أَأَغصانُ بانٍ ما أَرى أَم شَمائلُ

وأَقمارُ تمٍ ما تَضمُ الغَلائِلُ

Are those branches of a bān tree that I see, or profiles

And moons of a tamm wood that conceal the covers?

وبيضٌ رِقاقٌ أم جفونٌ فواترُ

وسمرٌ دِقاقٌ أَم قدودٌ قواتِلُ

Are those thin, delicate slices or languid eyelids?

Is that dark brown slender or deadly spears?

وتلك نبالٌ أَم لحاظٌ رواشقٌ

لها هدفٌ مني الحَشَا والمقاتِلُ

Are those arrows or polished sword blades

That have as their target my very heart and mind?

بروحي أَفدي شَادِناً قد أَلفتُه

غدوتُ وبي شُغْلٌ من الوجدِ شاغِلُ

I would ransom my soul to redeem our Shādān, whom I love;

My heart is captivated by passion for him.

أَميرُ جمالٍ والملاحُ جنودُهُ

يجور علينا قدُّه وهو عَادِلُ

He is a prince of beauty, and his soldiers are the stars;

His stature does him justice, and he is most just.

له حاجب عن مقلتى حَجَبَ الكرى

وناظره الفتان في القلبِ عامِلُ

He has an eyebrow that blocks my gaze from seeing him,

While his glancing eye works wonders in my heart.

رفعتُ غِليه قصةَ الدمعِ شاكياً

فوقَّع يجري فهو في الخدِ سائِلْ

I raised to him the story of my flowing tears complaining;

He dashed off his signature, while my cheek was questioning.

شكوتُ فما أَلَوى وقلت فما صنعى

وجدَّ بقلبي حُبه وهو هَازِلُ

I complained, but he paid no heed, and I spoke, but to no avail;

He made his love knot fast in my heart, though still flirting.

طَويل التواني دَلُّه متواترٌ

مديدُ التجني وافر الحسنِ كامِلُ

He is slow to approach, his charms are many,

Prolonging his favors, perfect and complete.

أُطارحه بالنحو يوماً تعللاً

فيبدو وللاعرابِ منه دلائِلُ

I take him to task grammatically, seeking pretext,

So his linguistic errors and declensions appear.

وَيرفع وصلي وهو مفعول في الهَوى

وينصب هَجري عامداً وهو فاعِلُ

He conjugates his love, though he be the object,

And he makes my estrangement the active subject.

تفقهتُ في عِشقي له مثل ما غدا

خبيراً بأَحكامِ الخلافِ يجادِلُ

I gained expertise in my love for him, like one

Debating the legal views of dissenting scholars.

فيا مالكي ما ضرَّ لو كنت شافعي

بوصلكَ فافعل بي كما أَنتَ فاعِلُ

So my master, what harm if I were a Shāfiʿite,

While through your union you make me as you desire?

فاني حنيفٌ بالهَوى متخبلٌ

بعشقكَ لا أُصغي وانْ قالَ قَائِلُ

For I profess God’s unity in love, crazed

With passion for you, heedless what the critics say.