لي نشوة من هوى وسكر

ولوعة من جوى وذكر

I have an intoxication of passion and rapture,

And a burning of longing and remembrance,

ونشوة المستهام خمر

يذكو بها في الفؤاد جمر

And the intoxication of the inspired is wine,

With which embers are kindled in the heart,

يا جيرة بالعقيق حيّا

ربوعكم وابل وقطر

O my neighbor with agate, greetings,

Your meadows are rain and droplets,

هل عائد والمنى خداع

برامة عيشنا الاغر

Is the hoped-for return an illusion?

Is our happy life transient?

أيام روض الصبا اريض

غض وغصن الشباب نضر

The days of the garden of youth were agreeable,

Its branches and the youth's foliage fresh,

منادمي اهيف مليح

اغن حلو القوام غرّ

My companions are gentle and beautiful,

Sweet of build and body graceful,

إذا بدا مائساً تثنى

غصن نقاً واستضاء بدر

When he appears downcast he inclines,

A supple branch glistening like a full moon,

يخلس لب العفيف وجداً

غنج بأجفانه وسحر

He steals the chaste heart fervently,

Bewitching with his eyelids and magic,

يبسم عن واضح شتيت

رضابه شهدة وخمر

He smiles with a bright distractedness,

His teeth honey and wine,

تحميه من لحظه سيوف

كأنما الثغر منه ثغر

His mouth protects him from glances like swords,

As if his mouth were their sheath,

معذر فوق وجنتيه

اقيم للعاشقين عذر

He makes excuses above his cheeks,

Establishing for lovers an excuse,

بالآس قد طرزت خدود

له تفوق الشقيق حمر

With misfortunes his cheeks were embroidered,

Surpassing carnelian in redness,

فخدّه والعذار حسناً

زبرجد اخضر وتبر

His cheek and down are beautiful,

Green emerald and yellow amber,

وعاذل في هواه يبدي

نصحاً وبعض الملام غدر

And the reproacher in his passion shows,

Advice and some blame unjustly,

يقول ان الهوى هوان

وليس يرضى الهوان حرّ

Saying that passion is disgrace,

And the disgraced is not pleased, the free,

فقلت اخطأت ان ذلاً

في الحب عز لنا وفخر

I said: you are wrong that humiliation,

In love is honor and pride for us,

يا من رأى مثله غزالا

قد ساور الأسد منه ذعر

O you who saw the likes of a gazelle in him

That made the lion dread him,

أو مثل عبد المجيد شهماً

هذب طبع له ونجر

Or the like of Abdel Majeed, noble,

Refined in nature, with a bright face,

ازهر تجلى له صفات

تحكي نجوم السّماء زهر

There bloomed in him qualities,

That tell of the stars in the sky,

يا بدر أفق العلى إلى كم

أنت عن العين مستسر

O full moon on the horizon of highness,

How long will you be veiled from the eye?

نشدتك الله في مشوق

ليس له في البعاد صبر

I called upon you in a longing,

That has no patience for separation,

كنا اليفي هوى وود

وعيشنا بهجة وبشر

We shared love and affection,

And our life was joy and good news,

إذ نتعاطى سلاف نظم

ونقل تلك السّلاف نثر

When we would exchange drafts of prose,

And convey those drafts into poetry,

ففرقت بيننا الليالي

ان صروف الزمان غدر

Yet the nights separated us,

If turns of fate are treacherous,

فكم جنينا ثمار أنس

حلت وما خلتها تمرّ

So we reaped fruits of company,

That came and did not last,

يا غائباً بالسّرور عني

بعدك لم الق ما يسرّ

O you absent from me in contentment,

After you I have not found what gives pleasure,

عودك عيد لنا سعيد

عين المعالي به تقرّ

Your return is a holiday for us, joyous,

The eye of hopes in it finds peace.