الذَنبُ ذَنبَكَ وَالقَصاصُ عَلى الشَقي

وَاللَهُ مثلكِ في الهَوى لَم أَلتَقي

The sin is your sin, and vengeance is upon the wretched one

By God, I have never met anyone like you in love

أَخلَفتِ مِيعادي وَخالَفتِ الهَوى

وَلما غَضبتِ عَلى الخَليل الأَصدَقِ

You missed my rendezvous and went against love

And when you were angry with your most loyal friend

وَأَضَعتِ حَقي تَدعين ضَلالَةً

في مَسلَكي مِن لي بِحُكم مُحقَقِ

You denied my rights, claiming to be led astray

In my desire, who will judge me as right?

كلفي جَهَلتِ وَما اِكتَرَثتِ بِفاقَتي

وَحَسبتِ ذُلي خِدعَةَ المُتَمَلِقِ

You blamed me in ignorance and did not care for my poverty

And reckoned my humility to be the flattery of a sycophant

وَحَرَقتِ قَلبي وَهُوَ حَولَكِ حائِمٌ

مِثلَ الفَراشِ يَجنُّ إِن لَم يَحرِقِ

You inflamed my heart while it hovered around you

Like a moth doomed unless it is burned

لَما أَتَيتَكَ خاشِعاً قابَلَتني

عَوض الرِضى سَخطاً بِطَرفٍ مُطرَقِ

When I came to you humbly, you met me

With anger instead of pleasure, with a lowered gaze

فَغَدَوتُ أَنخزهُ بِمهمازِ الهَوى كَي

يَستَفِزَّ مُلَبياً لِتَعَلُقي

So I provoked it with the goads of passion

To arouse your inclination for my attachment

عالجَتهُ لِيهبَّ في وَثباتِهِ

وَثَباتُهُ مثل القَضاءِ المُطبَقِ

I treated it so it would flare up in its leaps

And its leaps are like inescapable destiny

ماذا اِعتَراهُ وَما اِعتَراكَ اليَفتي

أَينَ اِعتَزَلتِ بِلُطفِكِ المُتَدَفِقِ

What has happened to it and what has happened to you that does not allow

Where did your overflowing gentleness disappear?

مالي أَراهُ لا يَمُنُّ بِنَظرَةٍ

وَأَراكِ بِالمَسلوبِ لَم تَتَرَفَقي

Why do I see it not exulting in a glance

While I see you have despoiled it without mercy?

أَحبَستِهِ لِيكُفَّ عَن سَرِقاتِهِ هُوَ

يَركَب الأَوزار إِن لَم يَسرِقِ

Did you imprison it to stop its thieving? But it

Will bear burdens if it does not steal

أَم أَنتِ في شُغلٍ وَرَأسُكَ مُطرَقٌ

لِلأَرض يَنعشها بِطَرفٍ مُحدَقِ

Or are you busy, your head bowed down

To the earth, refreshing it with a penetrating gaze?

أَم ضاعَ قَلبي في التُراب وَأَي مَتى

لاحَظتِهِ حِرصاً بِعَين مُدَقِقِ

Or is my heart lost in the dust? And when, tell me

Did you observe it closely with a probing eye?

أَم تُفَكرينَ بِحالِ صَبٍّ هائِمٍ

كَيفَ اِستَطاعَ الوَفد بَعدَ تَمَزُقِ

Or are you thinking about the state of a crazed lover

How he managed to return after being torn to pieces?

أَم هَل أَملَّك مَنظَري في الحَي أَم

لا تَرمُقين الصَبَّ إِن لَم يُشنَقِ

Or did the sight of me in the neighborhood please you

Or else you do not glance at the crazed one unless he is hanged?

أَم تَنظُرينَ الأَرض شَذراً حَيثَما

عافَت قَتيلَكِ مِن مَقَرٍ ضَيّقِ

Or are you looking at the ground wherever

It was kind to your slain victim in a narrow grave?

أَم أَنتِ مِن كَسَلٍ فَدَيتُكِ لَم تَشي

تَحريك طَرفَكِ بِالسِنان المُطلَقِ

Or are you too tired, my loss, you did not walk

Moving your eyelids with smooth kohl?

أَم هَل أَراعَكِ لِلرَقيبِ تَوَسُطٌ

ما بَينَنا فَقَسَوتِ بَعدَ تَرَفُقِ

Or did the presence of a spy between us frighten you

So you were cruel after being kind?

أَم خِفتِ مِني خَلعَ مُلكِكِ سائِباً

فَأَرَيتِ إِرهابَ المَليك المُطلَقِ

Or did you fear I would defiantly wrest your kingdom

So you saw fit to intimidate the absolute king?

أَم أَنتِ في خَجَلٍ لِنَجلَكِ أَنَّني

لَما سَأَلتُكِ رُحتُ دونَ تَصَدُّقِ

Or are you shy because of your son that when

I asked you, I left without alms?

أَم أَنتِ غَضَبي لا أَظُنُكِ غَيرَها

وَأَنا النَزيل رَمقتِ أَو لَم تَرمُقي

Or are you angry with me? I think it is nothing but anger

While I, the guest, glanced whether you glanced or not

ها أَنَّني مُستَهدَفٌ لَكِ فَإِرفَعي

لَحظات طَرفَكِ وَإِرشَقي لا تَشفقي

Your eyes for a moment and shine, do not hold back

Or if not, then I am vanquished, so turn

أَو لا فَإِني قَد خَضَعتُ فَحَولي

عَني سِهامَكِ وَاشفَقي لا تَرشقي

Your arrows from me and take pity, do not shoot

You are not pleased with me nor I

ما أَنتِ راضِيَةً عَلَيَّ وَلا أَنا

راضٍ بِغَيرِ نَعيمِ وَصلَكِ فَارفِقي

Content without the bliss of your company, so be gentle

My throat yearns for your lips, so sweet

ظَملآي لِثَغرِكِ أَنَّهُ حُلوُ اللَما

حُلوُ الرَضاب الحَيّ حُلوُ المَنطِقِ

Sweet when speaking, alive and eloquent

I cannot forget the day I came to your door

لَم أَنسَ يَومَ أَتَيتُ بابَكِ قاصِداً

لُطفاً يَبردُ غلَّة المُتَشَوِقِ

Seeking kindness to cool a burning longing

And the hand of youth touched you and became

وَيَدُ الصَبابَة لامَسَتكِ فَأَصبَحَت

تَروي ظماكِ بِمَدمَعي المُتَرقرِقِ

Quenching your thirst with my falling tears

And I succeeded with you, but did not succeed, for

فَظَفرتُ فيكِ وَما ظَفَرتُ لِأَنَّني

ذُقتُ العَذابَ مِن الدَلالِ المُحرِقِ

I tasted torment from the burning intermediary

I held your waist and it recoiled from me

وَهَصرتُ خَصركِ فَإِنثَنى مُتطائِراً

مني كَأَني قابِضٌ بالزَيبَقِ

As if I gripped mercury

And I pressed your breast to mine but you were a gazelle

وَضَمَمتُ صَدرَكِ لي فَكُنتِ غَزالَةً

نَفَرت وَقَد حَلفت بِأَن لا نَلتَقي

Who startled and swore we'd never meet

And if we meet now after separation

وَإِذا التَقَينا الآن مِن بَعد النَوى

فَأَشفي غَليل القَلب قَبلَ تَفَرُقِ

Relieve the heart's anguish before we part