مَن لي بِنَجدٍ وَأَيّامٍ بِها سَلَفَتْ

ما طالَ عَهدٌ بماضيها سِوى حِجَجِ

Who will bring me back the days of old, days

Long vanished, whose trace survives in pilgrimages?

لَو بيعَ عَصرُ شَبابٍ يَنقَضي لِفَتىً

لابتيعَ عَصرُ الصِّبا وَاللَّهوِ بِالمُهَجِ

Were youth but ransomed for gold, still would I ransom

My days of pleasure and play in wantonness and fun.

لِلَّهِ ظَمياءُ وَالأَيّامُ مُسعِدَةٌ

بِالوَصلِ مِنها بِلا مَنْعٍ وَلا حَرَجِ

To God resignation and days that gladden

With union assured, unbound by taboo or ban.

القَدُّ أُملودُ بانٍ وَالنَّقا عَجُزٌ

وَالوَجهُ بَدرٌ وَذاكَ الشَّعرُ كالسَّبَجِ

The neck shows printed lines while the tears yet run

And the face is a full moon or a branch of sanobar.

تَرنو بِطَرْفِ غَزالٍ فاتِرٍ دَعِجٍ

نَفسي الفِداءُ لِطَرفٍ فاترٍ دَعِجِ

You gaze with languid orbs, weakly winking drowsily,

My soul for ransom to languid orbs drowsy and weak!

دَعْ يا هُذَيمُ فَمُذ فارَقتُ جيرَتَها

ما كُنتُ مِن بَعدِها يَوماً بِمُبتَهِجِ

Leave off, O Hudaim! Since I left her neighborhood

I have not lived a single day glad and cheerfully.

يا سَعدُ هَل لي وَهَذااللَّيلُ يَشهَدُ لي

بِما أُقاسي لَدى التَّسهيدِ مِن فَرَجِ

O Saad, and does this night too fail to witness

My misery before the first light of dawn?

يا لائمي كُفَّ إِنَّ الحُبَّ أَفرَسَ مَن

يَلومُهُ عَن فَصيحاتٍ مِنَ الحُجَجِ

O you that blame me, cease! For love's steed

Is swifter than those who would lame him by rebukes.