هُمُ أوْدعُوهُ الَّذي أودعوا

فَلوموهُ إن شِئتُم أو دَعُوا

They entrusted him with what they entrusted,

So blame him if you wish, or let him be,

فعَنْ ذلك الأَمرِ لا يَنْتهي

وعَن ذلِكَ الشَّانِ لا يرجعُ

For from that matter he will not desist,

Nor from that affair will he return.

وفي الرّكبِ فتَّانةٌ في الحَشا

لَها مُسْتَقرٌّ ومستودعُ

In the riders is a seducer in the meadow,

It has a settlement and a repository,

حَمَتْهَا النِّصالُ بأيْدي الرّجالِ

وبيضً الظُّبى والقَنَا الشُرَّعُ

Its arrows in the hands of men protect it,

As well as the white ibex and the wide quiver.

حداهُمْ برغمِي غرابُ النّوى

وهبّتْ بهمْ ريحُها الزّعزَعُ

Despite me the crow of an-Nuwa croaked at them,

And its gusting wind blew them away.

أقامَتْ شجنيَ من بعدِهمْ

وأزمَعَ صبريَ إذ أزْمَعوا

It established my lamentation after them,

And my patience wavered when they wavered.

سقى اللهُ من أَجلهم لَعْلَعاً

وأينَ وأينَ تُرَى لَعْلَعُ

May God water for their sake Al-La'la',

And where, where can Al-La'la' be seen?

أحيّى الرّبوعَ وهم مَقْصدي

وإنْ قلت حيّيتَ يا مَرْبعُ

I revive the meadows and they are my goal,

And if I say "Greetings O meadow!"

وقد كان قِدماً بهم عَامراً

فها هُوَ من بعدهم بَلْقَعُ

And formerly it had been inhabited by them,

Yet now after them it is desolate.

وفي أثرِ العيسِ لمَّا سروا

فتىً قلبُه مُؤلَمٌ موجَعُ

And in the track of the caravan when they departed,

A young man whose heart is anguished and afflicted.

مُحبٌّ قضيّة أشجانِه

إلى دَولَةِ الحُسْنِ لا تُرْفَعُ

A lover whose affair of passions,

Is towards a state of beauty that is not raised.

وهَوَّنَ قومٌ عَليهِ الْهوى

فأصبحَ مِن وردِه يكرعُ

And a people made passionate love easy for him,

So he became sipping of its roses.

توَهّمَهُ سلِساً صَعْبُهُ

وكم حاذقٍ في الهوى يُخْدعُ

They imagined it smooth, but it was rough,

And how skilled in love is one who is deceived!

هو الموتُ لا جسَدٌ ناحِلٌ

ولا طُول سُهدٍ ولا مَدْمَعُ

It is death, not an emaciated body,

Nor length of sleeplessness, nor tears.

ولا الرّيحُ تَسْري ولا بَارقٌ

يَظَلّ على بارقٍ يلمَع

Not the wind blowing, nor lightning

That casts light upon lightning that flashes.

فهاتيك علاّت أهلِ الهوى

ولِي دونَهمْ في الهوى منزعُ

So those are the sublime ones of passionate love,

While lower than them in love is my refuge.

وخالي الحشا سَامَني سلوةً

ولم يَدْرِ ما حوتِ الأَضْلعُ

And my vacant meadow caused me distraction,

And it did not know what my ribs contained.

يلومُ شجيّاً عَنِ الحُبِّ ما

خلا مِنه عُضوٌ ولا مَوضعُ

It blames a lover about love, something

From which no limb or place is devoid.

فيا عاذلي أينَ مَنْ يَرعَوي

ويا ناصحي ينَ مَنْ يسمع

So O you who rebukes me, where is one who will shepherd me?

And O you who advises me, where is one who will listen?