عَجباً يا للرِجالِ

فاسمعُوا شرحاً لحالي

How strange are men!

Listen to my state.

رُبَّ يومٍ درتُ فيه

خلفَ حتفي باحتيالي

Many a day I have spent

Hunting my prey by guile.

ظَلتُ ممنوّاً بظبيٍ

يرتعِي روضَ الدّلالِ

I remained desiring a gazelle

Grazing in meadows of beauty.

يتهادى بقوامٍ

كمُنيفاتِ العوالي

Swaying with a slender shape

Like the pliant boughs of eucalyptus.

يَنثني عُجباً بجيدٍ

عاطلٍ بالحسنِ حالي

Bending in wonder at a beautiful face

While my heart pined in passion.

ناظرٌ نحوي بِطرفٍ

فاعلٌ فعلَ النِّصالِ

Glancing at me with an eye

That works like a sharp arrow.

فرماني عن سقيمٍ

بصحيحاتِ النِّبالِ

He pierced my ailing heart

With his healthy, potent arrows.

فاعجبُوا من ذي سقامٍ

صَحَّ في وقتِ النِّضالِ

Marvel how one who was sick

Regained health at time of trial!

رمتهُ عندي قنيصاً

راسفاً في قيدِ مالي

I discarded him like a shirt

Rent by grief for my money.

دمتُ في أعمالِ فكري

ساعةً حتى أتى لي

I deliberated in my thoughts

For a time until he came to me.

وتحرّيتُ بسؤلي

وقتَ ادراكِ سُؤالِ

I questioned him carefully

To understand his request.

ثم بادرتُ اليهِ

باحتيالٍ واعتمالِ

Then I approached him

With guile and pretense,

حابلاً يرمي حِبالاً

فرماني في الجِبالِ

Like an archer who shoots arrows

And hit him in the mountains.

ثمَّ ناجاني بقولٍ

من فصيحات المقالِ

Then he whispered to me with words

Of eloquent speech,

كيفَ يصطادُ غزالاً

من غدا صيدَ غزالِ

"How can one hunt a gazelle

Who will become the hunted tomorrow?"