أخيَّلَت للصبِّ أشواقُهُ

وصلَكَ أم طيفُكَ طراقُهُ

His passion painted fantasies for the youth

Did your apparition reach him or just its mirage?

كيفَ ولا جَفنٌ لَه ساعةً

من لَيلةٍ يُمكنُ إِطباقُهُ

How could it when his eyes know no rest

From a night whose darkness could envelop him

بكى لَه لمَّا نَأى رَحمةً

حادِيه للبَينِ وسوَّاقُهُ

He wept for him when he left out of mercy

His guide to separation and its escort

ودَمعُ عَينَيكَ حَبيسٌ عَلى

سِرِّكَ لا يَحسُنُ إِطلاقُهُ

While tears of your eyes are imprisoned in

Your secret that does not allow their release

وعِندَه أنَّ عليلَ الهَوى

فِراقُ من يَهواهُ إِفراقُهُ

To him, the lovesick

Parting from the beloved is utter devastation

حتَّى إِذا ما شَحَطَت دارُه

واعتَرضَ العَهدُ ومِيثاقُهُ

Until when his abode was razed

And the covenant was severed, its bond torn

عَنوَن قِرطاساً طَواهُ عَلى

قَوادِحٍ فيهنَّ حُرَّاقُهُ

He penned a scroll, wrapped it around

Arrows in quivers with burning tips

من مُغرَمٍ تحِمل أَحشاؤه

أَضعافَ ما تَحمِلُ أَوراقُهُ

From a heavily smitten one whose essence bears

Multiples of what his epistles carry

لَم يَتَمكَّن قَطُّ من قُبلةٍ

إِلا مَلولُ القَلبِ ذَوَّاقُهُ

He who never attained a kiss

Except the heartsick, ever-craving one

فَما لَه يَخلو وَقَد كانَ مَن

خَلَّفَه يَخلو وعُشاقُهُ

So why should he be lonesome when he who

Abandoned him was lonesome, and his lovers too

يَطمَعُ مِنه في الهَوى بِالوَفا

كأنَّهُ المَجدُ وإِسحاقُهُ

He hopes for loyalty from him in passion

As if it were glory and its bestowal

كِلاهُما صاحبُه عِندَه

طَوعاً إِلى ما شاءَ يَشتاقُهُ

To him, both his friend

Obedient to whatever he desired to yearn for

بِلا مَلالٍ مِنهُ يَعتادُهُ

ولا اشتِغالٍ عَنه يَعتاقُهُ

Without tiring of him, accustomed to him

Nor distraction from him that would free him

فَتىً نَفى الإِملاقَ عَن أهلِهِ

بالجودِ حتَّى خِيفَ إِملاقُهُ

A gallant who banished stinginess from his folk

With generosity, until even its grasp feared him

يَلقَى نَداهُ الدَّهرَ مُستَرزِقاً

وسائِرَ العافينَ أرزاقُهُ

He meets the days of time as a beggar

While the privileged get their fill of riches

فقُل لِمَن وافاهُ يَقتادُه

من نَكباتِ الدَّهرِ إشفاقُهُ

Tell the one who gave him succor, guiding him

From the pitfalls of time with compassion

لا يُحسنُ الدَّهرُ وَعيداً أَتى

إِرعادُهُ فيهِ وإِبراقُهُ

Time knows no gentle threat

Its thunderbolts and lightning strike

فإِن تَعالَت عَنكَ هِمَّاتُه

فقَد تَدانَت منكَ أَخلاقُهُ

If its aspirations are too lofty for you

Then its morals have stooped below you