لا تُخْفِ ما صَنَعَتْ بِكَ الأَشْواقُ

وَاشْرَحْ هَواكَ فَكُلُّنَا عُشَّاقُ

Do not hide what longing has done to you,

And explain your love, for we are all lovers.

قَدْ كَانَ يُخْفي الحُبَّ لَوْلَا دَمْعُكَ ال

جَارِي وَلَوْلا قَلْبُكَ الخَفَّاقُ

Love would have been hidden, were it not for your

Flowing tears and throbbing heart.

فَعَسى يُعينُكَ مَنْ شَكَوْتَ لَهُ الهَوى

في حَمْلِهِ فالعَاشِقُون رِفَاقُ

Maybe someone you complain to about passion

Will help you bear it, for lovers are friends.

لا تَجْزَعَنَّ فَلَسْتَ أَوّلَ مُغْرَمٍ

فَتَكَتْ بِهِ الوَجْنَاتُ وَالأَحْدَاقُ

Do not despair, you are not the first lovesick one;

Cheeks and eyelids have shed tears before you.

وَاصْبِرْ عَلى هَجْرِ الحَبِيبِ فَرُبَّما

عَادَ الوِصَالُ ولِلْهَوى أَخْلاقُ

And be patient with your beloved’s estrangement,

Reunion may come, for passion has its ways.

كَمْ لَيْلَةٍ أَسْهَرْتُ أَحْداقي بِهَا

مُلْقىً ولِلأَفْكَارِ بِي إِحْدَاقُ

How many nights have I stayed up with my eyes

Cast down while thoughts keep my gaze lowered.

يا رَبِّ قَدْ بَعُدَ الَّذين أُحِبُّهُمْ

عَنِّي وَقَدْ أَلِفَ الرّفاقَ فِراقُ

O Lord, those I love have gone too far

And companionship has turned into separation.

وَاِسْوَدَّ حَظِّي عِنْدَهُم لَمَّا سَرى

فيهِ بِنَارِ صَبابتِي إِحْرَاقُ

My fortune with them waned when the fire

Of my passion for them raged out of control.

عُرْبٌ رَأَيْتُ أَصَحَّ ميثاقٍ لَهُمْ

أَنْ لا يَصِحَّ لَدَيْهِمُ مِيثَاقُ

Arabs whose oaths of allegiance I saw held firm,

Yet no oath held firm with them.

وَعَلى النّياقِ وفي الأَكلَّةِ مَعْرِضٌ

فِيهِ نِفارٌ دائمٌ وَنِفاقُ

Aloof, indifferent even amidst intimates,

Deceit and hypocrisy their constant garb.

مَا نَاءَ إِلّا حَارَبَتْ أَرْدافُهُ

خَصْراً عَليهِ مِنَ العُيونِ نِطَاقُ

Buttocks they show however much waistbands

Of glances try to hide them.

تَرْنُو العُيونُ إِليه في إطْراقِهِ

فَإِذَا رَنَا فَلِكُلِّها إِطْرَاقُ

Eyes sneak glimpses then quickly turn away,

Yet every eye still takes its peek.