هَل أَنتَ إِن ظَعَنَ الأَحِبَّةُ غادى

أَو قَبلَ ذَلِكَ مُدلِجٌ بِسَوادِ

If your loved ones depart, will you depart too

Or have you already been cloaked in darkness

كَيفَ الثَواءُ بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما

هَمَّ الذينَ تُحِبُّ بِالأَنجادِ

How will you fare in the belly of Mecca after

Those you love have saddled up to leave

أَم كَيفَ قَلبُكَ إِن ثَوَيتَ مُخامِراً

سَقَماً خِلافَهُمُ وَحُزنُكَ بادى

Or how will your heart be if you lie sick

Apart from them, your sorrow plain to see

قَد كُنتَ قَبلُ وَهُم لِأَهلِكَ جِيرَةٌ

صَبّاً تُطِيفُ بِهم كَأَنَّكَ صادي

Not long ago, they were your neighbors

Bustling about them, as if herding them home

هَيمانُ تَمنَعُهُ السُقاةُ حِياضَهُم

حَرّانُ يَرقُبُ غَفلَةَ الوُرّادِ

Denied water at the reservoir, yearning

Lying in wait for the nod of the bucket puller

وَلَئن مَنَحتُ الوُدَّ مِنّي لَم يَكُن

مِنّي إِلَيكِ بما فَعَلَتُ أَيادي

Though I may grant intimacy, it was not

Through any action of mine, but hands beyond

إِنّي لَأَترُكُ مَن يَجُودُ بِوَصلِهِ

وَمُوَكَّلٌ بِوصالِ كُلِّ جَمادِ

I leave behind those who grace me with their love

Entrusting the love of each thing, animate and not

يا عَمرَ إِنّي فَاصرميني أَو صِلي

لَجَّت بِحُبِّكُمُ بَناتُ فُؤادي

O my life! Estrange me or make amends

For love of you has enthralled my heart

كَم قَد عَصَيتُ إِلَيكِ مِن مُتَنَصِّحٍ

داني القَرابَةِ أَو وَعيدَ أَعادي

How often did I disobey well-wishers

Of kin or warnings of enemies

وَتَنُوفَةٍ أَرمي بِنَفسي عَرضَها

شَوقاً إِلَيكِ بِلا هِدايةِ هادي

And risk myself heedless of discretion

Yearning for you with no guide to lead my way

بِمُعَرَّسٍ فيهِ إِذا ما مَسَّهُ

جَنبي حُزُونَةُ مَضجَعٍ وَتَعادي

In a marriage bed, if ever I touch it

Sorrowful, withdrawn, shunning intimacy

ما إِن بِها لِيَ غَيرُ سَيفي صاحِبٌ

وَذِراعُ حَرفٍ كَالهِلالِ وَسادي

I have no company but my sword

And an arm that bends like the crescent moon lies prone

وَلَقَد أَرى أَن لَيسَ ذاكَ بِنافِعي

ما عِشتُ عِندَكِ في هَوىً وَوِدادِ

And I see that is no use to me

As long as I live devoted to you in passion and love

إِلّا الرَجاءَ وَقَد أَنى لِيَ أَن أَدى

طَمَعاً بِكُم وَرِضاً بِغَيرِ سَدادِ

Only hope remains, though I weary of

Pursuing you, content with less than perfection