نُبِئتُ أنَّكمُ تُغشَونَ أحلاماً

فَبِتُّ أسألُ عنكم كلَّ مَن ناما

I was told that you haunt dreams,

So I stay up asking all who sleep about you.

ثم اعتَمَدتُ عَلى عِلمي ببُخلِكُمُ

وكنتُ بالأمرِ دُونَ النَّاسِ عَلاما

Then I relied on my knowledge of your stinginess,

And in the matter I was, beyond people, knowing.

لو استَطَعتُم مَنعتُم ذِكرَكُم وكَذا

لو استَطَعنا امتَنَعنا منه إِكراما

If you could, you would have prevented mention of you, and likewise,

If we could, we would have refused to honor you.

وفاتِنِ الطَّرفِ ظَلامٍ فإن حَكمُوا

منَّا لأَضعَفِنا أصبَحتُ ظَلاما

To the gaze of darkness' maidens, for if they judge

From us the weakest, I would become darkness.

أحلَّ طَرفي لِدَمعي مِن سَرائِره

مَحارِماً كانَ عَنها مرَّةً حامى

I opened my eyes to my tears from its secrets

That were once protected from which it was once careful.

ولم تَكُن مُهجَتي لما تَعرَّضَها

بالهجرِ من مُهَجٍ يألَفنَ أجساما

And my passion was not, for that which exposed it

To estrangement, a passion accustomed to bodies.

فَلا أُنازِعُها في ذاكَ مُغتَبِطاً

بفِعلِها شَرُّ عَيشِ الصَّبِّ ما داما

So I do not dispute with it about that, happy

With its action—the worst life for youth for as long as I live.

مَن ذا يُحدِّثُني عنِّي ويَنصَحُني

فإن رَضيتُ بما لَم يَرضَهُ لاما

Who is he who talks to me about me and advises me?

For if I accept what he did not accept, he blames me.

فلستُ أعرِفُ ما آتي فأتركَهُ

ما هامَ مَن كانَ يَدري أنَّه هاما

I do not know what I will do, so I will leave it;

Who ever knew what he desired when he desired?