حَمائم الرَوض ما هَذي التَغاريدُ

عَن باعث هِيَ أَم لي مِنكَ تَقليدُ

The doves of the garden, what is this twittering -

Is it from an awakener, or your imitation of me?

نوحي وَنوحك جَنح اللَيل مُتَفق

وَالمُشغلات لَنا وَرد وَتَوريد

Our sighs and your sighs, the wings of night concur.

And for us the preoccupations are roses and myrtles.

إِن كانَ يُقنعك صَوت الصَغير فَلي

قَلب يُعللهُ في الحُب تَفنيدُ

If the voice of the little one satisfies you,

Then my heart has an excuse in love's rebuttal.

تَعجبت نار قَلبي مِن تجلده

وَمِن جُفوني شَكا دَمع وَتَسهيدُ

The fire of my heart was astonished at its composure

And from my eyelids a tear complained and whimpered.

وَالحُزن باقٍ عَلى ما كُنت أَعهدهُ

وَإِن تَكرر عيد بُعدَهُ عيدُ

And sorrow remains as I was accustomed to it,

Even if recurring Eid after its absence is Eid.

جَريح بيض الظِبا تَرجا سَلامَتهُ

إِلّا الَّذي جَرَحتهُ الأَعيُن السودِ

The gazelle, hopeful for his wound's recovery,

Except for he who was wounded by the black eyes.

لي بِالظَعائن نَهاب العُقول رَشاً

قَوامُهُ بانة وَالقَلب جَلمودُ

I have, for the censurers, a sprinkling of minds' terror -

His standing is clear, and the heart stoic.

لَو مَرَت الريح تَروي عَن ذَوائِبِهِ

لَم يَبقَ مِن عَهد عادَ ثَمَّ مَلحود

If the wind passed, narrating his locks,

Nothing would remain of a past, then forgotten pact.

لَكنها مَنَعتها عَن مَواطئهِ

مَهابة تَتحاماها الصَناديدُ

But it prohibited it from his resting places -

Fearing the streamers the sentinels cast down.

مِن البَشانِقَة الغُر الذينَ لَهُم

لِواء حُسن عَلى الأَقمار مَعقودُ

Of the heroes the distinguished ones, who have

A banner of beauty raised over the moons.

نَحنُ المُسيئون إِن جاروا وَإِن عَدلوا

وَما يَرون حَميداً فَهُوَ مَحمودُ

We are the wrong-doers, whether they be unjust or fair,

And they do not see praised but what is extolled.

وَالذُل أَشرَف عزّ في مَحبتهم

وَشَريُ هَجرِهم أريٌ أَو قَنديدُ

And humiliation is nobler than honor in their love,

And the evil of their estrangement is a flock of sheep or goats.

لا تَصحبنَ غَير حَر أَن ظَفرت بِهِ

وَما سِواهُ إِذا جَرَبت تَنكيدُ

Do not accompany any but the free if you gain them,

And what is other, if you try, is vexation.