يا عَاذلي قَسماً بمن فَلقَ النَّوى

ما المُوتُ عندَ ذوي الهوَى إلاَّ النَّوى

O you who reproach me, I swear by Him who split the seed,

Death to those infatuated is but the seed unsplit,

فَإلامَ لومٌ والرَّكائبُ طُلَّحُ

حَسرَى تَسيرُ ونَجمُ شَملي قَد هَوى

So why blame me, while fate's nights are jet-black,

Regret moves on, and the star I wished upon has set.

نأتِ الدِّيارُ بِبَدرِ حَيِّ لم يَدَع

حيَّاً وما أَودَى بمُهجَتهِ الجَوَى

The abodes will survive, though their moons are no more,

Living they were, though their beauty was undone by fate.

تَرفِ البَنانِ قَوامهُ لو شِئتَ أن

تَلويهِ من لين المعَاطفِ لالتَوى

You could bend the branch of his softness if you wished,

And twist it gently from the softness of his raiment.

حُلوِ الرُّضَابِ لَطِيفُ خالِ خُدودهِ

من فوقِ عرشٍ كالشَّقيقِ قدِ استَوى

Of sweet agreeableness, the down on his cheek delicate,

Hovering above a throne, like anemone poised on high.

في فَترةِ الأجَفانِ أرسلَ صُدغَهُ

فَلذاكَ قد أمرَ الخَلائِقَ بالهَوىَ

Below his eyelids he unleashed an arrow from his temple,

And so commanded all creation to passionate love.

مُتشعِّبِ الأَوصافِ إلاَّ أَنَّهُ

رقَّ القُلوبِ بطرفهِ السَّاجي حَوى

Of varied traits, except that with his seductive glance

He softened hearts, and ardor's thirst parched those enslaved.

يَثنيه إِعجابُ الصِّبا فتخالُه

غُصنَ الأراكِ يميسُ في حقِفِ اللَّوَى

Admiring youth bends him, taking him to be

A bough of araak wood stirring softly in the breeze at dawn.

قَاسٍ عليَّ وما لأسري فيهِ من

فادٍ ولا فيهِ لدِائي من دَوَا

He judges me, though in truth my secret love for him

Grants me no redemption, nor any cure for my affliction.

فَكانَّ نارَ صَبابتي فيه غَضىً

هَبَّت لهُ ريحٌ بمُختلف الصُّوَى

For the fire of my passion was rekindled by his disdain,

As the winds of blame blew from every direction.

وَلرُبَّ مجهولِ الفَلا تَردِي بِهِ

خُوص الرِّكابِ من الضّما ومنَ الطَّوَى

And many a hidden encampment will his steed not visit

For fear of estrangement and the perils of departure.

لَو سارَ فيهِ النَّجمُ صُبحاً ما اهتَدى

أَو مَرَّ فيهِ البَرقُ خافَ من التَّوى

If he had travelled by the stars at dawn he'd lose his way,

Or if lightning had crossed that terrain it would fear destruction.