وَنَرجِسٍ قَد حُفَّ بِالوَردِ

في خَدِّ مَن قَد لَجَّ في البُعدِ

And a narcissus surrounded by roses,

On the cheek of one who persists in distance.

راوَدتُهُ عَن نَفسِهِ خالِياً

فَقالَ يَلقانِيَ بِالرَدِّ

I sought to seduce him when we were alone,

But he spoke, meeting me with rejection:

أَما تَراني قَد بَدَت لِحيَتي

كُفَّ وَخُذ في طَلَبِ المُردِ

"Do you not see me? My beard has appeared;

Desist, and go in search of beardless youths."

فَقُلتُ هَذا نَرجِسٌ طالِعٌ

وَرَّدَ في العارِضِ وَالخَدِّ

So I said: "This is a rising narcissus,

That has blossomed on the jawline and the cheek."

فَلَيسَ حِبّي صاحِ إِلّا الَّذي

قَد جاوَزَ الخَمسينَ في العَدِّ

For my love, O friend, is none other than he

Who has passed the count of fifty years.

أَسأَلُهُ كَم لَكَ مِن نُسوَةٍ

وَكَم صَبِيٍّ لَكَ في المَهدِ

I ask him: "How many wives do you have?

And how many infants have you in the cradle?"

فَذاكَ مِن شَأني وَمِن لَذَّتي

حَتّى أُوارى في ثَرى لَحدي

For that is my pursuit and my pleasure,

Until I am buried in the soil of my grave.