هَوِيتُ فَقَالُوا لِي تَسَلَّ أَو ارعَوِ

وكَيفُ تسَلِّي ذِي هَوًى بَعدَ أن هَوِي

They told me to forget or beware

But how can one who loves forget love after having loved?

كَلِفتُ بِمَن أسقَى فُؤَادِيَّ حُبُّهَا

غَرَامَينِ بَينِيًّا وآخَرَ مَغنَوِي

I was burdened with one whose love quenched my heart

My passion was for a beauty and for one who sings

سَبَاني ظبي سَاحِرُ اللَّحظِ فَاتِرٌ

بِلَونَينِ فِيهِ أسنَوِىٍّ وأَلمَوِي

A gazelle enchanted me, with languid glance and charm

Of two colors in it, one dark and one bright

رُكًَامِيُّ أردَافٍ عُقَارِىُّ رِيقَةٍ

عَلَى المِسكِ واليَاقُوتِ والرَّاحِ مُحتَوِ

Smooth-cheeked, velvet-thighed, scented breath

Of musk, ruby, and spirits she is redolent

بَدَا لِيَ مِنهُ في تَدلُّلِهِ اجتِواً

وإني لِمَن هُوَّ اجتَوَاني لُمجتَوِ

I saw her flirting, wiggling, teasing me

And I who am teased by coquetry am helpless

جَفَاني بَلا ذَنبٍ لأرضاءِ غَادِرٍ

غَوِيٍّ وَأمسَى خَادِمَ الغَادِرِ الغَوِي

Without cause he shunned me to please a traitor

Misguided and became the slave of an unguided traitor

أُنَادِيهِ بِالمصبَاحِ مِثل مَفَازَةٍ

وَلَم يَدر اللهُ مَا هُو مَنتَوِ

I call him by lamplight like a desert traveler lost

But God knows not what he intends

أغَدَّارُ لاَ تَتعَب فَلَستَ بِشَاعِرٍ

فَصاحِب مَذَاقاً وَأحسُ حَيساً أو أدَّوِ

Inconstant one, do not weary yourself, for you are no poet

So seek a man of taste who feels or composes finest verse

بُلِيتَ بِدَاءٍ مِن هِجَائِىَ مُعضِلٍ

دوي وَدَاءٍ فِيكَ مِن حُمُقٍ دوي

You are afflicted with a fatal illness from my biting satire

An illness in you from stupidity ever-flowing

فَنَعلُكُ قَد زَلَّت وأصبَحَتَ هَاوياً

كَما قَد هَوَى مِن قُلَّةِ النِّيقِ مَنهَوِ

Your shoes have slipped and you have fallen headlong

As one of little propriety fell in his swooning

فَأصلُكَ مَذمُومٌ وَفرعُكَ ذِلَّةٌ

وَهُونُكً مُخضَرٌّ ومَجدُكَ قَد ذوي

So your origin is condemned and your branch disgraced

Your present is vile while your glory is faded

وَبطنُكَ مَملُوءٌ وَضيفُكَ جَائِعٌ

وَفسِقُكَ مَنبي ودِينُكَ قَد خوي

Your belly is filled but your guest is hungry

Your debauchery flourishes but your religion is diminished

ومَالُكُ مَحمىٌّ وعِرضُكُ ضَائِعٌ

وَهَجوُكُ مَنشُورٌ ومَدحُكَ مُنطَوِ

Your wealth is hoarded while your honor is lost

Your slander flourishes but praise of you is folded

وَإن تُدعَ لِلجُلَّى انزَوَيتَ مُحَاذِراً

وَتَنقَادُ لِلعَورَاءِ وَمَدحُكَ مُنطُوِ

If called to a party, you shy away cautiously

But are led by the blind while praise of you is folded

وَلَو كُنتَ حَيًّا مُتَّ انزَويتَ مُحَاذِراً

يَضُرُّ الهِجَاءُ الحَىَّ والبَشَرَ السوي

If you were alive when called you'd shy away cautiously

Satire hurts the living and the sound person

طَلَبتَ مِنَ الدَّجَّالِ هَدياً وَرِفعَةً

فَأُغرِقتَ في بَحرِ الضَّلاَلاَتِ والهوي

You sought from the deceiver a gift and promotion

So you drowned in an ocean of misguidance and passion

وَقَد خَسِرَ الدًّنيَا والآخرَةَ امرُؤٌ

أتَاهُ لأمرٍ دِنيوي أو أُخروي

A man who came to a worldly or religious matter has lost

Both this world and the next

أمَن ضَمَّ خُبثاً مَعنَوِيًّا وَظَاهِراً

إِلَى خُبثِ أصلٍ ظَاهِرِىٍّ وَمَعنوي

Who gathered inward and outward wickedness

To inward and outward wickedness of origin?

وحُلِّىءَ عَن بَحرِ التَّعَلُّمِ فَانثَنَى

وَطُرِّدَ عَن نَهجِ التَعَبُّدِ واجتوي

And was prevented from the sea of learning, so he recoiled

And was expelled from the path of devotion, and was passionate

وَشُلَّ عَنِ التَّقوي إِلَى أن بَدَت بِ

عَلاَمَاتُ كُفرٍ بِالوِلاَيةِ احروي

And was lax in piety until the signs appeared in him

Of disbelief in loyalty. Shun him!

فَلَستَ وَإن ظَنُّوكَ كٌفئاً مُكَافِئاً

فَلَيسَ النَّضِيرُ الغَضُّ كَالكَلأِ اللوي

You are not, though they reckon you an equivalent

For faded weed is not like luxuriant herbage

وِإنَّ امرَءاً لَم يَغشَ مُقلَتَه العَمَى

ولَيسَ عَلَى المَذمُومِ مِن كَذِبٍ طوي

A man, his blindness does not deceive

Is not to be blamed for lies he does voice

يَرى السِّيدَ في بَيدَائِهِ مُتضَوِّراً

مَعَ اللَّيثِ في عَرِّيسِهِ غَيرُ مُستوي

He sees the master in his coarse mantle

With the lion in his den, though unequal