أَيَطْلُبُ كَيْدِي مَنْ يَهُونُ كِيَادُهُ

فَيُوقِدُ نَاراً مِثْلَ نارِ الحُباحِبِ

Does he who finds my schemes easy seek to kindle

A fire like the fires of fervent lovers?

لَقَدْ رَامَ صَعْبًا لَمْ يَرُمْهُ شَبِيهُهُ

وَرَاضَ شَمُوساً لا يَذِلُّ لِرَاكِبِ

He has attempted a difficult thing, none like him has tried it,

And agreed to suns that no rider can subdue.

صَغُرْتَ عَنِ الأَمْرِ الَّذِي رُمْتَ فِعْلَهُ

فَطَالَعْتَنِي بِالضّغْنِ مِنْ كُلَّ جَانِبِ

You shrank from the matter you attempted,

So you have oppressed me from every side.

وَأَظْهَرْتَ لِي حُبَّاً يَطِيفُ بِهِ قِلىً

كَخَائِبِ بَرْقٍ فِي عِراضِ سَحائِبِ

And you have shown me a love that touches my heart

Like the gleam of lightning in thick clouds.

أَتَعْقدُ لِي كَيْدَ النَّسَاءِ بِمَرْصَدٍ

وَإنِّي فَتِيُّ السِّنِّ شَيْخُ التَّجارِبِ

Do you plot against me the wiles of women in ambush

When I am a young man, old in experience?

أَلاَ رُبَّما عَزَّتْ عَلَى الْحازِمِ الَّذِي

تَرَاهَا بِكَفَّيْهِ فَرِيسَةَ طالِبِ

Oh, sometimes the resolution of the circumspect man

Before whom she is prey escapes him.

تُكَشّفُ لِي الأَيَّامُ مِنْكَ معَايِباً

وَقَدْ جُرِّيَتْ لاَشَكَّ أَخْزَى المَعَايِبِ

Days reveal your faults to me,

Without doubt the most shameful faults.

فَأَصْبَحْتَ مَقْهُوراً وََعادَتْكَ نَكْبَةٌ

تَشَكّي إليك الشَّوْقَ شَكْوَى الْحَبايِبِ

So you have become downcast and misfortune has befallen you,

Which complains to you with lovers' passion.

وَكُنْتُ إذَا عَاتٍ تَعَبَّثَ جَهْلُهُ

عَبَثْتُ لَهُ بِالمُرْهِفَاتِ القَوَاضِبِ

Whenever a fool was enamored, I sported with him

With glances swift as lightning.

وكَمْ مِنْ جَلِيدٍ رامَ مَا رُمْتَ فانثَنَى

وَقَد لَبَسْتْهُ مُتْلِفَاتُ الْعَقَارِبِ

And how many rigid men essayed what you essayed, then retreated,

Though they wore the honeyed words of subtle spiders!