في طاعَةِ النَّديمِ

وَفِي هَوى الحِسَانْ

In obeying the critic

And in the passion of love

عَصَيْتُ كُلَّ عاذِلْ

ودِنْتُ بافْتِتانْ

I disobeyed every chider

And obeyed with infatuation

أمَّا أنا فَما لي

عَنِ الهَوى مَحِيْصْ

As for me, I have no escape

From passion

فُتِنتُ في غَزالِ

صَعْب الرِّضى حَريصْ

I am infatuated with a gazelle

Difficult to please and eager

ظَلْتُ عَلى احْتِيالي

في كفِّهِ قَنِيصْ

I remained scheming

In his grasp a shirt

ذُو مَنْظرٍ وَسِيْمِ

مِن فَوقِ خُوطِ بانْ

With a beautiful appearance

Above embroidered clothes

يَخْتالُ في غَلائِلْ

مالي بِها يَدانْ

Swaying in tresses

I have no control over them

يا مَنْ لِمُسْتهامِ

مِنْ جَوْرِ ذا الغُلامْ

O He who is sworn by

The injustice of this lad

يَغْتالُني مَنامي

يَسُومُني سَقامْ

Who robs me of my sleep

And makes me sick

قَدْ عاثَ في الأنامِ

بأضْرُبِ الغَرامْ

He has corrupted people

With every kind of passion

أجْوَرُ من سَدُوم

يَعْدو مَدى الزَّمانْ

More unjust than Sodom

Running the course of time

على فُؤادِ ذاهِلْ

أطوَعَ مِنْ عِنانْ

To the heart of an ignorant man

More obedient than a rein

عُلِّقْتُهُ غَزالا

للرُّومِ مُنْتَهاهْ

I hung him as a gazelle

With the Romans his destination

زَنَّارهُ اسْتَمالا

حِلمي إلى صِباهْ

His belt enticed me

To my youthful restraint

إن قالَ لي مَقالا

لَمْ أدْرِ ما عَناهْ

If he said something to me

I wouldn't understand his meaning

أوْ أشْتكي هُمُومي

لم يَدْرِ ما عَنانْ

Or if I complained of my worries

He wouldn't know what's wrong

فالقَلْبُ في حَبائِلْ

أيدي هواهُ عانْ

For the heart is in the snares

Of his passionate hands

أقْسَمتُ بالأناجِلْ

وحُرْمَةِ المَسِيحْ

I swore by the Gospels

And the sanctity of Christ

ما إنْ أُطِيْعُ عاذِلْ

فيكَ ولا نَصيحْ

That I will not obey the chider

Regarding you or take advice

فكَمْ وكَمْ تُماطِلْ

ذا لَوْعةٍ قَرِيحْ

So how much longer will you procrastinate

O one burning with agony

قد امَّحَتْ رُسُومي

سُقْماً عن العَيانْ

My features have been distorted

With sickness from the eyes

فارْحَمْ أنين ناحِلْ

لولاهُ ما اسْتَبانْ

So have mercy on the moaning of a weak man

Without it, nothing is clear

قلْ كيفَ يَسْتريحُ

صَبٌّ متَيَّمُ

Tell me, how can one feel at ease

A love-struck youth

لِسانُهُ فَصيحُ

والحُبُّ أعْجَمُ

Whose tongue is eloquent

But love incomprehensible

ها حالَتِي تَلُوحُ

فَهَلْ مُتَرجِمُ

Is there anyone to translate?

A boy whom Rome loved

صُبَيّ عَشَقتْ رُومي

وِشْ نَحْفَظ اللسانْ

How can we restrain the tongue

At times I do not complain

السَّاعَ ما نشاكِلْ

عاشِقْ بِتُرْجُمانْ

Of a lover with no translator