لو كانَ لي يومَ استقلُّوا لِسان

ناديتُ رِفقاً بالمِلاحِ الحِسان

If I had a day when eloquent tongues were independent

I would call friends gently with fine advice

لكن شكت عنِّي الهوَى أدمُعٌ

ما ظفِرت منهم بغير الهوان

But desire complained about me with tears

I did not gain from them except humiliation

سَألتُها إِصلاحَ حالي عسى

تجهَدُ في إصلاحهِ كيفَ كان

I asked her to improve my state, perhaps

She would strive to improve it no matter what

سفاهةً مني وإلاَّ متى

نالَ المنى من دمعُهُ التُّرجُمان

Foolishness from me, else when

Did wishes gain what interpreters gained?

ما عبَّرت عبرتُها عن جوىً

لو بتُّ أشكوهُ إلى الصَّخرِ لان

Her expression did not express any passion from me

If I complained about it to a rock, it would soften

فلا رقَت من أرقٍ حيثُ لم

تأخُذ لجَفني من جَفاهُم أَمان

So no tenderness for tenderness where

Their eyelids did not give safety to mine

وفي خِيامِ الحَي أحوَى حوَى

رِقِّيِ لهُ كفٌّ رقيقُ البَنَان

And in the tents of the neighborhood I harbored harbored

My tenderness, tender of finger gentle branch

نشوانُ عِطفٍ في لَمى ثغرِهِ

وَلفظِه والطَّرفِ بنتُ الدِّنان

Delight of compassion on the edge of his mouth

And his utterance and his gentle glance

أقنى بقَدَّ مثلِ سُمرِ القَنا

ليناً وخدِّ من دمِ الصَّب قان

I sufficed with a cup like reddish wine

Soft and cheek of youthful red blood

إذا تجلَّى ورَنا وانثنَى

بدرُ دُجاً ريمُ نقاً غُصنُ بان

When he appeared, desired, bent over

Full moon of darkness, gazelle of brightness, bending branch

أُسكنَ من قلبي جحيماً ومن

يظلم يكن في النَّارِ لا في الجِنان

I settled in my heart an inferno and who

Does wrong will be in the fire, not in paradise

عنِّي تروي فيه كُتبُ الهوَى

لا ما رَواهُ عن فُلانٍ فُلان

Books of passion narrate about me

Not what so-and-so narrated about so-and-so