أذاهبةٌ بين القطيعة والوصْلِ

بِعَقْلي أما يرضيكِ شيءٌ سِوى عَقْلي

An apparition between estrangement and union

Does nothing please you but my reason?

وَمَانِعَتي حتّى على النأيِ وصْلَها

لعلَّكِ قد صارَمتِ طَيْفكِ في وصلي

And it has prevented me from even distant union

Perhaps you have become severe towards your apparition in my union

وقاضِيةً بالهجرِ بيني وبينها

كأنَّكِ لم تَلْقَيْ سبيلاً إلى العدل

And a judge with estrangement between me and her

As if you have not found a way to justice

ألا بأبي تلك الشمائلُ حلوةً

وإنْ تَرَكَتْنِي غَيْرَ مُجْتَمع الشَّمْل

No! By the one whose features are sweet

And if she has left me, not gathered together

ويا حبّذا ذاكَ الدلالُ مُعَشّقاً

وإن كنتُ منهُ سائرَ اليومِ في شُغل

How excellent that guide would be, impassioned

Even if with him I spend the day busy

وحسنُ حديثٍ كلما قلتُ أحْزَنَتْ

ثَناياهُ أفْضَتْ بي إلى كَنفِ سهْل

The beauty of a conversation whenever I say it saddens

Its folds carry me into the bosom of ease

كذلك حتى أشْرَفت بي على شفاً

هو الجِدُّ لا ما كنت فيه من الهزل

Just so until I looked out onto a shore

Which is serious, not what I was in jest

وَشعْشَعَ لي مما هناكَ مُدامةً

مذاقَتُهَا تُغْري ونَكْهَتُها تُسْلي

And it waved to me from there a cup

Whose taste tempts and whose scent comforts

وما عِفْتُها بل سافَهَتْ فَرَدَدْتُها

فقالَ العفافُ اشربْ فإنَّك في حِلِّ

But I did not grant it, rather I rejected it

So chastity said “Drink, for you are permitted”

أَتَتْني ولم أرتبْ بِوُدِّك ضجرة

أخوذٌ بأنفاس الرُّسَيْلاتِ والرُّسْل

She came to me and I felt no annoyance with your love

Captivated by the breaths of messages and messengers

وَسَمْتَ بها هذا الزمانَ فإنْ يَتِهْ

فغيرُ بديعٍ مِنْ سَجِيَّتِهِ الغُفْل

You characterized this time so if it passes

None but the excellent are safe from its heedlessness

إلا بأَبِي هاتِ اعتزازَكَ كُلّهَ

ودونك ذُلي لم تَدَع لي سِوَى ذلي

No! Bring all your pride

And leave me humiliated, you left me nothing but my humiliation

أمولايَ لا أني أقِرُّ لغيرهِ

بها غيرَ تَمْوِيهِ الخديعةِ والختل

My friend, I do not admit to anyone but you

Anything but the pretense of deceit and trickery

ويا كُحْلَ أجفاني وإن غَلَبَ الكرى

عليها وقد تَقَذَى الجفونُ من الكُحْلِ

And oh kohl of my eyes, even if sorrow

Has overcome them and the lids are free of kohl

أصِخْ غيرَ مأمورٍ لإمرارِ لَوْعَةٍ

إذا مارَ دَمْعِي فارَ مِرْجَلُهَا يَغلي

Leak without being commanded to pass yearning

When my tear flows, its flood boiling

صَدَقْتَ أنا الجاني فهلْ من بقيّةٍ

تُشِيرُ إلى استْحياءِ مِثْلِكَ من مثلي

You spoke truly, I am the sinner, is there any remaining

Advice that would point to one like you being shy of one like me

ولا بدَّ من عُذرٍ وليس بِوَاضِحٍ

ولكنْ لكَ الفَضْلُ المُحَكّمُ في الفَضْل

There must be an excuse, though not evident

But you have the decisive virtue in virtue

أرَيْتَكَ من تحنو عليه وغنه

لكالغيثِ أو أنّي لَكالْبَلَدِ المحل

I saw you bestow favor upon him and sing his praises

As if to the rain or as if I were the homeland

أحينَ دعاني وادَّعَاني ولم أجِدْ

سوى حُكْمِهِ طَوْراً عليَّ وَطوْراً لي

When he called me and claimed against me, I found

Nothing but his judgement, once against me and once for me

قبلتُ الأذى منه كأنّيَ قابضٌ

على الماءِ أوْ ساعٍ على اثر الظِلِّ

I accepted harm from him as if I were grasping

At water or seeking the shade

أنَازِعُهَا حَبْلَ الهَوَى وَتَلُفُّهُ

وقَدْ وَرِمَتْ كفّايَ منْ أثَر الحَبْلِ

I struggle with her the rope of passion and she twists it

And my palms have become calloused from the rope’s effect

تَرُوْحُ وَتَغْدثو كلّما قلتُ قد دَنَتْ

وما قولُهَا قَوْلي ولا فِعْلُهَا فعلي

She comes and goes whenever I say she has come close

Yet her words are not my words nor her actions my actions

وكنتُ وَمَنْ أهْوَى وأنت جنيتها

وعلى صِيْرِ أمْرٍ ما يُمرُّ ولا يُحْلي

And I was while the one I love and you have reaped

In an affair that does not pass or ripen

وواللهِ ما أنكرْتُ سَبْقَك للعلا

ولكنّني حتى لحِقْتُ على رسْلِ

By God I do not deny you preceded me in high status

But I raced until I caught up to the messengers

حَنَانَيْكَ لا تُطْمِحْ مَطَالِبَ جَرْوَلِي

فَنُشْقي بها أهلَ القُريّةِ من ذُهْلِ

Let not your care seek from me an impatient mount's requests

By which we would trouble the people of the village unjustly

وماليَ من ذَنْبٍ إليكَ عَلْمتُهُ

سوى رِقّةٍ تأتي على رأيِكَ الجزل

I know no sin against you

Other than a softness that counters your firm wisdom

أعرنيَ قلباً مثلَ قلبكَ صابراً

تجدْني إذا قلتَ البدارَ على رجْل

Show me a heart like your patient heart

You will find me, when you say "the land is wide" on foot

ودونك ما أحْبَبْتَ غَيْرِي وَغَيْرَهُ

ولستُ على شيءٍ تُحِبُّ بِمُعْتَلِّ

You had others you loved besides me and besides him

And I possess nothing you would love in an addled state

فإن تأبَ إلى العَجْلَ حين مَلَكْتَهُ

عليَّ فَقَدْ شَطّتْ حَنِيفَةُ عن عجل

So if you inclined to impulse when you possessed him

Over me, Ḥanīfah has swerved from the calf

وإن تكُنِ الأُخْرَى وأنت مُهَاجِرٌ

فما لكَ لا تَبْكي بِشَجْوٍ إلى الفَضْلِ

And if you are the latter and you are an emigrant

Why do you not weep with yearning to virtue?

لكَ اللهُ لا يَذْهَبْ بِكَ الغيظُ مَذهَباً

يَرُوعُكَ بي بَينَ المطيَّةِ والرَّحْل

May God not let anger take you away to distraction

Terrifying you with me between the place of rest and departure

وإن تَكُ أوْلى بالتَّمَاسُكِ والنُّهَى

أكُنْ أنا أولى بالغوايَةِ والجهل

If you are more worthy of composure and restraint

I am more worthy of misguidance and ignorance