خَدَعوها بِقَولِهِم حَسناءُ

وَالغَواني يَغُرُّهُنَّ الثَناءُ

The flatterers deceived the lovely one

And the youths are seduced by praise

أَتُراها تَناسَت اِسمِيَ لَمّا

كَثُرَت في غَرامِها الأَسماءُ

Does she forget my name when

Many names abound in her love?

إِن رَأَتني تَميلُ عَنّي كَأَن لَم

تَكُ بَيني وَبَينَها أَشياءُ

If she sees me, she turns away as if

Nothing was between us

نَظرَةٌ فَاِبتِسامَةٌ فَسَلامٌ

فَكَلامٌ فَمَوعِدٌ فَلِقاءُ

A glance, then a smile, then a greeting

Then talk, then a date, then a meeting

يَومَ كُنّا وَلا تَسَل كَيفَ كُنّا

نَتَهادى مِنَ الهَوى ما نَشاءُ

When we had no inhibitions in our love

And sought what we fancied

وَعَلَينا مِنَ العَفافِ رَقيبٌ

تَعِبَت في مِراسِهِ الأَهواءُ

But we had a guardian of chastity

Who exhausted the passions

جاذَبَتني ثَوبي العصِيَّ وَقالَت

أَنتُمُ الناسُ أَيُّها الشُعَراءُ

My stubborn self pulled at my clothes and said

"You poets are the people!"

فَاِتَّقوا اللَهَ في قُلوبِ العَذارى

فَالعَذارى قُلوبُهُنَّ هَواءُ

"So fear God in the hearts of the maidens

For the hearts of maidens are air."

نَظرَةٌ فَاِبتِسامَةٌ فَسَلامٌ

فَكَلامٌ فَمَوعِدٌ فَلِقاءُ

A glance, then a smile, then a greeting

Then talk, then a date, then a meeting

فَفِراقٌ يَكونُ فيهِ دَواءٌ

أَو فِراقٌ يَكونُ مِنهُ الداءُ

Then separation, which brings

Either cure or sickness