جَوانِحُهُ جَمرٌ وَمَدمَعَهُ سكبُ

وَمَطلَبُهُ صَعب وَأَيّامُهُ حَربُ

His vitals are embers, and his tears pour forth,

His quest is difficult, and his days are battles,

وَلا دَهرُهُ يَرثي وَلا أَلفَهُ يَفي

وَلا دَمعَهُ يَرقى وَلا نارهُ تَخبو

Neither does time mourn him, nor are friends loyal,

Neither do tears flow, nor does his fire subside,

فَمِن لِعَليل جَسمَهُ وَفُؤادَهُ

بِحُكم التَجَني لِلضَنا وَالأَسى نَهب

So who will tend to the illness of his body and heart

With the justice of sympathy for grief and sorrow's plunder?

وَمُستَعجم الأَلفاظ مِن خَمرة اللَما

عَلى أَنَّها مِن دونَها اللُؤلؤ الرَطب

And the one whose words are intoxicated with the wine

Of eloquence, as if it were the moistest pearls,

أَغنّ إِذا أَملى الحَديث تَرى الَّذي

يُحادثهُ مِن سُكر أَلفاظِهِ يَكبو

He sings, and if he speaks you see the one

Conversing with him drunk from the intoxication of his words,

لَهُ سَيف طَرف سحر أَلحاظِهِ لَهُ

فَرند تَكل المُرهَفات وَلا يَنبو

He has a sword, the magic of his glance's edge, he has

A ponytail that entices and does not announce,

إِذا عَطَّفتُهُ رَحمة لِمُحبِهِ

ثَنَت قَلبُهُ عَنهُ المَلالة وَالعَجَب

If I show him mercy due to loving him

His heart turns away from boredom and wonder,

وَيَجني فَأَمحو بِاِعتِذاري ذُنوبَهُ

فَلا يَنقَضي عُذري وَلا يَنقَضي العَتَب

And I reap, so I erase his sins with my apology

So my excuse does not end, nor does reproach end,

وَكُلُ عَذاب يَرتَضيهِ عُقوبَةً

لِنَفسي سِوى الأَعراض يَحمِلهُ القَلب

And any torment he accepts as punishment

For myself other than dignity bears the heart,

يَقول وَقَد أَفنى دَمي بَعدَ عِبرَتي

بَكايَ فَلا شَيءٌ يَجود بِهِ الغَرب

He says, and after my crying he has spent his blood,

There is nothing left in the west to give,

أَما لَكَ قَلب يا فَتى فَتُذيبُهُ

وَتَسفحهُ دَمعاً لِيَرضى بِهِ الحُب

Do you not have a heart, oh youth, to melt

And pour forth tears to please love?

فَلَيسَ يُدين الحُب أَن يَصحَب الَّذي

تُصاحِبُهُ الأَشواق قَلب وَلا لُب

Love cannot be tied to one whose longing

Is not accompanied by a heart and mind,

وَما الحُب إِلّا إِن تَسيل مَدامع

تَفيض دَماً صَرفاً فَتَفتَضح السُحب

And what is love if tears do not flow

Pouring pure blood, exposing the clouds?

فَقُلت لَهُ تَفديكَ نَفسي مِن الرَدى

وَلَيسَ مِن الإِنصاف أَن يَقتُل الصَب

So I said to him, my soul redeems you from evil,

And it is not justice for the youth to be killed,

لَقَد طالَما ذَرَيت دَمعي وَطالَما

بَكَيت دَماً حَتّى إِرتَوى مِن دَمي التُرب

I have long shed my tears and long cried

Blood until the soil was watered by my blood,

وَلَو كانَ قَلبي باقياً لَأَذَبتُهُ

وَلَكِنَهُ أَودى بِهِ الشَوق وَالكَرب

If my heart remained I would melt it

But longing and hardship have destroyed it,

فَمَن لي بِقَلب يَشتَفي بِعَذابِهِ

مُعذِبُهُ مِنهُ وَإِن لَم يَكُن ذَنب

So who can I find with a heart that heals its tormentor

With its torment, even if there was no crime?

تَداوَيت مِما بي بِكُل مُجَرب

صَحيح أَفادَتهُ الأَطباءُ وَالكُتب

I have treated myself from what ails me with every remedy

That benefited doctors and books,

فَما إِزدَدت إِلّا علة وَصبابَةً

وَلَم تَنقض البَلوى وَما نَفَع الطب

But I have only increased in illness and confusion,

And troubles have not ceased, nor has medicine helped,

فَأَيقَنت إِن الحُب لَيسَ لَهُ دَوا

عَلى أَنَّهُ قَد يَنفَع المدنف القُرب

So I realized that love has no cure,

Even though intimacy may benefit the lovesick.