سَل حارسي روضةِ الجمالِ

وصَولَجَي ذلك العِذَار

Ask the guardians of the garden of beauty

And the rangers of that chaste land

مَن تَوَّجَ الغصنَ بالهلالِ

وأنبتَ الورد في البَهَار

Who adorned the branch with the crescent moon

And grew roses in the meadows

أيُّ أقاحٍ وجُلّنارِ

حاما على مَنهلِ الرَّباب

Which bees buzzed around the spring of melody

And which gentle rain showered from the clouds

وأيُّ صِلَّين مِن عِذارٍ

دَبّا كَلامَين في كتاب

And which water and which fire

Were brought together by the grace of youth

وأيُّ ماءٍ وأيُّ نارِ

ضمَّتهُما نعمة الشَّباب

Say: a pure watering place

Guarded by lips like daggers

فقُل حيا مَوردٍ زلالِ

يحرسه الثغرُ بالشِّفار

Say: gardens and say: zafra lilies

Scattered with musk and ambergris

وقُل جِنانٌ وقُل لآلِ

يُعَلُّ بالمِسكِ والعُقار

Who will be mine though death is delusion

And the grinning lion bares its teeth

مَن لي به والمُنَى غُرورُ

وسنانُ طاوي الحَشا غَرير

The light from his cheek illuminates

My heart though I have no ally

النَّورُ من خدِّه منيرُ

علَى فؤادي ولا نصير

Oh soul, to meet him I have no choice

Nor any power to take him by force

يَا نَفسُ ما مِنكِ بالوصَالِ

بُدٌّ ولا مِنّي انتصار

For his eyelids have shed tears

So how can I escape their spell?

فقد دعا جفنُه نَزالِ

فأين مِن فتكِه الفِرار

Oh my heart afflicted by his love

Oh my eyes weeping without end

يا قلبيَ المُبتلَى بحبِّه

ياعتك عيني بلا شِرا

With a cruel beloved who stays close

Even his phantom makes me yearn

مِن باخلٍ فِي الهَوَى بقربِه

حتى على الطيفِ بالكَرَى

Patience with his abandonment and blame

For what will be, will be

صبراً على هجرِه وعَتبِه

فليس إلا الذي تَرَى

Maybe kindness from a union

Will free me from his disdain

لعلّ رِفقاً مِن الوِصَالِ

يُدال مِن قسوةِ النِّفار

Or the nights will bring about

Release from those shackles

أو بعضَ ما تُحدِث الليالي

يفكُّ من ذلك الإِسار

And a friend said: Oh stranger

You have been excessive in your grief and sorrow

وناصحٍ قال يَا غَريبُ

أسرفتَ في البَثِّ والحَزَن

A man has a share of tears

And the soul - it has no price

للمرءِ مِن دمعهِ نصيبُ

والروحُ ما إن له ثمن

Woe to you - no life will be sweet

No comrades and no peace

وَيحَك لا عيشةٌ تطيبُ

ولا نديمٌ ولا سَكَن

Then leave me to weep copiously

For tears need a resting place

فخلِّ عينيَّ في انهمالِ

يقرّ للدمعِ من قرار

And cry with me in pity for my state

The weeping of one exiled from home

وابكِ معي رقّةً لحالي

بكاءَ غَيلانَ في الديار

I made the garb of love my banner

And wandered in its wintry wind

جَعلتُ لبسَ الهَوَى شعارا

واختلتُ في بردهِ القشيب

I have a beloved, supple and tall

I would ransom him with my soul

ولي حبيبٌ سطا وجارا

بالنفس أفديه مِن حبيب

I sang softly as he passed

Fearing the listening spy

شدوتُ إذ مرَّ بي سِرارا

من خَشيَةِ السامعِ الرقيب

Muhammad Linaq, O my gazelle

O you of the large eyes

محمدُ اللّنقُ يا غزالي

يا صاحبَ العَينَين الكِبار

You plucked my heart and did not care

You have no shame in this, my love

قطفتَ قلبي ولم تُبالِ

لس ذَا عَلَيك يا حبيبي عار