تَرَكتُ الشَّاهَ خشيةَ أن أكُونَا

من اللاِّئِى عَلَيه يُسَكِّكُونَا

I left the king fearing that we would be

Among the women on whom they mint his image

وخَشيَةَ أن أكُونَ كَمِثلِ شِيبٍ

إِذَا قِيمَ الأتَاىُ يُسحرِّوُنَا

And fearing that I would be like an old man named Shayb

When the young men gather, they entrance him

حَدِيثُهُم الأَتَاىُ ولاَ تَرَاهُم

بِغَيرِ حَدِيثِهم يَتَحَدَّثُونَا

Their talk is of the young men, and they do not speak

Of aught but their talk to entrance us

وخَشيَةَ أن أكُونَ نَدِيمَ آمٍ

أُنَادِ مُهُنَّ أبكَاراً وعُونَا

And fearing that I would be a boon companion of hope

I call, degrading chaste youths and helping us

وخَشيَةَ أن أُجَالِسَ كُلَّ نَذلٍ

يَجُرَّ ِإلَىَّ مَنقَصَةً وهُونَا

And fearing that I sit with every despicable person

Who drags deficiencies and humiliation to me

وخَشيَةَ أن أكُونَ أخَادُيُونٍ

ولَم أرَ مَا بِه أقضِى الدُّيونَا

And fearing that I would be stingy

And I did not see what would pay our debts

وخَشيَةَ أن يَكُونَ بَيَاضُ وَجهِى

سَوَاداً لاَ تُغَيِّرُهُ السِّنُونَا

And fearing that the whiteness of my face

Would be blackness, unchanging with years

فَهَذَا مُا قُلتُه فِيهِ ولَكِن

أرَاني قَد جُنِنتُ بِهِ جُنُونَا

So this is what I said about it, but

I see I have gone mad with it, madness