أَلينُ فَيَقْسُو ثُمَّ أَرْضَى فَيحْقِدُ

وَأَشْكُو فَلا يُشْكَى وأَدْنُو فَيبْعِدُ

He is gentle, then becomes harsh, satisfied, then resentful

I complain, but none hear my plaint, draw near, but he pulls away

يَهزُّ قَواماً ناضِراً وَهْوَ ذَابِلٌ

إِذَا ما تَثنَّى فَهْوَ في الحُسْنِ مُفْرَدُ

Though slender and delicate, he sways with pride

Bent with conceit, yet peerless in beauty

يَقُولُ لي الوَاشِي تَعَدَّ عَنِ الَّذي

تَبيتُ بِهِ مُضْنَى الفُؤَادِ ويَرْقُدُ

The slanderers say I'm obsessed beyond reason

With a love that consumes my heart and keeps me awake

وَدَعْ عَنْكَ ذِكْرَى مَنْ غَدَا لَكَ نَاسِياً

مَلُولاً فَكَمْ فِي العَالمينَ مُحمَّدُ

Forget your longing for one who's forgotten you

Though the world is full of Muhammads

فقلتُ اتَّئِدْ يا عاذِلي لَيْسَ في الوَرَى

يُرَى مِثْلُ مَنْ قَدْ هِمْتُ فيه ويُوجَدُ

I said, enough, you who find fault with me - none

Can be found like the one I desire and seek

فَما كُلُّ زَهْرٍ يُنْبِتُ الرَّوْضُ طَيِّبٌ

وَلا كُلُّ كُحْل للنَّواظِر إثْمِدُ

Not every flower that grows in the garden is sweet

Nor all kohl pleasing to behold

وَزَوَّرُوا قَوْلَهُمْ وَمَا صَدَقُوا

في نَقْلِ شَيءٍ ضُرِّي به قَصَدُوا

They embellished their words, but spoke not the truth

Seeking only to injure me with what they conveyed

حَاشَا لِمِثْلِ الأَميرِ يَسْمَعُ ما

قَالُوهُ عَنِّي وَمَا بِهِ شَهِدُوا

Far be it from one such as the Prince to hear

What they said of me, and bear witness to their lies

ما لِي إلَّا بَيْتي أُقيمُ بِهِ

فَلا يَرانِي مِنْ بَعْدِها أَحَدُ

I have but my house, where I'll stay

So none will see me after this day

أَو أَنَّني أَحْرِفُ الفَيافي مِنْ

خَلْفِي وَلا يَسْتَقرُّ بِي بَلَدُ

Or I will roam the wilderness far from

Any lands where I might settle

والأَرْضُ إِلّا دِمَشْقَ لِي وَطَنٌ

وَالنَّاسُ إِلّا الأَمير لِي سَنَدُ

Damascus alone is home to me

And the Prince alone my pillar and support