أَريدُ سُلُوَّكُم وَالقَلبُ يَأبى

وَأَعتِبُكُم وَمِلءُ النَفسِ عُتبى

I want your company though my heart refuses,

I reproach you though my soul is full of blame,

وَأَهجُرُكُم فَيَهجُرُني رُقادي

وَيُضويني الظَلامُ أَسىً وَكَربا

I abandon you so sleep abandons me,

And darkness burns me with sorrow and grief.

وَأَذكُرُكُم بِرُؤيَةِ كُلِّ حُسنٍ

فَيَصبو ناظِري وَالقَلبُ أَصبى

I remember you when I see every beauty,

My eyes overflow and my heart melts,

وَأَشكو مِن عَذابي في هَواكُم

وَأَجزيكُم عَنِ التَعذيبِ حُبّا

I complain of my torment in loving you,

Yet I reward you with love for torturing me.

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ دَأبَكُمُ جَفائي

فَما بالي جَعَلتُ الحُبَّ دَأبا

I know your habit is my neglect,

Why then have I made love my habit?

وَرُبَّ مُعاتَبٍ كَالعَيشِ يُشكى

وَمِلءُ النَفسِ مِنهُ هَوىً وَعُتبى

How often is life, like a reproached beloved, complained of,

Yet the soul is filled with love and blame for it.

أَتَجزيني عَنِ الزُلفى نِفاراً

عَتَبتكَ بِالهَوى وَكَفاكَ عَتبا

Do you repay my intimacy with avoidance?

I blamed you for love, and that was enough blame.

فَكُلُّ مَلاحَةٍ في الناسِ ذَنبٌ

إِذا عُدَّ النِفارُ عَلَيكَ ذَنبا

So all coquetry among people is a sin,

If you consider avoidance of me a sin.

أَخَذتُ هَواكَ عَن عَيني وَقَلبي

فَعَيني قَد دَعَت وَالقَلبُ لَبّى

I took your love from my eyes and heart,

So my eyes called but my heart obeyed.

وَأَنتَ مِنَ المَحاسِنِ في مِثالٍ

فَدَيتُكَ قالَباً فيهِ وَقَلبا

You are the epitome of beauty,

My life for a mould containing you and a heart!

أُحِبُّكَ حينَ تَثني الجيدَ تيهاً

وَأَخشى أَن يَصيرَ التيهُ دَأبا

I love you when you incline your neck languorously,

And fear that languor may become a habit.

وَقالوا في البَديلِ رِضاً وَرَوحٌ

لَقَد رُمتُ البَديلَ فَرُمتُ صَعبا

They said consolation and tranquility are in a substitute,

But I spurned the substitute - it was difficult.

وَراجَعتُ الرَشادَ عَسايَ أَسلو

فَما بالي مَعَ السُلوانِ أَصبى

I returned to guidance, hoping I would be appeased,

But why am I still troubled without you?

إِذا ما الكَأسُ لَم تُذهِب هُمومي

فَقَد تَبَّت يَدُ الساقي وَتَبّا

When a cup does not dispel my cares,

The hand of the cupbearer has clearly failed.

عَلى أَنّي أَعَفُّ مَنِ اِحتَساها

وَأَكرَمُ مِن عَذارى الدَيرِ شربا

Yet I am more forgiving than one who sought it,

And more generous than cloistered virgins when drinking.

وَلي نَفسٌ أُرَوّيها فَتَزكو

كَزَهرِ الوَردِ نَدَّوهُ فَهَبّا

I have a soul I wish to pacify that it may be pure

As a rose whose fragrance has been released by the breeze.