مَن غائِبٌ في الحُبِّ لَم يَؤُبِ
لا شَيئاَ يَرقُبُهُ سِوى العَطَبِ
Who is lost in love and does not return?
Watching for nothing but his own ruin.
مِن حُبِّ شاطِرَةٍ رَمَت غَرَضاً
قَلبي فَمَن ذا قالَ لَم تُصِبِ
From the love of a cunning beauty who aimed a shot
At my heart—and who could claim she missed?
البَدرُ أَشبَهُ ما رَأَيتِ بِها
حينَ اِستَوى وَبَدا مِنَ الحُجُبِ
The full moon is the likest thing I have seen to her,
When it stands complete and emerges from the veils.
وَاِبنُ الرَشا لَم يُخطِها شَبَهاً
بِالجيدِ وَالعَينَينِ وَاللَبَبِ
And the young gazelle fails not to resemble her,
In the neck, the eyes, and the upper chest.
وَإِذا تَسَربَلَ غَيرَها اِشتَمَلَت
وَردَ الحَواشي مُسبَلَ الذَنَبِ
And when she dresses, she wraps herself
In rose-bordered silks with a trailing train.
فَتَقولُ طَوراً ذا فَتىً هَتَفَت
نَفسُ النَصيحِ بِهِ فَلَم يُجِبِ
At times you say: "This is a youth called out
By the advisor's voice, yet he answered not."
وِدٌّ لِعُصبَةِ ريبَةٍ مُجُنٍ
أَعدى لِمَن عادَوا مِنَ الجَرَبِ
A friend to a suspicious, shameless gang,
More contagious to their foes than the mange.
شُنعُ الأَسامي مُسبِلي أُزُرٍ
حُمرٍ تَمَسُّ الأَرضَ بِالهُدُبِ
With hideous names, letting their robes drag low,
Red garments brushing the earth with their fringes.
مُتَعَطِّفينَ عَلى خَناجِرِهِم
سُلُبٍ لِشُربِهِم مِنَ القِرَبِ
Bending over their daggers,
Gaunt from drinking from the wineskins.
وَإِذا هُمُ لِحَديثِهِم جَلَسوا
عَطَفوا أَكُفَّهُمُ عَلى الرُكَبِ
And when they sit down to converse,
They fold their hands over their knees.
وَتَقولُ طَوراً ذا فَتىً غَزِلٌ
بادي الدَماثَةِ كامِلُ الأَدَبِ
Yet at other times you say: "This is an amorous youth,
Of apparent gentleness and perfect refinement."
صَبٌّ إِلى حَوراءَ يَمنَعُهُ
مِنها الحَيا وَصِيانَةُ الحَسَبِ
Yearning for a doe-eyed beauty, yet held back
By shyness and the preservation of honor.
فَكِلاهُما صَبٌّ بِصاحِبِهِ
لَو يَستَطيعُ لَطارَ مِن طَرَبِ
So each of them is enamored with the other;
Could they but do so, they would fly from rapture.
فَتَواعَدا يَوماً وَشَأنُهُما
أَلّا يَشوبا الوَعدَ بِالكَذِبِ
They promised to meet one day, their intent being
Not to taint the promise with deceit.
فَغَدَت كَواسِطَةِ الرِياضِ إِلى
مَوعودَةٍ تَمشي عَلى رُقُبِ
So she went forth like the heart of a garden toward
A promised meeting, walking with wary steps.
وَغَدا مُطَرَّقَةً أَنامِلُهُ
حُلوَ الشَمائِلِ فاخِرَ السُلُبِ
And he went forth with fingertips dyed and scented,
Sweet in character, luxurious in attire.
مَن لَم يُصَب في الناسِ يَومَئِذٍ
مِن ريحِهِ إِذ مَرَّ لَم يَطِبِ
Whoever among the people was not touched that day
By his scent as he passed, found no delight.
لا بَل لَها خُلُقٌ مُنِيتُ بِهِ
وَمَلاحَةٌ عَجَبٌ مِنَ العَجَبِ
Nay, rather she has a nature I am afflicted by,
And a beauty that is a wonder of wonders.
فَالمُستَعانُ اللَهُ في طَلَبي
مَن لَستُ أُدرِكُهُ عَنِ الطَلَبِ
So God is the One sought for help in my pursuit
Of one whom I cannot attain through mere seeking.
ما لامَني الإِنسانُ أَعشَقُهُ
حَتّى يُعَيِّرَهُ المُعَيِّرُ بي
The one I adore did not blame me,
Until the critic shamed him on my account.
