أَشكُو إليكَ بغائبٍ لا يقدَمُ

وصَبابَةٍ من ذِكرِه لا تُعدَمُ

I complain to you of one who is absent, who does not come forward,

And of a youthfulness that does not cease being remembered,

كَلِفٍ بمطل زيارةٍ موقوتةٍ

من دُونها للبُعد بابٌ مُبهَمُ

Bound to fulfill a promised visit,

Without which the way to remoteness is obscure,

أَطلق مطيَّتَهُ وخَلِّ سَبيلَهُ

ودَعِ الوُشاةَ لِسُوءِ ما تتوهّمُ

Set his riding beast free and leave it be,

And ignore the evil that you imagine,

أَنّي تحيدُ عن العَلاء وأَنت مِن

شَرفٍ من القَوم الذين همُ همُ

That I deviate from the highborn while you are from

A noble people who are the main concern,

وأَنا الذي إن شئتَ وصفَ مودَّتي

لم آتِ منها بالّذي لا تَعلَمُ

And I, if you wished to describe my affection,

Would not come up with that which you do not know,

وإن اقتصرتُ فقد كَفاني وَصفها

بَيتٌ عليَّ من اللّيالي مُعلَمُ

And if I were terse, sufficing in describing it would be

A house marked on me by the nights,

وقفَ الهَوى بي حيثُ أَنت فليسَ لي

مُتأخّرٌ عنهُ ولا مُتَقدّمُ

Passion stopped me where you are, so I have

Neither one left behind nor one gone ahead,