لَيسَ المُقَصِّرُ وانِياً كَالمُقصرِ

حُكمُ المُعَذَّرِ غَيرُ حُكمِ المُعذرِ

The hesitant is not like the negligent.

The judgment of the excused is not the judgment of the excuser.

لَو كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَّ لَحظَكِ موبِقي

لَحَذَرتُ مِن عَينَيكِ ما لَم أَحذَرِ

Had I known your glance was my demise,

I would have guarded against your eyes, which I did not guard.

لا تَحسَبي دَمعي تَحَدَّرَ إِنَّما

نَفسي جَرَت في دَمعِيَ المُتَحَدِّرِ

Do not suppose my tears cascaded, rather

My soul flowed in my descending tears.

خَبَري خُذيهِ عَن الضَنى وَعَنِ البُكا

لَيسَ اللِسانُ وَإِن تَلِفتُ بِمُخبِرِ

Take my news from grief and from weeping,

The tongue is not eloquent, though it twists with an informer.

وَلَقَد نَظَرتُ فَرَدَّ طَرفي خاسِئاً

حَذَرُ العِدى وَبَهاءُ ذاكَ المَنظَرِ

And I did look, so he averted his glance disdainfully -

Fearing harm, and the radiance of that sight.

يَأسي يُحَسِّنُ لي التَسَتُّرَ فَاِعلَمي

لَو كُنتُ أَطمَعُ فيكِ لَم أَتَسَتَّرِ

My despair makes concealment good for me, so know,

If I hoped in you, I would not have concealed.