تَحَمَّلتُ هَجرَ الشادِنِ المُتَدَلِّلِ

وَعاصَيتُ في حُبِّ الغَرايَةِ عُذَّلي

I endured the separation of the languid charmer

And disobeyed in my love of coquetry and flirtation

وَما أَبقَتِ الأَيّامُ مِنّي وَلا الصِبا

سِوى كَبِدٍ حَرّى وَقَلبٍ مُقَتَّلِ

Neither the days nor my youth left in me

Except a burning liver and a slain heart

وَيَومٌ مِنَ اللَذّاتِ خالَستُ عَيشَهُ

رَقيباً عَلى اللَذّاتِ غَيرَ مُغَفَّلِ

And a day of pleasures whose life I deceived

A watcher over pleasures, not neglectful

فَكُنتُ نَديمَ الكَأسِ حَتّى إِذا اِنقَضَت

تَعَوَّضتُ عَنها ريقَ حَوراءَ عَيطَلِ

So I was a drinking companion until when

Their time ran out, I made do with the spittle of maidens

نَهاني عَنها حُبُّها أَن أَسوءَها

بِلَمسٍ فَلَم أَفتُك وَلَم أَتَبَتَّلِ

Her love forbade me from marring them

So I did not deflower or force myself on them

أَخَذتُ لِطَرفِ العَينِ مِنها نَصيبَهُ

وَأَخلَيتُ مِن كَفّي مَكانَ المُخَلخَلِ

I took from their eyes their share

And emptied my palms of coins

سَقَتني بِعَينَيها الهَوى وَسَقَيتُها

فَدَبَّ دَبيبُ الراحِ في كُلِّ مَفصَلِ

Her eyes intoxicated me with love and I intoxicated her

So desire crept into all my joints

وَإِن شِئتُ أَن أَلتَذَّ نازَلتُ جيدَها

فَعانَقتُ دونَ الجيدِ نَظمَ القَرَنفُلِ

And if I wished to delight, I pressed her neck

And hugged below the neck a string of carnations

أُنازِعُها سِرَّ الحَديثِ وَتارَةً

رُضاباً لَذيذَ الطَعمِ عَذبَ المُقَبَّلِ

I whisper with her the secret of discourse and at times

A delicious, sweet kiss, gentle and savory

وَما العَيشُ إِلا أَن أَبيتَ مُوَسَّداً

صَريعَ مُدامٍ كَفَّ أَحوَرَ أَكحَلِ

Life is but to spend the night resting your head

On a drunk's palm, blacker than kohl

وَمَمكورَةٍ رَودِ الشَبابِ كَأَنَّها

قَضيبٌ عَلى دِعصٍ مِنَ الرَملِ أَهيَلِ

And a young maiden whose cheek is like

A rod on a sand dune, bent

خَلَوتُ بِها وَاللَيلُ يَقظانُ قائِمٌ

عَلى قَدَمٍ كَالراهِبِ المُتَبَتِّلِ

I was alone with her while the night kept vigil

Standing on one foot like an ascetic devotee

فَلَمّا اِستَمَرَّت مِن دَجا اللَيلِ دَولَةٌ

وَكادَ عَمودُ الصُبحِ بِالصُبحِ يَنجَلي

When the darkness of night persisted

And the pillar of dawn nearly shone through

تَراءى الهَوى بِالشَوقِ فَاِستَحدَثَ البُكا

وَقالَ لِلَذَّاتِ اللِقاءِ تَرَحَّلي

Love appeared full of longing so it renewed weeping

And said to the self of meeting, "Set out!"

فَلَم تَرَ إِلّا عَبرَةً بَعدَ زَفرَةٍ

مُوَدِّعَةٍ أَو نَظرَةً بِتَأَمُّلِ

But it did not see, after a parting sigh

Except a tear or a look full of contemplation