ذكرتكمُ عند الزُّلالِ على الظَّمَا

فلم أنتفعْ من وِرْدِهِ ببلالِ

I remembered you at the spring amid the shadows,

but gained no benefit from its flowing water.

وحدَّثتُ نفسي بالأمانِيّ ضَلَّةً

وليس حديثُ النفسِ غيرَ ضَلالِ

I spoke to myself with lost hopes,

for the speech of the soul is but going astray.

أواعِدُهَا قربَ اللقاءِ ودونَها

مواعيدُ دهرٍ مولعٍ بمَطالِ

It promised me nearness of meeting, but beyond it

are the promises of an age bent on delay.

يقَرُّ بعيني الركبُ من نحو أرضِكم

يَزِجُّونَ عِيساً قُيِّدَتْ بكلالِ

My eyes watch the caravan coming from your land.

They move slowly, their anklets bound with rings.

أطارحهُمْ جِدَّ الحديثِ وهزلَهُ

لأحبِسَهمْ عن سيرِهم بمقالي

I address them seriously or lightly

to detain them from their travel with my words.

أسائلُ عمَّنْ لا أُحبُّ وإنَّما

أريدُكمُ من بينهمْ بسؤالي

I ask about those I do not love, just so

I can pick you out from among them in my questions.

فيعثُرُ ما بينَ السؤالِ ورجعهِ

لساني بكم حتَّى ينُمَّ بحالي

So between the question and its answer

my tongue stumbles over you until my state is revealed.

وأطوي على ما تعلمونَ جوانحي

وأُظهرُ للعُذَّالِ أنيَ سَالي

And I fold what you know of my wings,

and show the spy that I have slipped away.

ولا والذي عافاكمُ وابتلى بكمْ

فؤاديَ ما اجتازَ السُّلوُّ بِبالي

By Him who restored you to health and tested my heart with you,

never has my heart transgressed with my thoughts of you.