أسفي على لدن القوامِ رشيقهِ

أسفي على لدن القوامِ رشيقهِ

قاسي الفؤاد على المتيّم فظّه

قاسي الفؤاد على المتيّم فظّه

Alas for him, supple and slender of stature,

I weep for the tenderness of her supple waist

Hard-hearted, harsh toward the lovesick one.

My heart is harsh towards the enamoured one and his severity

إعجب لجفني من غزارة دمعهِ

إعجب لجفني من غزارة دمعهِ

فيه ومن قلبي لقلة حظّه

فيه ومن قلبي لقلة حظّه

Marvel at my eyelid for the abundance of its tears

Strange are my eyelids with the abundance of his tears

For him, and at my heart for its scant good fortune.

In them, yet my heart has little share

رقّت دموعي عند شكوى هجره

رقّت دموعي عند شكوى هجره

ورقيبهِ فكأنَّها من لفظه

ورقيبهِ فكأنَّها من لفظه

My tears grew delicate as I lamented his abandonment

My tears flowed at the complaint of his estrangement

And his watcher, as though they came from his words.

And his watcher, as if from his recital

ماضٍ على غلوائه صلفاً فلا

ماضٍ على غلوائه صلفاً فلا

يصغي إلى زجر المحبّ ووعظه

يصغي إلى زجر المحبّ ووعظه

He persists in his excesses, haughtily, and so does not

Unbending in his passion, he pays no heed

Listen to the lover's rebuke and counsel.

To the rebuke of the lover and his preaching

يلقى الأعادي تحت زغف عذاره

يلقى الأعادي تحت زغف عذاره

في رمح قامته وصارم لحظه

في رمح قامته وصارم لحظه

He meets his foes beneath the fine chainmail of his cheek-down,

He meets enemies under the flashes of his eyelids

With the spear of his stature and the keen sword of his glance.

In the spear of his stature and the blade of his glance