ليتها إذ قاسَمَتْكَ العِناقا

علّمَتْكَ الصبرَ لا الاشتياقا

If only when she bid farewell

She had taught you endurance, not yearning,

لِنُسائلْ مِعْصَمَيْنا فإِنَّا

ما نطقنا مذ عرفنا الفراقا

Let us blame our wrists, for we

Have not spoken since we knew parting.

كم على جيدٍ وخصرٍ أُدِيرَا

مَرَّةً عِقْداً وأُخرى نِطاقا

How often round a cheek and waist

I would turn a necklace, and at other times, a sash,

وكأَنَّ الحُسْنَ آلاتُ خَرْطٍ

أَبرَزَتْ في الصَّدْرِ منها حِقَاقا

As if beauty were musical instruments

Projecting from the chests pieces joined together.

سَفَرَتْ عن بدرِ تِمٍ فلما

نُبِّبَتْ كان النّقابُ المِحَاقا

She traveled from a full moon. When

She was brought together, the veil was the unifier.

وجرت في قمرِ الخدِّ منها

عبرةٌ كانت عليهِ انشقاقا

And down the moon-like cheek of hers

Ran a teardrop; it was as if it split it.

حاكمٌ أظهرَ للعَدْل فينا

كلَّ ما لاقَ بعقلٍ وراقا

A ruler who showed justice to us

However much it agreed with a sound mind.

حكمةٌ لو عاقنا الدهرُ عنها

كان عن حكمةِ لقانَ عاقا

Wisdom - if the vicissitudes of fate denied it to us

It would lack the wisdom of Luqman the Sage.

نثرَ التأويلَ دُرّاً ولكن

غاصَ من علمٍ بحاراً دقاقا

He scattered interpretation liberally like pearls

But dived into oceans of profound knowledge.

يَدُهُ للمال إلفٌ غَضُوبٌ

كلما واصَل شاء افتراقا

His hand was violently prone to money;

Whenever he associated, he desired separation.

تأْبِقُ الأموالُ عن راحتيهِ

بندىً عَلَّمَهُنَّ الإباقا

Wealth escapes from his comfort

Dew taught it evasion.