1. Take her, the steed neighs for her a whinny,
And water flows in the sword, polished.
١. خُذها يُرِنُّ لَها الجَوادُ صَهيلا
وَتَسيلُ ماءً في الحُسامِ صَقيلا
2. With a smile that captivates the watcher, and a flawlessness,
If not for the gray hair, I would have kissed it.
٢. بَسّامَةً تُصبي الأَريبَ وَسامَةً
لَولا المَشيبُ لَسِمتُها تَقبيلا
3. I carried longing for you as a greeting,
And carried reproach upon you, heavy.
٣. حَمَّلتُها شَوقاً إِلَيكَ تَحِيَّةً
حَمَّلتُها عَتباً عَلَيكَ ثَقيلا
4. If the essence of every house poured forth water,
The space would be flooded with a torrent.
٤. مِن كُلِّ بَيتٍ لَو تَدَفَّقَ طَبعُهُ
ماءً لَغَصَّ بِهِ الفَضاءُ مَسيلا
5. Alas! There is no rancor between the bosoms,
If only I could quench my thirst with reproach.
٥. إيهٍ وَما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ غُلَّةٌ
لَو كُنتُ أَنقَعُ بِالعِتابِ غَليلا
6. What is with a friend whose flesh you eat alive
And make his honor a handkerchief?
٦. ما لِلصَديقِ وُقيتَ تَأكُلُ لَحمَهُ
حَيّاً وَتَجعَلُ عِرضَهُ مِنديلا
7. You met him with an exposed chest and long ago
Draped him in an extended coat of mail.
٧. أَقبَلتَهُ صَدرَ الحُسامِ وَطالَما
أَضفَيتَهُ دِرعاً عَلَيهِ طَويلا
8. What has turned you from praise and spreading it
As a cover on beautiful decor, beautiful?
٨. ماذا ثَناكَ عَنِ الثَناءِ وَنَشرِهِ
بُرداً عَلى الرَسمِ الجَميلِ جَميلا
9. Slow down, as the breeze stumbled upon a meadow,
Gently, as the clouds drizzled at evening.
٩. أَرِجاً كَما عَثَرَ النَسيمُ بِرَوضَةٍ
لَدناً كَما نَضَحَ الغَمامُ مَقيلا
10. Resume your attention, and remember her as a confidante,
Do not consider your supremacy leaning on her.
١٠. أَعِدِ اِلتِفاتَكَ وَاِدَّكِرها خِلَّةً
لاتَستَقِلُّ بِها عُلاكَ مُميلا
11. And incline towards the rhyming of verse, perhaps
The verse will wail the loss of loyalty.
١١. وَأَصِخ إِلى سَجعِ القَريضِ فَرُبَّما
نَدبَ القَريضُ مِنَ الوَفاءِ هَديلا
12. Urge ahead the steed of affection, and motivate it
As ruins upon the ruling of time, ruined.
١٢. وَعُجِ المَطِيَّ عَلى الوَدادِ وَحَيِّهِ
طَلَلاً عَلى حُكمِ الزَمانِ مُحيلا
13. Send forth your specter, and believe it an illusion,
And convey greetings to the intention, justifying.
١٣. وَاِبعَث بِطَيفِكَ وَاِعتَقِدها زَورَةً
وَصِلِ السَلامَ عَلى النَوى تَعليلا
14. If I asked the clouds for rain through you,
The torrents would water the valley if I asked the miserly.
١٤. وَلَئِن سَأَلتُ بِكَ الغَمامَةَ وابِلاً
يَسِمُ الجَديبَ لَما سَأَلتُ بَخيلا
15. And if I jested without jesting absence,
Then restrain yourself there a little from the reins.
١٥. وَإِذا دَعَبتُ وَلا دُعابَةَ غَيبَةٍ
فَاِغضُض هُناكَ مِنَ العَنانِ قَليلا
16. And accompany your mind with the scent of burgeoning love,
A memory, as acceptance gently crept.
١٦. وَاِصحَب وَذِهنُكَ مِن هَجيرٍ لافِحٍ
ذِكراً كَما سَرَتِ القَبولُ بَليلا
17. For you have dwelt with youth in an abode,
Where the gaze of stars turns from it timidly.
١٧. فَلَقَد حَلَلتَ مَعَ الشَبابِ بِمَنزِلٍ
يَرتَدُّ طَرفُ النَجمُ عَنهُ كَليلا
18. You have appeared, no select beauty veiled,
And you passed, no coy glance askance.
١٨. وَبَدَهتَ لا نَزرَ المَحاسِنِ مُجبَلاً
وَمَضَيتَ لاقَضمَ الغَرارِ فَليلا
19. Overflowing, its path perplexes minds,
As if it rode the orbit effortlessly.
١٩. مُتَدَفِّقاً أَعيا العُقولَ طَريقُهُ
فَكَأَنَّما رَكِبَ المَجَرَّ سَبيلا
20. It pauses at the sublime, majestically, whenever
The commoners prostrate to it reverently.
٢٠. يَستَوقِفُ العَليا جَلالاً كُلَّما
سَجَدَ اليَراعُ بِكَفِّهِ تَبجيلا
21. Supremacy is not illuminated through you impetuously,
Until dew flows through you profusely.
٢١. لا تَستَنيرُ بِكَ السِيادَةُ غُرَّةً
حَتّى يَسيلَ بِكَ النَدى تَحجيلا
22. And the like recites remorsefully about your like,
“Would that I had not taken you as a friend.”
٢٢. وَسِوايَ يُنشِدُ في سِواكَ نَدامَةً
يا لَيتَني لَم أَتَّخِذكَ خَليلا