ما بالُ قَلبكَ مُولَعٌ بزَرُودِ

أَصبابَةً نحوض الظبَّاءِ الغِيدِ

Why is your heart so enamored with the beauty

Of a gazelle toward the pastures of deer?

إن فاحَ في طَيِّ النَّسيم مُعطراً

نَشرٌ كَخُوطِ البانَةِ الأُملودِ

If the breeze blows fragrant in the folds of air,

It spreads like the threads of outstretched rope.

أَتعلُّلٌ بلوى العَقيقِ وبَانِهِ

وبِرندِهِ وبِظلِّهِ الَممدودِ

Do you justify the agony of unrequited love

And its troubles, like the bending shadow?

تِه فالهَوَى أَحلى إِذا ما ذُقتهُ

مِن كُلِّ مَالٍ طارِفٍ وَتَليدِ

For passion is sweetest when you taste it

Beyond any delightful and gentle wealth.

لَولا الهَوَى ما راحَ آسُ حَديقَةٍ

كَسَوالِفٍ وَغُصوُنُها كَقُدودِ

If not for passion the boughs of gardens

Would not sway like conversations and staffs.

من ماتَ بالبيضِ الصِّفاحِ وَلم يَمُت

باللَّحظِ ظُلماً لم يكُن بشَهيدِ

Whoever dies from arrowheads in battle

And not from a glance unjustly is no martyr.

وأُلذُّ ما أَلفَ الُمحبُّ صَبابةً

بِمدامِعٍ في الهَجرِ بالتَّسهيدِ

And most delicious for the lover to find

Is with tears in separation and yearning.

وإذا هَويتَ ولم يرِقَّ من الضَّنى

لكَ في الصَّبابَةٍ قلبُ كلِّ حسودٍ

And if you fell in love and no compassion

Came to you, then every envious heart would rejoice.

فَدَعِ الهَوَى لأُهليهِ فَذَليلُهُ

كَعزيزهِ وَشَقيُّهُ كَسَعيدِ

So leave passion to its people, for its lowly

Are like its noble, and its wretched like the happy.