لَقَد شاقَني هذا القَوام المُهَفهَف
وَأَسلَمَني لِلوَجدِ خَد سلف
This swaying posture has wearied me
And surrendered me to love's agony
وَأَوقَعَني في لجة الحُبّ ناظِري
وَقَد كنت مِنهُ دائِماً أَتخوّف
And cast me into the abyss of love, my watcher
Though from it I was always fearful
وَما كانَ ظَني أَن أَوّل نَظرَة
يَموتُ بِها الصَبّ المعنى وَيتاف
Never did I think the first glance
Could slay the young lover totally
كلفت بِه غُصنا رَطيباً ممنعا
وَظَبيا نفورا قلما يَتَألف
I was attracted to a fresh, forbidden branch
And a gazelle, rarely amenable
مَليح له في دَولَة الحُسن مَنصب
عَلَيّ وَمالي من تجنيه منصف
Handsome, of high rank in the realm of beauty
I cannot fairly blame him for seducing me
رَشيق لَه أَصل عَريق ومحتد
شَريف وَلكن دَولة الحُسن أَشرَلإ
Graceful, of noble origin and refined
Noble, though the realm of beauty is nobler
بِروحي أَفديهِ فَقد زارَ مَنزِلي
وَما كُلّ من تَهواهُ يَحنو وَيَعطف
With my soul I'd ransom him, for he has visited my abode
Though not all whom you love are tender and compassionate
بقد يود الغُصن لَو مالَ مِثلَه
وَاني لِذاكَ الغُصن وَهو المقطف
The branch would incline, if it bent like him
While I incline toward that branch, plucked
بَكيت ضببا لما رَأَيت جُفونَه
مراضا ومن يَلق الضَنا يَتَأَسَّف
I wept streams when I saw his eyelids
Languishing, and whoever meets misery grieves
وَصحت عَلى ضعف الجُفون صَبابَتي
وَمرسل دَمعي كلما جف يخلف
My steadfastness surpassed the weakness of his lids
My pouring tears replace them when dry
فَواولهى قَد كانَ قَلبي قَبلَه
عَلى ساعَة من وَصلِهِ يَتَلَهف
Oh, before him, my heart was craving
A moment of his union, restlessly
خلوت وَبي ما لا يطاق من الجَوى
وَمني له ذل وَمِنهُ تلطف
In my solitude, an unbearable passion
And from me humility, and tenderness from him
وَكانَ الَّذي قَد كانَ بَيني وَبَينَه
وَما كُلّ ما يَدري من الوَجدِ يوصَف
What was between us cannot be described
Not all who experience love can portray it exactly
وَبِتنا وَباتَ الشَوقُ يَنشُر بَردَهُ
وَوَرق الهَوى تَشدو عَلَينا وَتَهتِف
We spent the night while longing spread its chill
And the leaves of passion rustled around us
وَبدر الدُجى قَد أَسرَ السَير غيرَة
وَكادَ حَياء من مُحياهُ يكسف
The full moon of nightfall stealthily traveled on
Nearly veiled in shyness from his shining
وَكَم جَذَبت أَذيالُنا نِسمَة الصِبا
عَلى أَنَّهُ مِنها أَرق وَأَلطَف
How often the morning breeze drew our hems
Though it is gentler and finer than it
وَما بَينَنا الاعتاب نديره
وَذكرى لايام اللُقا وَتلهف
No reproach between us do we exchange
Just the memory of days of meeting and yearning
أَبث له الشَكوى فيحمر خدّه
حَياء وَأَعضائي من الوجد ترجف
I confide my complaints and his cheek reddens
In shyness while my limbs tremble from love
وَيانِع ورد الوُجنَتَين يَكادُ من
عَظيم الحيا يُجنيه وَهمي وَيَقطِف
The blossoming rose of both cheeks nearly withers
From intense shyness and my worries pluck it
وَهذا حَديثي في الهَوى وَحَديثُه
وَأَما حَديث الجِفن فَهو معطف
This is my discourse on love, and his discourse,
While the eyelids' discourse is hidden
وَان نَقل الواشونَ عَنّا خلافه
فَقَد كَذَّبوا فيما ادّعوهُ وَحَرّفوا
If spies have conveyed about us anything contrary
Then they have lied in their claims and altered
سَلوا مَضجَعي عَنّي وَعَنهُ فَانَّهُ
بِما كانَ منا لَيلَة الوَصل أَعرَف
Ask my resting place about me and him, for it
Knows best what transpired that night of union
وَالا سَلوا عَنّا النَسيمَ فَانَّهُ
يَمُرُّ فَيُبدي ما سَتَرنا وَيَكشِفُ
If not, then ask the breeze about us, for it
Passes by and reveals what we concealed
أَما وَالهَوى ما ملت عَنهُ لِريبة
وَما لي اِلى داعي المَلام تشوق
I do not cease loving him for any suspicion
Nor do I yearn for the blamer's invitation
وَما حَرَّكَتني لِلدَناءَةِ هِمَّتي
وَلي عِفَّة مَطبوعَة لا تعفف
My resolve has not stirred me to baseness
I have an inborn chastity that will not taint
وَلكِنَّني أَهوى الجَمال وَأَمتَطي
مُتون الرَدى فيه وَلا أَتوفق
But I love beauty and soar
On the heights of glory in it, though unsuccessfully
وَاِنّي وَان أَضناني الحُبّ لم أَخُن
عُهودَ الهَوى خانَ المَحبون أَو وَفوا
If love has made me gaunt, still I have not
Betrayed the covenants of love, whether lovers were faithful or breached them
وَلي قدم في مَذهَب الحُبّ راسِخ
به في دَواوين الهَوى أَتَصَرَّف
I have a foothold in the doctrine of love, firmly established,
With it I delve into the annals of passion
وَمن شَأن نَفسي حبها كل أَهيَف
وَلكِنَّها عَن كُل ما شانَ تَأنَفُ
It is in my soul's nature to love the most ardent
Though it disdains anything of its status
وَاِن القدود الهيف أَصل بَلِيَّتي
وَاني بِها ما عِشتُ وَلهان مدنف
The love of the gazelles is the root of my affliction
Through it I have lived, distraught and afflicted
وَكم لي اِلى الظبى النُفور اِلتِفاتَه
وَكَم لي اِنعِطاف ان بَدا لي معطف
How often for the aloof gazelle I glance
And how often I incline if it inclines to me
وَكم قامَة لاحَت فَقامَت قِيامَتي
وَما صَدّني عَنها عَذول معنف
How often a figure appeared and so did my demise
No refusal could prevent me from it
وَما ضَرَّني شَىء سِوى قَول عاذِلي
وَان لَم يَفد هذا هَواهُ تكلف
Nothing hurt me but the words of those who rebuked me
Even if this love does not benefit him, do not overburden him
أَعند عذولي صَبوَة مِثل صَبوَتي
فان الَّذي يَدري الصَبابَة ينصف
Does my rebuker have the steadfastness that I have?
For one who knows steadfastness will be just
تَنح عذولي اِن دَمعي سائِلاً
وَلحظ الَّذي يَهواهُ قَلبي مُرهَف
My rebuker, relent, if my tears flow
And my ardent heart perceives the one I love
وَلَومك عندي لا يُفيد وَكُله
فُضول اِذا كَرّرته وَتعسف
Blaming me is useless and excessive
If you repeat it and impose unduly
لَئِن كنت بِالرُمح المثقف جاهِلا
فَهذا هُو الرُمح الرَدين المثقف
If I am ignorant of the honed spear
This is the polished, refined spear
وَان كنت من خَمر الصَبابَة صاحِيا
فَدَعني وَما أَلقاهُ فَالثَغر قرقف
If I am inexperienced with the wine of ardour
Then leave me, as my mouth imbibes it
وَحقك لا أَسلو هواه وَأن أمت
غراما فَاني بِالغَرامِ مكلف
It is your right that I do not forget his love
And that I die of passion, which I am charged to do
وَاني وَان أَضنى فُؤادي قَدّه
مَتى لاحَ ذاكَ القَدّ لا أَتخلف
Whenever that posture appears, even if my heart pains,
I do not hesitate to follow it
غَرامي غَرامي لا يَزالُ مَكانَه
وَان لامَني فيهِ الوُشاة وَعُنفُوا
My passion remains in its place
Even if the faultfinders disparaged me for it
أَما وَمُحياهُ وَطَلعَتَهُ الَّتي
بِشَىء سواها في الهَوى لَست أَحلف
By his cheek and radiance, which,
I swear no other in love can parallel
لَئِن لامَني في صَبوَتي فيهِ لائِم
فَما هُوَ اِلّا حاسِد أَو مُخَوّف
If you blame my fervor, O blamer
You are but an envious one or scaremonger
