أقمار حُسن من الأتراك لاذوا بي

إن رُمت يا روح تخليصاً فلا ذوبي

Moons of beauty from the Turks took refuge in me

If my soul longed for deliverance, may it not melt away

مالت قدودهم تُغري لواحظهم

واستأثروا كلّ مطعون ومضروب

Their slender bodies leaned, their glances tempting

And they monopolized every stabbed and beaten one

شدوا مناطقهم أرخوا ذوائبهم

فلم نزل بين مسبول ومسلوب

They tightened their belts, let down their braids

Yet still we remained between stripped and robbed

كم عذبوا القلبَ تقطيعاً بلا سبب

ما ضرّ لو قطعوا بالوصل تعذيبي

How they tortured the heart with causeless fragmentation

It would not have harmed if they had cut with connection my torture

رفعت كسري مُذ للبُعد قد نَصَبُوا

قلبي فما جزموا عطفاً بتقريبي

I raised my wine cup since they set up distance

My heart still not certain of drawing near me

كم ذا يقايس منهم يوسف حسن

وليس غيري يقاسي حزن يعقوب

How many of them resemble Joseph in beauty

And none but me suffers Jacob's sorrow

يا عاذلاً ظل يهذي بي عدمتك هل

ترجو بجهلك تهذيبي فتهذي بي

O critic! The shadow of your absence raved within me

Do you hope with your ignorance to refine me and rave at me?

جرّبت مَن عذلوا لم ألقهم عدلوا

دعني على سفن تجريبي لتجري بي

I have tried those who blamed, I did not find them blameless

Let me be on ships that sail with me