1. Guard your heart if you pass by a love
Whose passion is madness to those enamored
١. إحفَظْ فؤادَكَ إن مَرَرْتَ بحاجرٍ
فَظِبَاؤُه منها الظُّبى بمَحاجِرِ
2. For the heart must be safe from harm
If it dares such perilous matters
٢. فالقلبُ فيه واجبُ من جائزٍ
ان يَنْجُ كان مُخاطِراً بالخاطرِ
3. On an isolated dune a living man
While lions surround their slain preys
٣. وعلى الكَثيبِ الفرْد حَيٌ دونهُ ال
آسادُ صرْعى من عيون جآذرِ
4. Love the dark complexioned beauty
Her eyelids have replaced my secrets
٤. أحبِبْ بأسمَرَ صِيْنَ فيه بأبيضٍ
أجفانُهُ مِنّي مكانَ سرائِري
5. That which is denied of attaining union with him
Except fancying an imagined fleeting specter
٥. ومُمَنَّعٍ ما إنْ لنا من وَصْلِه
إلاّ توهُّمُ زَورِ طيفٍ زائر
6. I have become tearful like a missing beloved
The Euphrates was banned and I quenched my own thirst
٦. لِلَماهُ عُدْتُ ظَماً كأصدى واردٍ
مُنِعَ الفُراتَ وكنتُ أروى صادر
7. The best companion is he who commands me
To neglect him yet stops me from misguidance
٧. خيرُ الأُصَيْحَابِ الذي هو آمري
بالغَيّ فيِه وعن رشادي زاجري
8. If I were asked what do you love and what
Do you passionately desire, I would say: my commander
٨. لَوْ قيلَ لي ماذا تُحِبّ وما الذي
تهواهُ منهُ لقُلتُ ما هوَ آمِري
9. And I say to those blaming me for loving him
When they saw him distancing me, making me immigrate
٩. ولقد أَقولُ للائمي في حُبّه
لَمّا رآهُ بُعَيْدَ وَصْلي هاجري
10. I have ardor for you that was not diminished
By the estrangement of time or by the estranger
١٠. عَنّي إليكَ فَلي حشاً لم يَثْنِها
هُجْرُ الحديثِ ولا حديثُ الهاجر
11. But I found you to be my beneficial path
And by rebuking me you would have harmed me if I obeyed you
١١. لكِنْ وجدْتك من طريقٍ نافعي
وبلَذْعِ عَذْلِي لو أَطعتُك ضائري
12. You have done good to me without you knowing
And even if you wronged me, you are the most just of tyrants
١٢. أَحسنَت لي من حيثُ لا تدْري وإن
كُنْتَ المُسيءَ فأنت أعدَلُ جائر
13. The beloved comes close even if his house is distant
By the specter of blame to my sleepless hearing
١٣. يُدْني الحبيبَ وإن تناءتْ دارُهُ
طَيْفُ المَلامِ لطَرْفِ سمعي الساهر
14. It is as if your rebuke is Jesus whom I loved
He visited me and my hearing was witnessing
١٤. فكأنّ عَذْلَكَ عيسُ مَن أحبَبْتُهُ
قَدِمَتْ عَليّ وكانَ سمعيَ ناظري
15. You exhausted yourself and I found rest by his mention
Until I imagined you were excusing me in my infatuation
١٥. أتْعَبتَ نفسَك واسترَحتُ بذكْره
حتّى حسِبْتُك في الصّبابِة عاذري
16. So wonder at a blamer praising his beloved
With a thanking tongue yet complaining
١٦. فاعْجَبْ لِهاجٍ مادحٍ عُذّاَلْه
في حُبّه بلِسَانِ شاكٍ شاكِر
17. O fleer, why did you not make your heart
Accompany what you have forsaken of me
١٧. يا سائِراً بالقَلْب غدراً كَيفَ لَمْ
تُتْبِعْهُ ما غَادَرْتَهُ من سائري
18. Some of me envies you over the other and wishes
To hide my essence when you have appeared from within me
١٨. بَعضي يَغارُ عليكَ من بَعضي ويحْ
سُدُ باطني إذ أَنتَ فيه ظاهري
19. And my eyes would love if you were mentioned in a gathering
To turn into hearing, listening to my conversing friend
١٩. ويوَدّ طَرْفي إن ذُكِرْتَ بمَجلسٍ
لو عاد سَمعاً مُصغياً لمُسامري
20. Habitually promising me, habitually threatening me
Forever, and keeping me waiting for a rare promise
٢٠. مُتَعَوّداً انجازَهُ مُتَوعّداً
أبداً ويَمطُلُني بوَعْدٍ نادر
21. By his distance, daylight has darkened around me
As it whitened by his nearing that chased away my slumber
٢١. ولبُعْدِهِ اسوَدّ الضّحى عندي كما ابْ
يَضّتْ لقُربٍ منهُ كان دَياجري