كَيْفَ يُصْغي لِعاذِلٍ أَوْ يَميلُ

مُغْرَمٌ شَفَّهُ ضَنىً وَنُحولُ

How can one who is lovesick listen to a blamer or incline,

Smitten, his cheeks thinning and body wasting?

لِيَ شُغْلٌ بِالحُبّ حَتَّى عَنِ الحُب

بِ فَماذَا عَسَى يَقولُ العَذُولُ

I am preoccupied with love, even not thinking of love,

What then can the blamer possibly say?

إِنّ لِلحُبّ مَعْرِكاً يَسْخَطُ القَا

تِلُ فيهِ وَيَرْتَضي المَقْتُولُ

For love there is a battle that angers the critic

And in which the slain is content.

يا مَلُولاً وَمَالِكاً ما الَّذي يَصْ

نَعُ فِيكَ المَمْلُوكُ وَالمَمْلُولُ

O beauty who owns me, what can

The owned and the owner accomplish?

دُونَ نَيْلِ الوِصَالِ مِنْكَ خُطُوبٌ

كُلَّما خِلْتُهَا تَهُونُ تَهُولُ

Without attaining union with you are tribulations

That become easier each time I face them.

لِلسُّيوفِ الحدادِ ضَرْبٌ وللسُّم

رِ طِعانٌ وَللجِيادِ صَهِيلُ

To the sharpened swords belong striking, to the spearheads stabbing, and to the steeds neighing,

Where has intimacy gone? Nay, where was estrangement? How can the lowly attain it?

أَيْنَ راحُ الوِصالِ بَلْ أَيْنَ كانَ ال

هَجْرُ بَلْ كَيْفَ لِلدنوِّ سَبيلُ

If my eyes complain of the long night,

I say, gentle, the winter night is long.

إِنْ شَكَا الطَّرْفُ باكِياً طُولَ لَيْلٍ

قُلْتُ مَهْلاً لَيْلُ الشِّتاءِ طَوِيلُ

What aids me regarding passion except lamenting?

In calamities he is a lion who attacks.

ما مُعيني عَلى الهَوَى غَيرُ نَدْبٍ

هُوَ فِي الحَادِثاتِ لَيثٌ يَصُولُ

By whom was time battled with a sword?

And by whom was brotherhood sought with a friend?

وَلِمنْ حَارب الزَّمانَ حُسامٌ

وَلِمنْ حَاوَلَ الإخَاءَ خَليلُ

O abundant in kindness, indeed abundant

In praise for what you comprise is little.

يَا كَثيرَ الإحْسانِ إِنَّ كَثيرَ ال

مَدْحِ فيما حَويْتَهُ لَقَلِيلُ

And generous in kindness, harm has not touched you

When debasement has come to you - it is stingy.

وَكَريمَ الإحسان ما ضَرَّكَ الدَّهْ

رُ إِذَا ما وَافاكَ وَهْوَ بَخيلُ

I have witnesses of loyalty and virtue

That from your love I have no deviance.

لِي شُهودٌ مِنَ الوَفاءِ عُدولٌ

أَنَّنِي عن هَواكَ ما لِي عُدُولُ

Do not blame me if I fell short in praise

For my excuse with people is acceptable.

لا تَلُمْنِي إن كُنْتُ قَصَّرْتُ في المَدْ

حِ فَعُذْرِي عِنْدَ الوَرى مَقْبُولُ

Can a tongue encompass a description of you

In which the literal and figurative expire?

هَلْ يُحيطُ اللِّسانُ مِنْكَ بِوَصْفٍ

فِيهِ يَفْنَى المَنْقُولُ وَالمَعْقُولُ