يعد عَليَّ أَنفاسي ذُنوباً

إِذا ما قُلت أَفديهِ حَبيبا

My breaths count my love for him as sins

When I say I'd sacrifice myself for my beloved

وَأَبعد ما يَكون الود مِنهُ

إِذا ما باتَ مِن أَمَلي قَريبا

And my affection is furthest from him

When he stays away from my hopes

حَبيب كُلَّما يَلقاهُ صَبٌّ

يَصير عَلَيهِ مَن يَهوى رَقيبا

A beloved, whenever faced with hardship

Becomes for the one who loves a guardian

يَعاف مَنازل العُشاق كَبراً

وَلَو فَرشت مَسالكها قُلوبا

He shuns the homes of lovers out of arrogance

Even if their paths were paved with hearts

فَلو حَمل النَسيم إِلَيهِ مِني

سَلاماً راحَ يَمنَعَهُ هُبوبا

If the breeze carried my greetings to him

It would blow it away and prevent it from reaching him

أَغار عَلى الجَفا مِنهُ لِغَيري

فَلَيتَ جَفاهُ أَضحى لي نَصيبا

I'm jealous of his indifference to others

If only his indifference would become my fortune

وَأَعشَق أَعيُن الرقباءَ فيهِ

وَلَو مَلَئت عُيونَهُم عُيوبا

And I adore the eyes of his watchmen over him

Even if their eyes were full of faults

لَقَد أَخَذَ الهَوى بِزِمام قَلبي

وَصَير دَمع أَجفاني صَبيبا

Passion has taken my heart's reins

And made the tears of my eyelids flow

وَما أَملت في أَهلي نَصيراً

فَكَيفَ الآن أَطلبهُ غَريبا

I've never hoped for aid from my family

So how can I seek it now when I'm a stranger?

وَأَقصِد أَن يَعيد رُوا شَبابي

زَمان غادر الولدان شِيبا

I wish the days of my youth would return

When boys were not yet grey-haired from time

وَما خَفيت عَلَيَّ الناس حَتّى

أَروم اليَوم مِن رَخم حَليبا

I've never hidden from people until

Today I seek milk from a dried-up udder

أَذا ظَنَ الذُباب خَشيتُ مِنهُ

لِفَقد مُساعِدي يُلفى مُجيبا

If flies think I fear them

For lack of supporters to drive them away

وَهب أَني حَكيت الشاة ضُعفاً

فَما لي أَحسَب السُنور ذِيبا

And if I told of the sheep's weakness

Why would I consider the wolf as prey?

عَسى يَوماً يَراش جَناح حَظي

فَأَغدو قاصِداً شَهماً وَهوبا

Perhaps one day the wings of my fortune may flutter

And I will set out bold and impetuous

عَزيزاً مُستَفاداً مِن عَزيز

كَوَرد أَكسب الأَيام طيبا

Precious, gaining from one who is precious

Like a rose the days have perfumed

لَئِن سَعدت وَلَو في النَوم عَيني

بِرُؤياهُ لِتلكَ العَين طُوبى

If my eyes find joy even in sleep

Dreaming of those eyes, blessed are they!

وَإِن ضَنَ السَحاب فَلا أُبالي

وَفَيض نَداهُ قَد أَضحى سَكوبا

And if the clouds withhold their rain I won't care

For their downpour has now become a flood

وَهَل أَبغي وَفي النادي سَناهُ

طُلوع الشَمس أَو أَخشى المَغيبا

In the presence of his beauty in the gathering

Do I wish for sunrise or fear sunset?

ظَفرت بِمَدحِهِ فَعَلَوت قَدراً

وَسَماني الزَمان بِهِ أَديبا

I succeeded in praising him and thus rose in station

And time called me a poet because of him

وَغادر رَوض أَفكاري جَنيّاً

وَصَبر غُصن آمالي رَطيبا

And left a garden in the meadow of my thoughts

With branches of my hopes still fresh

إِذا تُلِيَت مَآثرهُ بِأَرض

غَدا الفلك المُدار بِها طَروبا

When his achievements are recited in a land

The revolving heavens glorify it