لست بصاب إلى معذر

بل انا في حبه معذر

I am not one to apologize,

Rather I apologize for loving him.

لا اعشق الظبي ذا لجام

لانه في الظباء منكر

I do not love the young gazelle

For he is forbidden among the gazelles.

اهواه والخد منه صبح

حتى اذا ما دجا تغير

I love him whose cheek is the dawn

Until the darkness changes him.

احسن ما فيه ان تراه

بين مهاة وبين جؤذر

The best thing about him is to see him

Between temptation and chastity,

متوجاً لمة تبدى

بتاج كسرى وملك قيصر

Crowned with the turban that appears

With Kisra's crown and Caesar's kingdom.

ان ماس فالمرط منه مثر

بما حوى والوشاح معسر

If he is wrong, the handkerchief reveals

What it contained and the scarf is tight.

يرفق بالخلق حين يغضي

وينظر الموت حين ينظر

He is gentle with people when he frowns

And looks at death when he looks.

متى يلم عاذل عليه

يبدو له وجهه فيعذر

Whenever a critic blames him,

His face appears to him so he apologizes.

كم علني الراح ثم حيا

احوى مريض الجفون احور

How the winds embraced me then gave me life,

I contained the sick eyelids’ fever.

كأنما سحر وجنتيه

نوم اجفانه لتسهر

As if his eyelid sleep had cast a spell

On my eyelids to keep them awake.

مازلت اشتفها ونقلي

طلاه والمبسم المجوهر

I still yearn for his image and my transport,

His radiance and his shining smile.

امكن من طرة وتغر

فصرت في جنة وكوثر

I succeeded in plucking a bouquet and a bud

So I was in heaven and Kauthar.