أَعْذَرَ لَفْظُ الْمُحِّب بالْعُذْر
وَاخْتَلَطَ السِّرُّ مِنْهُ بالْجَهْرِ
The lover's words are excused for their excess
And the secret is mixed with the overt
وبِعْتُ أَرْضَ الْعِراقِ بَيْعَةَ مَغْ
بُونٍ فَجَمَّتْ بلابِلُ الصَّدْرِ
I sold the land of Iraq in haste
So my confusions overwhelmed my heart
وَسَائِلٍ لاَ يَزَالُ عَنْ خَبَرِي
إِسْمَعْ فَما بِي يَجِلُّ عَنْ قَدْرِ
With one who won't cease asking of my news
Listen! Nothing makes me conceal my worth
فَارَقْتُ مَغْنىً مُذَكَّراً بِهَوىً
يَلْذَعُ قَلْبِي بِعارِضِ الذِّكْرِ
I left a beloved who reminded me of passion
That bites at my heart with memories
وَجِئْتُ أَرْضاً تَسُوء سَاكِنَهَا
وَتُبْدلُ الْيُسْرَ مِنْهُ بِالْعُسْرِ
And came to a land that tries its dweller
Changing ease for him into distress
يَضْحي بِهَا ثَاكِلاً لِلذَّتِهِ
مُقَلِّباً قَلْبَهُ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ
Where one gives up his joys
Turning his heart upon embers
عُرْضَةُ نَتْنٍ يَحُفُّهَا جَبَلٌ
يَقْطُنُ فِيهَا الْهُمُومُ بالْقَطْرِ
A place of decay surrounded by mountains
Where sorrows settle with rain
يَجِيءُ فِي غَيْرِ حِينِهِ أَبَداً
وَالسَّهْلُ فِيها مَشَاكِلُ الْوَعْرِ
That comes always at the wrong time
And its plains are filled with ruggedness
شِتَاؤُهَا حَتْفُ مَنْ يَقَرُّ بِهَا
بِثَلْجِهَا الْمُسْتَدَرِّ وَالْقَرِّ
Its winter means death to those who stay
With its icy, bitter cold
وَشَمْسُها فِي الْمَصِيفِ مَحْرِقَةٌ
تَقِيدُ نِيرانُهَا عَلَى الصَّخْرِ
Its summer sun is scorching
Chaining its fires upon rock
عَجَزْتَ يَا مُحْصِيَ الْعُيُوبِ بِهَا
قَدْكَ أَتُحْصِي عَجَائِبَ الْبَحْرِ
You faltered, O enumerator of its flaws
Before you enumerate the sea's wonders
سُمِّيتِ الْمُوْصِلَ الْمُوَاصِلَةَ الْ
حُزْنِ لَمَّا جَاءَهَا عَلَى خُبْرِ
I named it the joiner of sorrow
When the news came that I must go there
إِنْ أَذِنَ اللهُ فِي الرَّحِيلِ فَقَدْ
أَعِيدَ طَيُّ السُّرُورِ ذَا نَشْرِ
If God permits departure, joy will return
As I seek pleasure to comfort my loss
لأَقْتَضِي لَذَّةً مُطْلِتُ بِهَا
يَعُودُ رِبْحِي فِيها إلَى خُسْرِ
And drink wine from its vessels
Until the gloom turns bright as dawn
وَأَجْتَلِي الْخَمْر فِي غِلائِلِها
حَتَّى يُفْرِّي غِلاَلَةَ الفَجْرِ
With a close friend who my devotion knows
Is permitted, not forbidden pleasure
وَشَادِنٍ مَلَكَتْهُ خَالِصَتِي
إِباحَةً لاَ تُشانَ بِالْحَظْرِ
Its cups shine like lightning
In his hand or like nuggets of gold
تَلْمَعُ كَاسَاتُهُ كَبَارِقَةٍ
فِي كَفِّهِ أَوْ كَذَائِبِ التِّبْرِ
I've sacrificed the faith my virtues raised
With the sin and guilt he leads me toward
فَدَيْتُ مَنْ بِعْثُ فِي مَحَاسِنِهِ
دِينِيَ بِالإِثْمِ فِيهِ وَالْوِزْرِ
By a night whose worth surpasses
Even the Night of Power's regard
وَلَيْلَةٍ يُنْتَجُ السُّؤَالُ بِهَا
يَصْغُرُ قَدْراً عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
On it I was blessed by one who aided me
And grasped the rope of union against separation's brink
سَعِدْتُ فِيها بِذِي مُسَاعَدَةٍ
أَقْبِضُ بِالْوَصْلِ مَهْجَةَ الْهَجْرِ
Reveling in sin without relying on it
Pretending drunkenness to conceal intention's purpose
أَغْتَرُّ بِالذَّنْبِ غَيْرَ مُعْتَمِدٍ
مَوِّهَ صَحْوُ الْمُرادِ بِالسُّكْرِ
O what an envied night it was
Among the epochs the finest epoch ever known
يا لَكِ مِنْ لَيْلَةٍ مُحَسَّدَةٍ
تُعَدُّ فِي الدَّهْرِ غُرَّةَ الدَّهْرِ
Bring back the days of youth in their grandeur
For old age has no excuse
أَحْيِ بِدَهْرِ الشَّبَابِ دَوْلَتَهُ
فَمَا لِدَهْرِ المَشِيبِ مِنْ عُذْرِ
