the princess, so listen to my words,

    and understand some of what you have not understood.

  24. إِنّي أَتوبُ إِلَيكِ تَوبَةَ مُذنِبٍ

    يَخشى العُقوبَةَ مِن مَليكٍ مُنعِمِ

    I repent to you with the repentance of a sinner

    who fears punishment from a beneficent king,

  25. حَتّى أَنالَ رِضاكِ حَيثُ عَلِمتُهُ

    بِطَريفِ مالي وَالتَليدِ الأَقدَمِ

    until I win your favor, where I know it lies,

    with my newly acquired wealth and my oldest inherited riches.

  26. وَأَعوذُ مِنكِ بِكِ الغَداةَ لِتَصفَحي

    عَمّا جَنَيتُ مِنَ الذُنوبِ وَتَرهَمي

    And I seek refuge from you in you this morning, that you may pardon

    the sins I have committed, and shower me with mercy.

  27. إِن تَقبَلي عُذري فَلَستُ بِعائِدٍ

    حَتّى تُغادَرَ في المَقابِرِ أَعظُمي

    If you accept my excuse, I shall not return to my sins

    until my bones are left in the graves.

  28. لَو كَفِّيَ اليُمنى سَأَتكِ قَطَعتُها

    وَلَذُقتُ بَعدَ رِضاكِ عَيشَ الأَجذَمِ

    If my right hand offended you, I would cut it off,

    and, once you were pleased, I would taste a one-handed man's life.