فُؤَادِي لِفَقْدِ الظَّاعِنِينَ فَقِيدُ

وَأجْفَانُ عَيْنِي بِالدُّمُوعِ تَجُودُ

My heart is captive to the loss of the beloveds,

And the eyelids of my eyes overflow with tears.

وَهَلْ نَافِعٌ دَمْعٌ جَرَى وَبِمُهْجَتِي

لَهِيبٌ لَهُ بَيْنَ الضُّلُوعِ وُقُودُ

But what good is a tear that flows, when in my heart

There is for it a blazing fire between the ribs?

فَيَا مُهْجَتِي ذُوبِي أسًى وَصَبَابَةً

فَلَيْسَ لِنِيرَانِ الغَرَامِ خُمُودُ

So melt, O my heart, in sorrow and turmoil,

For the fires of passion have no respite.

وَيَا مُقْلَتِي سِحِّي دَمًا وَمَدَامِعًا

فَإنَّ مَزَارَ الظَّاعِنِينَ بَعِيدُ

And flow, O my eyelids, blood and copious tears,

For the halting-place of the beloveds is far.

فَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ لِطَرْفِيَ جَوْلَةٌ

بِمَسْرَحِ غِيدٍ قَدْ حَمَتْهُ أسُودُ

Would that I knew! Will my eyes ever roam

Among the meadows where dark lions abound?

وَهَلْ لِيَ مِنْ قُرْبٍ وَلَوْ عُمْرُ سَاعَةٍ

فَيُشْفَى مَشُوقٌ قَدْ بَرَاهُ صُدُودُ

Will I ever draw near, if only for an hour,

That frustrated longing may find relief?

وَهَلْ لِي إلَى رَبْعِ الأحِبَّةِ عَوْدَةٌ

وَهَيْهَاتَ مَا قَدْ فَاتَ لَيْسَ يَعُودُ

Can I return to the dwellings of my loved ones?

Alas! What is past does not come back again.

سَقَتْنِي اللَّيَالِي صَفْوَهَا ثُمَّ كِدْنَ لي

كَذَاكَ اللَّيَالِي مَا لَهُنَّ عُهُودُ

The nights gave me their sweetest drink, then failed me;

Such is the way of nights, they know no covenants.

وَجَدَّدَ سُقْمِي مَا عَفَا مِنْ وَفَائِهَا

وَفِي كُلّ وَقْتٍ خُلْفُهُنَّ جَدِيدُ

My sickness was renewed by their disloyalty,

And at every moment their perfidy was renewed.

وَأرَّقَنِي فِي اللَّيْلِ بَدْرٌ لأجْلِهِ

سَهِرْتُ غَرَامًا وَالْعُيُونُ رُقُودُ

A moon kept me sleepless in the night because of it

I stayed awake in passion while eyes slept.

أعَانِقُ مِنْهُ الغَضَّ وَهْوَ مُهَفْهَفٌ

وَأشْهَدُ مِنْهُ البَدْرَ وَهْوَ سَعِيدُ

I embrace its brightness though it is waning,

And I behold it at the full though it is content.

وَألْثِمُ فَاهُ السُّكَّرِيَّ رُضَابُهُ

مَتَى رُمْتُ عِقْدَ الدُّرّ وَهْوَ نَضِيدُ

And I sinfully kiss that inebriating cup

When I throw the pearl necklace and it is scattered.

يَقُولُونَ جَنِّبْ لَحْظَهُ فَجُفُونُهُ

مِرَاضٌ وَلَكِنْ لِلْقُلُوبِ تُبِيدُ

They say, “Avoid its glance, for its eyes are sickening.”

But to hearts they are destructive.

وَمَا عَلِمُوا أنَّ العُيُونَ صَوَارِمٌ

وَأنَّ قُلُوبَ العَاشِقِينَ غُمُودُ

They do not know that eyes are piercing swords,

And that the hearts of lovers are submissive fawns.

وَأنَّ فَتِيلُ الحُبّ في شِرْعَةِ الهَوَى

بِأسْبَابِ هَاتِيكَ الجُفُونِ شَهِيدُ

That the wick of love in the law of passion

Is kindled by the sparks from those very eyes and dies a martyr.