قَد كُنتُ قَبلَكِ خِلواً فَاِبتُليتُ بِمَن

لا أَحمَدُ الدَهرَ لي في حُبِّها حالا

I was alone before you, then I was afflicted by one

Whose love the days would not praise me for

مِثالُها زَهرَةُ الدُنِّيا مُصَوَّرَةً

في أَحسَنِ الناسِ إِدباراً وَإِقبالا

She is the image of the world's flower illustrated

In the best of people, in retreat and advance

أَستَودِعُ العَينَ مِنها كُلَّما بَرَزَت

وَجهاً مِنَ الحُسنِ لا تَلقى لَهُ بالا

I entrust my eye from her whenever a face

Of beauty emerges that meets no misfortune

فَالعَينُ لَيسَت تَرى شَيئاً تُسَرُّ بِهِ

حَتّى تَرينَ لِما اِستَودَعتُ تِمثالا

So the eye sees nothing it rejoices in

Until you see what I have entrusted as an image

نامي عَنِ الحُبِّ إِنّي مِنكِ في سَهَرٍ

غالَ الرُقادَ وَأَحذى القَلبَ بَلبالا

Sleep from love, I from you am in wakefulness

Sleep has become dear, and care has stirred confusion

ما طالَ لَيلٌ بِهِ ذِكراكِ أَرَّقَني

هَواكِ أَطوَلُ مِن لَيلي وَإِن طالا

No night was long with your mention that kept me awake

Your love is longer than my night though it be long

تَذَكَّري أَنَّني نَسيتُ العَهدَ لَيلَتَنا

إِذ لا نُراقِبُ في الأَسرارِ خَلخالا

Remember that I forgot our covenant the night

When in intimacies we fear no anklet

وَلا نَخافُ عَلَينا قَولَ ذي حَسَدٍ

إِلّا الوَساوِسَ مِن حَلى إِذا جالا

And we do not fear the words of one envious over us

Except suspicions from a trinket when it rings