ما فَتَّحَ النَورُ إِلّا أَشرَقَ النورُ

فَما اِشتِغالُكَ وَالمَنثورُ مَنثورُ

Whenever light has opened, light has shone bright

So why are you so busy while prose is scattered about?

وَلِلرَبيعِ رُبوعٌ كُلَّما ضَحِكَت

بَكى عَلى نَشَواتِ الخَمرِ مَخمورُ

And for spring there are meadows, whenever it smiles

The drunk weeps for the joys of wine.

أَما دِمَشقُ فَجَنّاتٌ مُعَجَّلَةٌ

لِلطالِبينَ بِها الوِلدانُ وَالحورُ

As for Damascus, it has gardens brought forth quickly

For those who seek the youths and maidens there.

ما صاحَ فيها عَلى أَوتارِهِ قَمَرٌ

إِلّا وَغَنّاهُ قُمَرِيٌّ وَشَحرورُ

No moon has sung on its strings there

Except a moonlike one and Shahrur has sung it.

يا حَبَّذا وَدُروعُ الماءِ تَنسُجُها

أَنامِلُ الريحِ لَولا أَنَها زورُ

Oh how wonderful, the shields of water woven

By the fingers of wind, if only they were not false.

وَيحُ اللَوائِمِ في لَونِ اللَمى حَسَداً

حَتّى مَتى أَنا مَحسودٌ وَمهجورُ

The blamers envy the color of radiance out of spite

How long will I be envied and abandoned?

هُم عارَضوني عَلى حُبّي لِعارِضِهِ

وَمَن أَحَبَّ عِذاراً فَهوَ مَعذورُ

They turned me away from loving the one who turned away

And whoever loves gently, he is excused.