قُل لِلقَبيحِ الفِعالِ يا حَسَنا

مَلَأتَ جَفنَيَّ ظُلَمَةً وَسَنا

Say to the doer of ugly deeds, "O beautiful one,

You have filled my eyelids with darkness and forgetfulness.

قاسَمَني طَرفُكَ الضَنى أَفَلا

قاسَمَ جَفَنَيَّ ذَلِكَ الوَسَنا

Did your glance not share with me misery?

Did it not share with my eyelids that forgetfulness?

إِنّي وَإِن كُنتُ هَضبَةً جَلَداً

أَهتَزُّ لِلحُسنِ لَوعَةً غُصُنا

Although I am firm-skinned,

I quiver with sorrow for beauty like a branch.

قَسَوتُ بَأساً وَلِنتُ مَكرُمَةً

لَم أَلتَزِم حالَةً وَلا سَنَنا

I have been harsh in power and soft in generosity;

I have not kept to a state or laws.

لَستُ أُحِبُّ الجُمودَ في رَجُلٍ

تَحسِبُهُ مِن جُمودِهِ وَثنا

I do not like rigidity in a man

Whom you would think rigid in his rigidity.

لَم يَكحَلِ السُهدُ جَفنَهُ كَلَفاً

وَلا طَوى جِسمَهُ الغَرامُ ضَنى

Sleeplessness did not blacken his eyelids

And love's leanness did not curve his body.

فَمَن عَصى داعِيَ الهَوى فَقَسا

وَكانَ جِلداً مِنَ الصَفا خَشِنا

He who disobeyed the caller of passion and was hard,

And was coarse from clarity, rugged,

فَإِنَّني وَالعَفافُ مِن شِيَمي

آبى الدَنايا وَأَعشَقُ الحَسَنا

I and chastity are of my qualities:

I refused worldliness and love the beautiful.

طَوراً مُنيبٌ وَتارَةً غَزِلٌ

أَبكي الخَطايا وَأَندُبُ الدِمَنا

Sometimes a penitent and sometimes a charmer,

I cry over sins and mourn over the passes.

إِذا اِعتَرَت خَشيَةٌ شَكا فَبَكى

أَو اِنتَحَت راحَةٌ دَنا فَجَنى

If fear overcomes me I complain and cry,

Or if comfort comes near I gather and enjoy.

كَأَنَّني غُصنُ بانَةٍ خَضِلٌ

تَثنيهِ ريحُ الصَبا هُنا وَهُنا

I am like a supple branch of ßånah

Swayed here and there by the wind of the zephyr."