مَلامُكَ لا رَبْطٌ لَدَيْهِ وَلاَ حَلُّ

دَمِي لِلْهَوى إِنْ كَانَ يُرْضِي الهَوَى حِلُّ

Your blame, it has no connection, no solution

My blood is for passion, if passion finds it a solution

إِلَيْكَ وَمَا مَوَّهْتَ عَنِّي فإِنَّما ال

تَجَاهُلُ عِنْدَ العارِفينَ بهِ جَهْلُ

To you, though you feigned ignorance of me, it's just

Ignorance to the knowledgeable is but ignorance

بِرُوحي وَأَهْلي مَنْ إِذَا عَرضُوا لَهَا

بِذِكْرِي قَالتْ دُونَهُ الرُّوحُ والأَهْلُ

My soul and family are for those who, if they come across them

Say, beyond it, the soul and family

تُحِدِّثَ في النَّادِي بِذكْرِي وَذِكْرِها

وَصار لأَهْلِ الحَيِّ مِنْ ذِكْرنا شُغْلُ

You converse in the club about me and her

And it became for the people of the neighborhood from our mention, a preoccupation

وَمَا الحُبَّ إِلّا أَنْ يُقِلُّوا وَيُكْثِروا

بِنَا وَيَصِحُّوا في الظُّنُونِ وَيَعْتَلُّوا

Love is not but that they speak little and excessively of us

And they fantasize in suspicions and become confused

أَبتْ رِقّتي إِلّا الَّذي يَقْتَضِي الهَوَى

وَعَزْمِي إِلّا ما اقْتَضَى الرَّأيُ والعَقْلُ

My tenderness refused except what passion requires

And my resolve except what reason and mind requires

فَواعَجَباً أَنّي خَفِيتُ وَلَمْ أَبِنْ

وَقَدْ رَاحَ مَمْلُوءً بِي الحَزْنُ والسَّهْلُ

So strange that I was hidden and did not reveal

While filled with sorrow and barrenness

طَريدٌ وَلِي مَأْوىً مُباحٌ وَلِي حِمىً

وَحِيدٌ وَلِي صَحْبٌ غَريبٌ وَلِي أَهْلُ

Hunted yet I have an allowed refuge, lonely yet I have company

A stranger yet I have family

سَأَجْهَدُ إِمَّا لِلمَنايا أَو المُنَى

قُصَاراي إِمّا النَّصْرُ أَو ما جَنَى النَّصْلُ

I will strive either for death or purpose

My goals either victory or what the blade reaped

فإِنْ لَمْ تَصِلْ بِي هِمَّتي بِمَطالِبي

وَلَمْ يَنْتَسِجْ للشَّيْبِ في لِمَّتي غَزْلُ

If my determination does not take me to my wants

And there is no youthfulness in my wrap for old age

فَلا نَظَرتْ عَيْني وَلا فَاهَ مِقْوَلي

وَلا بَطَشَتْ كَفِّي وَلا سَعَتِ الرِّجْلُ

Then my eye has not looked, nor my mouth spoken

Nor my palm seized, nor my foot walked

وَمَنْ عَرَفَ الأَمْرَ الَّذي أَنا عارِفٌ

رَأَى كُلَّ صَعْبٍ كُلّ إِدْراكِهِ سَهْلُ

Whoever knew the matter I know

Saw every hardship, all its comprehension is easy

خُذِ العِزِّ مِنْ أَيّ الوُجُوه رَأَيْتَهُ

فَلا خَيْرَ في عَيْشٍ يَكونُ بِهِ الذُّلُّ

Take pride however you saw it

For there is no good in a life with disgrace

وَلِلمَرْءِ مِنْ دَاعِي الطَّبِيعَةِ قائِدٌ

إذَا لَمْ يَذده دُونَهُ الحلْمُ والنُّبْلُ

And man has from the caller of nature a guide

If wisdom and nobility do not shield him from it

مِنَ التُّربِ هذا الطَّبْعُ والنَّفْسُ مِنْ عُلاً

فَلِلْمَرْءِ أَنْ يَدْنُو وَلِلْمَرْءِ أَنْ يَعْلُو

From soil this innate character and the soul from highness

So for man is to come near and for man is to rise above