1. سَل حارسي روضةِ الجمالِ

    وصَولَجَي ذلك العِذَار

    Ask the two guardians of the garden of beauty,

    and the two curved staffs of that cheek-down:

  2. مَن تَوَّجَ الغصنَ بالهلالِ

    وأنبتَ الورد في البَهَار

    who crowned the bough with the crescent moon

    and made roses grow among the narcissi?

  3. أيُّ أقاحٍ وجُلّنارِ

    حاما على مَنهلِ الرَّباب

    What daisies and pomegranate blossoms

    hovered over the white clouds' drinking-place?

  4. وأيُّ صِلَّين مِن عِذارٍ

    دَبّا كَلامَين في كتاب

    And what two asps of cheek-down

    crept like two lām letters in a book?

  5. وأيُّ ماءٍ وأيُّ نارِ

    ضمَّتهُما نعمة الشَّباب

    And what water and what fire

    has the luxuriance of youth brought together?

  6. فقُل حيا مَوردٍ زلالِ

    يحرسه الثغرُ بالشِّفار

    Then say: rain from a limpid spring,

    which the mouth guards with blades.

  7. وقُل جِنانٌ وقُل لآلِ

    يُعَلُّ بالمِسكِ والعُقار

    And say: gardens; and say: pearls,

    watered time and again with musk and wine.

  8. مَن لي به والمُنَى غُرورُ

    وسنانُ طاوي الحَشا غَرير

    Who can bring him to me, when hopes are delusion?

    Drowsy-eyed, slender-waisted, innocent.

  9. النَّورُ من خدِّه منيرُ

    علَى فؤادي ولا نصير

    The bloom of his cheek shines

    upon my heart, and I have no helper.

  10. يَا نَفسُ ما مِنكِ بالوصَالِ

    بُدٌّ ولا مِنّي انتصار

    O soul, in union I cannot do without you,

    nor is victory mine.

  11. فقد دعا جفنُه نَزالِ

    فأين مِن فتكِه الفِرار

    For his eyelid has called, “Come forth to battle!”

    Where, then, can I escape his deadly assault?

  12. يا قلبيَ المُبتلَى بحبِّه

    ياعتك عيني بلا شِرا

    O my heart, afflicted by his love,

    my eye sold you for nothing

  13. مِن باخلٍ فِي الهَوَى بقربِه

    حتى على الطيفِ بالكَرَى

    to one who grudges his closeness in love,

    even as a dream-phantom in sleep.

  14. صبراً على هجرِه وعَتبِه

    فليس إلا الذي تَرَى

    Be patient with his desertion and reproach,

    for there is nothing but what you see.

  15. لعلّ رِفقاً مِن الوِصَالِ

    يُدال مِن قسوةِ النِّفار

    Perhaps some tenderness from union

    will prevail over the harshness of aversion,

  16. أو بعضَ ما تُحدِث الليالي

    يفكُّ من ذلك الإِسار

    or something that the nights bring about

    will free you from that bondage.

  17. وناصحٍ قال يَا غَريبُ

    أسرفتَ في البَثِّ والحَزَن

    And a well-wisher said, “O stranger,

    you have gone too far in anguish and grief;

  18. للمرءِ مِن دمعهِ نصيبُ

    والروحُ ما إن له ثمن

    a man has his share of tears,

    and the soul is beyond price.”

  19. وَيحَك لا عيشةٌ تطيبُ

    ولا نديمٌ ولا سَكَن

    Alas for you! No life is sweet,

    nor is there a boon companion or solace.

  20. فخلِّ عينيَّ في انهمالِ

    يقرّ للدمعِ من قرار

    So leave my eyes to stream with tears,

    so that the tears may find some repose.

  21. وابكِ معي رقّةً لحالي

    بكاءَ غَيلانَ في الديار

    And weep with me in pity for my plight,

    as Ghaylan wept among the dwellings.

  22. جَعلتُ لبسَ الهَوَى شعارا

    واختلتُ في بردهِ القشيب

    I made love's garb my inner garment,

    and strutted in its new mantle.

  23. ولي حبيبٌ سطا وجارا

    بالنفس أفديه مِن حبيب

    And I have a beloved who assailed and wronged me;

    I would ransom him with my life—what a beloved!

  24. شدوتُ إذ مرَّ بي سِرارا

    من خَشيَةِ السامعِ الرقيب

    I sang secretly as he passed by me,

    for fear of the listening watcher:

  25. محمدُ اللّنقُ يا غزالي

    يا صاحبَ العَينَين الكِبار

    Muhammad al-Lanq, O my gazelle,

    O you with the two large eyes,

  26. قطفتَ قلبي ولم تُبالِ

    لس ذَا عَلَيك يا حبيبي عار

    you plucked my heart and did not care:

    is this not a disgrace to you, my beloved?