1. What is it to me or to the eyes of parting
That they have all agreed to kill me
١. مَالي وما للأعْيُنِ النُّجْلِ
أَجْمَعْنَ عُدْواناً على قَتْلي
2. And what is it to my heart that confronts them
Between the pain of longing and confusion
٢. وما لقلبي يتصدَّى لها
بَيْنَ ألِيمِ الشَّوْقِ والخَبْل
3. Moments that have not ceased charming
To rule unjustly over justice
٣. من لَحَظاتٍ لم يَزَلْ غُنْجُها
يَحْكُمُ بالجوْرِ على العَدْل
4. Weak in cunning, yet they
Kill between earnestness and jest
٤. ضعيفةُ المكرِ ولكنَّها
تَقْتُلُ بين الجِدِّ والهزل
5. My God, how much hope their coquetry awakens
If only they would be kind enough to give
٥. لله كم يُطْمِعُ تَفْتِيرُها
لو أنها تَسْمح بالبَذْل
6. Stingy, I have almost perished from their stinginess
And their love leaves me destitute
٦. باخلةٌ قد كِدْتُ مِنْ بخلها
وعِشْقِها أَكْلَفُ بالبُخْل
7. Nothing was wrong with their stinginess when they were stingy
If only the stain of waiting did not dishonor them
٧. ما عابَها إذ بَخِلتْ بُخْلُها
لو لم تَشِنْها خُلَّةُ المَطْلِ
8. What engraving has marked them, making them suffice
Without the need for polishing
٨. أَيُّ شِفارٍ طَبَعَتْهَا يدُ
التفتيرِ فاسْتَغْنَتْ عن الصقْل
9. Arbiters in the blood of mortals
As if they were of that lineage
٩. مُحْتَكِمَاتٌ في دماءِ الورى
كأنَّها من ذاكَ في حِلِّ
10. Woe to them, how many aching hearts
Were handed over to justice by them
١٠. واهاً لها كم من فؤادٍ شجٍ
أُسْلِمَ مِنْهَا في يَدَيْ عَدْل
11. My guide was lost in the path of passion
Between the vast valley and the gorge
١١. ضلَّ دليلي في سبيلِ الهوى
بين الدَّلال الرَّحْبِ والدلِّ
12. How many battles I had in their fields
Where I was dealt the most painful of blows
١٢. كم وقعة لي في ميادينه
أصَبْتُ فيها مَقْتَلَ العَذْل
13. It was absentminded of me, had reason been fair to me
It would not have allowed the likes of me to desire the likes of them
١٣. غيٌّ لو أن الرشدَ لي مُنصفٌ
لم يَنْهَ عن أَمثالِهِ مِثْلي
14. It has evicted the sweet dreams from my eyelids
A gazelle, whose connection is lost, wandering
١٤. شَرَّدَ عن جَفْنِي لذيذَ الكَرَى
ظبيٌ شرودٌ شارِدُ الوَصْل
15. And their teeth - no need to mention their eyelashes -
Are witnesses of justice against my passion
١٥. وسنانُ ناهيكَ بأَجفانِهِ
على الهوى منْ شاهِدَي عدل
16. Kohl has flowed over their glances
And I was too shy by the application of kohl
١٦. سالتْ على ألحاظِهِ كُحلةٌ
واخَجْلتي من خَجْلضةِ الكُحل
17. When she shows us her wine between us
Her cheeks serve it to us
١٧. إذا أدرات بيننا خَمْرَها
قامتْ لنا خدَّاهُ بالنُّقْل
18. A branch I watered with my tears
My weeping made it needless of rain or buckets
١٨. غصن سقته رية أدمعي
أغنته عن طل وعن دبل
19. Woe is me from a withholding palm tree
That ripens for man but does not sweeten
١٩. واأسفي من رمنٍ باخلٍ
يُمِرُّ للمرءِ ولا يُحْلي
20. It has not ceased since its palms turned yellow
To fold greed upon greed for it
٢٠. ما زالَ مُذْ ما صَفرتْ كَفُّهُ
يَطْوي له كَشْحاً على غِلِّ
21. Woe to my means, too narrow for the aspirations
Of an instructor in times of ignorance
٢١. ويَا لَذَرْعي ضَاقَ عن هِمَّةِ
مُعْلَمَةٍ في زَمَن غُفْل
22. Suffice it as a most high against me, continuously
Elevating itself and aggrandizing
٢٢. حسبي بها عُلْيا علي عُلاً
فلم يَزَلْ يُعْلي وَيَسْتَعْلي
23. A wholesome doe between the white gazelles
On a day of commotion and the fading vegetation
٢٣. من أريحيٍّ بين بيضِ الظُّبَا
يومَ الوغى والسُّمُرِ الذُّبْل
24. Smiling while deaths unto him
Bare their fangs
٢٤. مُبتَسِمٌ حيثُ المنايا به
تكْشِرُ عن أنْيابِها العُصْل
25. Of firmest resolve, not fickle
And enthusiasm tells of the erratic arrow
٢٥. أروعُ ثَبْتُ العَزْمِ لا طائشٌ
والهامُ يَحْكي طائشَ النَّبل
26. A fearless lion hunting prey
Protecting from dishonor and cubs
٢٦. ليثُ شرىً مُفتَرِسٌ باسِلٌ
يذودُ عن غِيلٍ وعَنْ شِبْل
27. Unwavering like a sword blade, not bending
Determined in fateful matters
٢٧. ماضٍ كنَصْلِ السَّيْفِ لا يَنْثَني
مُصَمّمٌ في الحادثِ الجَزْلِ
28. Undaunted he turns and tosses
While death stands on its feet
٢٨. ناهيك منه حَوَّلاً قُلَّباً
والموتُ قد قامَ على رِجْل
29. Dazzling fair of face and smile
Whether he prays the hell of war or makes it pray
٢٩. أغَرُّ طَلقُ الوجهِ وضَّاحُهُ
يَصْلى جحيمَ الحربِ أو يُصْلي
30. Delicate toward the caller of dew, hastening
His action precedes the delegation of words
٣٠. هَشٌّ إلى داعي النَّدى مُسْرِعٌ
يَسبِقُ وفْدَ القولِ بالفعْل
31. Beneath you lies a quarter of glory, camp in it
And alight between water and shade
٣١. دُونَكَ رَبْعَ المجدِ خَيّمْ به
وَحُطَّ بين الماءِ والظلِّ
32. We covet a rested, fulfilled, safe side
In which wishes are united
٣٢. نَحلُلْ جَنَاباً مُمْرِعاً آمِناً
فيه المنى جامعةُ الشَّمل
33. If his ease has been granted in full
It would not accept just a portion of the whole
٣٣. غنْ بَذَلَتْ راحتُهُ نائلاً
لم تَرْضَ بِالبَعْضِ منَ الكُلِّ
34. Fingers harmonized with their pens
Their ink is the rain in torrents
٣٤. أناملٌ جَانَسَ أقلامَها
مِدَادُهُنَّ الغيثَ بالمحل
35. Oh woe, is your rule fair to me
And seeking what was lost of rights?
٣٥. إيهٍ وهلْ حُكْمُكَ لي مُنْصِفٌ
وطالبٌ ما فاتَ من ذَحْل
36. My undertakings burdened with me, so how much
Have you carried of weight and heaviness?
٣٦. ومنهضي مُضْطَلِعٌ بي فَكمْ
حَمَلتَ من عِبءٍ ومنْ ثِقْلِ
37. Take it, for rhymed prose has aided me
Like a blade or straight, slender palm trunk
٣٧. خُذْها فقد ساعدني مِقْوَلٌ
كالنّصْلِ أو كالأَرْقَمِ الصِلّ
38. And listen to it melodiously innovating
Filling the hearing of time as it dictates
٣٨. وَاصْغِ إليه مُغْرِباً منتجاً
يملأُ سَمْعَ الدَّهْرِ إذ يُمْلي
39. And here is my gratitude, a delicious spring
Dispense it between elevation and streams
٣٩. وهاكَ شكري مَنْهلاً سائغاً
فَرِدْهَ بَيْنَ العَلِّ والنَّهْلِ