خُذ حديثَ الشوق عن نَفَسي

وعن الدمعِ الذي همعا

Take the words of longing from my soul

And of the tears that streamed

ما ترى شوقي قد اتَّقدا

وهمى بالدمعِ واطَّردا

See how my longing has ignited

And my worries have intensified with tears

واغتدى قلبي عليكَ سدى

آه من ماءٍ ومن قبسِ

And my heart has vainly transgressed against you

Oh, the water and the burning ember

بين طَرْفي والحشا جمعا

بأبي ريمٌ إذا سفرا

Between my eyelids and the wilderness brought together

By my father, traveling camels when they depart

أَطلعتْ أزرارُهُ قمرا

فاحذروه كلَّما نظرا

Their buttons shine like the moon

So beware whenever they look

فبألحاظِ الجفونِ قِسِيْ

أنا منها بعضُ مَنْ صرعا

For with the glances of the eyelids I was brought down

I am one of those who were felled

أرتضيه جارَ أو عدلا

قد خلعتُ العُذْرَ والعَذَلا

I would accept him as a neighbor or justly

I have removed excuses and refusals

إنما شوقي إليه فلا

كم وكم أشكو إلى اللَّعْسِ

Indeed my longing for him so no

How much and how much do I complain to misery

ظمأي لو أنه نفعا

ضلَّ عبد الله بالحور

My thirst wishing it would help

Abdullah was lost with the nymphs

وبطرفٍ فاترِ النظر

حُكمه في أَنفسِ البشر

And with a languid glance

His rule over human selves

مثلُ حكمِ الصبحِ في الغَلَس

إن تجلى نورُهُ صدعا

Is like the rule of dawn over darkness

If his light shines it splits

شبَّهَتْهُ بالرّشا الأمَمُ

فلعمري إنهم ظاعوا

The nations compared him to fine rain

By my life they went astray

فتغنَّى مَنْ به السقم

أين ظبيُ القفرِ والكُنُسِ

So he who was ill with him sang his praises

Where is the gazelle of the wilderness and seclusion

منْ غزالٍ في الحشا رتعا

From a gazelle grazing in the wilderness