رَأى الحُسْنَ في العُشَّاقِ مُمتَثلَ الأَمْرِ

فَجارَ وَنابتْ عَنْهُ عَيْنَاهُ في الغَدْرِ

He saw beauty in lovers enacting his command

So he revolted, and his eyes turned away in betrayal

وَقال خُذِ الهَجْرَ المُبرِّحَ بِالحَشَا

فَقُلْتُ خُذ الصَّبْرَ المُبرِّحَ بالهَجْرِ

And he said, take this separation that brings joy with renunciation

So I said, take this patience that brings joy through separation

وَلِي فِيكَ بَيْنَ القُرْبِ وَالبُعْدِ مَشْهدٌ

يُريني صِدْقَ الهَجْرِ في كَذِبِ السِّرِّ

And for me in you is a scene between closeness and distance

That shows me the truthfulness of separation in the lies of intimacy

أُمَثِّلُ ما أَخْتَارُ مِنْكَ بِخاطِري

فَيَمْنَحُنِي وَصْلاً وَإِنْ كُنْتَ لا تَدْرِي

I imagine what I choose of you in my thoughts

So it grants me union even if you are not aware

أَأَحْبابَنا بِنْتُمْ وَخَلَّفْتُمُ الهَوَى

يُملل حَرَّ الشَّوْقِ مِنَّا على الجَمْرِ

O our loved ones, have you forgotten and abandoned passion

That alleviates the heat of yearning in us over embers

هَلُمَّ إِلى العَهْدِ القَديمِ نُجِدُّهُ

وَنُنْشِي به مَيْتَ الهَوَى طَيب النَّشْرِ

Come back to the old covenant, we will renew it

And revive with it the dead passion, good diffusion

فَنَحْنُ قَبِلناكُمْ على كُلّ حَالَةٍ

أَحبَّاءَ لا نَسْلوكُمْ آخِرَ الدَّهْرِ

For we have accepted you in every state

As loved ones we do not ask you till the end of time

وَنَحْنُ فَعَلْنَا ما يَليقُ مِنَ الوَفَا

فَلا تَفْعَلُوا ما لا يَلِيقُ مِنَ الغَدْرِ

And we have done what befits loyalty

So do not do what does not befit betrayal

وَإِنَّا وَإِنْ أَغْرَى بِنَا الحُسْنُ عَامِداً

نُؤَمِّلُ أَنْ يُجْرِي بِنَا اليُسْرُ ما يُجْرِي

And even if beauty seduced us intentionally

We hope ease will run its course

أُسائِلُكُمْ هَلْ رَوَّضَ الشِّعْبُ بَعْدَنَا

وَهَلْ سَحَّ في سَاحَاتِهِ وَابِلُ القَطْرِ

I ask you, has the land been tilled after us

And has the rain poured in its plains

وَهَلْ سَنَحَتْ فِيهِ جَآذِرُهُ الَّتي

تُعوِّضُ بالأَلْبابِ مَرْعىً عَن الزَّهْرِ

And have its roots that compensate

With wisdom for pasture instead of flowers grown in it

كَواكِبُ قالَ النَّاسُ هُنَّ كَواعِبٌ

تَقَلَّدْنَ بَالأَحْدَاقِ مِنَّا وَبِالدُّرِّ

Like planets, people said they are maidens

Who donned our gazes and pearls

نَحرْنَ جُفُونِي بالدُّمُوعِ وإِنَّما

سَلَبْنَ عُقُودَ الدُّرِّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النَّحْرِ

They wounded my eyelids with tears, but in fact

They robbed necklaces of pearls from that wounding

رَعَى اللَّهُ نَفْساً كم أُكَلِّفُهَا الهَوَى

وَأَجْنِي بِها حُلْوَ الأُمُورِ مِنَ المُرِّ

May God protect a soul how much passion burdens it

And I gain thereby the sweetness of things from the bitter

وَأَلْقَى صُرُوفَ الدَّهْرِ مُسْتَقْبِلاً لَها

فَلسْتَ تَرى تَأْثِيرَها في سِوَى صَدْرِي

And I meet the turns of fate looking ahead for it

So you do not see its effect except in my chest

وَقَدْ شَابَ فَوْدي قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْقَضِي لَهُ

سِوَى الخَمْسِ والعِشْرِينَ مِنْ مُدَّةِ العُمْرِ

And my love has grayed before it finishes for him

Except twenty five years from the age

أُحِبُّ ورُودَ الماءِ يُحْرَسُ بالظُّبَى

وَأَهْوَى ازْدِيارِ الحَيِّ يُمْنَعُ بالسُّمْرِ

I love the flowing of water guarded by the thickets

And I crave the lively commotion forbidden by the night patrols

وَلِي بِابْنِ عَبْدِ الظَّاهِرِ الهِمَّةُ الَّتي

أَجَادَ بِهَا جَدِّي وأَعْلى بِهَا قَدْرِي

And I have the aspiration that the son of Abdel Zaher had

With which my grandfather was generous and with which he elevated my status

هُوَ البَرُّ إِلَّا أَنَّه إِنْ قَصَدْتَهُ

تَيَقَّنْتَ أَنَّ البَحْرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ البَرِّ

He is righteousness except if you seek him

You will ascertain that the sea is of that land

يُقاسِمني قَلْبِي إِلَيْهِ اشْتِياقُهُ

فَيَرْجَحُ شَطْرَ الشَّوْقِ مِنْهُ عَلَى الشَّطْرِ

My heart shares with him its longing

So the scale of passion tips toward him over the other half