ما كُنْتُ أَنْدُبُ رَامةً وَطُوَيْلِعاً

لَوْ كُنْتَ يا قَمَرِي عليَّ طُويْلِعَا

I would not lament Ramah or Tawilah

Had you, my moon, been long upon me.

وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ بِرَامَةٍ بَيْنَ النَّقَا

فَمَنَعْتُ طَرْفي مِنْهُ أَنْ يتَمتَّعا

And I saw between noble women -

I prevented my eye from enjoying them.

ما ذَاكَ مِنْ رَوْعٍ وَلكِنْ مَنْ رَأَى

أَشْباهَ عِطْفِكَ حُقَّ أَن يَتورَّعا

It was no frightening thing, but one who sees

The likeness of your affection, it behooves him to refrain.

يا ساكِني نُعْمان لا اِصْطَنَعَ الهَوَى

صَبّاً يكونُ بِكُم هَواهُ تَصنُّعا

O dweller of Nu'man, passion does not pretend

To be a love struck by you pretentiously.

قَدْ أَزْعَجَ القَلْبَ الغَرامُ وأَعْجَزَ ال

طَرْفَ المنامُ فَحَقَّ لي أَنْ أَجْزَعَا

Love has perturbed my heart and dream's inability

Has defeated my eye, so it's right that I despair.

أَضْمَرْتُموا هَجْراً وأَمْرَضْتُمْ حَشىً

مِنّي وأَضْرَمَتُمْ بِنارٍ أَضْلُعَا

You harbored estrangement and sickened my heart,

And kindled in me a blazing fire.

وَلَقَدْ وَقَفْتُ على حِماكُمْ مُجْدِباً

فَجَرَى بِهِ دَمْعِي إلى أنْ أَمْرَعَا

I stood over your tent weeping

Until my tears flooded the sands.

وَحَفِظْتُ عَهْدَكُمُ وَضَيَّعْتُمْ فَلَا

أَدْعو لأَجْلِكُم عَلى مَنْ ضَيَّعا

I kept your pact while you neglected it,

So I won't pray for those who neglected.

قَالَ العَواذِلُ إِنَّ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَهُمْ

لَمْ يَتْركُوا لَكَ في وِصَالٍ مَطْمَعَا

The censurers said: they you loved

Did not leave any union for you to hope for.

أَنَا قَدْ رَضيتُ بِمَا ارْتَضوْهُ فَمَا عَسَى

أَنْ يُبْلِغَ الواشي لَديَّ بِمَا سَعَى

I'm content with what they decided, so what can

The slanderer accomplish in what he attempted?

مَنْ أَنْتَ يا ظَبْيَ الصَّريمِ دَعوتَهُ

هَيْهَاتَ عَنْكَ بِسَلْوةٍ أَنْ يَرْجِعَا

Who are you, O doe of Sarim, calling him -

Alas! He will not return lured by you.

لا بُدَّ يا قَمَرَ الملاحَةِ بَعْدَ أَنْ

تُبْدِي السِّرَارَ وَتَخْتَفِي أَنْ تَطْلُعَا

It's inevitable, O moon of nightfall, that after

You appear briefly, you must disappear.

وَلَرُبَّما يا ظَبْيُ تَرْتَاعُ الظِّبا

مِثْلَ ارْتِياعِكَ ثم تَأْنَسُ مَرْتَعَا

Perhaps, O doe, you shudder like my shuddering,

Then feel at peace in a pasture.

ما سِحْرُ هَارُونَ المُفَرِّق غِيْرُ ما

في مُقْلَتَيْكَ مِنَ الفُتُورِ تَجَمَّعَا

What is the magic of Harun the separator, but

The languor gathered in your eyes?

أَخْلَيْتَ مَرْبَع كُلِّ قَلْبٍ في الهَوَى

مِنْ صَبْرِهِ وجَعَلْتَهُ لَكَ مَرْبَعا

You emptied the composure of every heart in love,

And made it for you a square.

وَهِيَ القُلُوبُ الطائِراتُ فَمَا لَهَا

أَبداً نَراها في حِبَالِكَ وُقَّعَا

Those are the soaring hearts - so why do we

Never see them tethered by your ropes?

مَا صَدَّ عَنِّي في الغَرامِ فَديْتُهُ

لَمّا بَذلْتُ لَهُ دَمِي فَتَمَنَّعا

I ransomed what distracted me from passion

When I shed my blood for it, but it refused.

لَكنْ رَأَى قَلْبي يَزيدُ بِقُرْبِهِ

صَدْعاً فأَشفَقَ إِن دَنَا أَنْ يُصْدَعا

Rather, my heart saw it increase the cracks

When drawing near, fearing it would crack.

يا عاذِلي دَعْنِي وَعَلِّم مُقْلَتِي

لِتَرى خَيال مُعَذِّبي إِنْ تَهْجَعَا

O my censurer, leave me be and teach my eyelids

To see the specter of my tormentor as I sleep.

مَنْ كَانَ مَدْمَعُهُ نَجِيعاً في الهَوَى

هَيْهَاتَ عَذْلُكَ عِنْدَهُ أَنْ يَنْجَعَا

Whose tears were streaming in passion -

Alas! Your censure will not avail him.

أَمْ كَيْفَ رِيقَتُكَ الَّتي أَرِقَتْ لها

عَيْني وَما رَاقَتْ تُكَفْكِفُ أَدْمُعَا

Or how did your departure, which deprived me of sleep

And did not let my eyes rest, assuage tears?