أراكَ فما لعينكَ لا تراني

وأنتَ وصَبوتي فَرَسا رِهانِ

I see you, yet your eyes do not see me

Though you and I are horses racing

نصبتُ حِبالتي لَكَ فاستحالتْ

حُبىً وبقيتَ منطلقَ العِنانِ

I set my ropes for you, and they turned to

Love, while you remained loose-reined

ولي فوق السُّها عزمٌ طموحٌ

فمن عني ثناكَ ومن ثناني

And I have great ambition above passion

So who distracted you from me, and who distracted me?

مضى زمنُ المحال فلا تمنٍّ

فقد كَذَبَتْ بواديكَ الأماني

The time of impossibilities has passed, so do not wish

For your valley has belied hopes

وها أنا في هواكَ أضعتُ عمري

مُقاربةً على أملِ التداني

And here I am, losing my life in love of you

Drawing near in hopes of closeness

ومهما عنَّ وصلٌ عنَّ شأنٌ

لكم عني فساعاتي ثوانِ

However much a union distracts or preoccupies

My hours for you are but moments

ولولا الحُبُّ في الأعناق رِقٌّ

مَلَكْتُكَ باليمين وباليماني

And were it not for tender love in necks

I would possess you by oath and faith

ولو فوقَ العنان تَخِذْتَ مثوىً

هتكتُ عليكَ أغشية العَنانِ

And if above the reins you sought refuge

I would rend the veils of the reins from you

دعوتُ الشِّعرَ فيكَ فما عصاني

ولانَ قيادُهُ بعد الحِرانِ

I called poetry in you, and it did not disobey me

And yielded its lead after defiance

أتى جبريلُهُ وأَسَرَّ وحياً

إليَّ كأنه رَجْعُ المثاني

Its Gabriel came and confided inspiration

To me, as if a return of ecstasy