لَعَلَّ خِلافي لِلعَواذِلِ يَشفَعُ

إِلى مَن مَتى أَشكو الهَوى لَيسَ يَسمَعُ

My pleading with the beauties may intercede

To one whom when shall I complain of love, he hears not

وَقَد كُنتُ أُشكي القَلبَ سَيفاً بِجَفنِهِ

فَلا عَجَبٌ إِن كانَ يُحنى وَيُقطَعُ

I used to complain of a heart being a sword in its eyelids

No wonder if it bends and breaks

إِذا دَخَلَت بَينَ القُلوبِ قَطيعَةٌ

فَلا تَبعَثِ الأَقوالَ ما لَيسَ يَنفَعُ

When aloofness comes between hearts

Words will not avail what is of no use

وَلَو نَفَعَت عِندَ الحَبيبِ ضَراعَةٌ

كَفَت أَدمُعٌ عَن مُهجَةٍ تَتَضَرَّعُ

Even if pleading were useful to the beloved

Tears suffice a ardently pleading lover

وَكانَ اللِقا مِن مُفرَدي مِنهُ مُفرَداً

فَيا زَمَني أَلّا تُثَنّي وَتَجمَعُ

Being alone with him was singularly mine

Oh my time, do not fold and gather

لَيالٍ تَقَضَّت لَيسَ يَوماً بِراجِعٍ

إِلَيها وَلَكِنَّ اللَيالي سَتَرجِعُ

Nights passed with no day coming back

To them, but the nights will come back

فَيا لَيتَ أَسبابَ اللَيالي تَقَطَّعَت

كَأَسبابِنا فيها إِذا تَتَقَطَّعُ

Would that the causes of the nights were cut

Like our causes in them when severed

وَإِن فَرَطَت مِنّا وَأَعيا اِتِّباعُها

فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ النَفسَ لا تَتَتَبَّعُ

If they slipped from us and following them grew hard

Would that the soul does not keep following

وَإِن كانَ قَلبٌ بَينَ جَنبَيَّ حاضِرٌ

فَلَيتَ هُمومَ القَلبِ لا تَتَنَوَّعُ

If there is a heart present between my ribs

Would that the heart's concerns do not vary

وَبَيني وَبَينَ النائِباتِ وَقائِعٌ

يُهَوِّنُها المَوتُ الَّذي أَتَوَقَّعُ

Between me and misfortunes some events

Made easier by death I expect

أَبى طَمَعي في زَهرَةِ العَيشِ أَنَّني

بِها سَوفَ لا تَبقى وَبي لَستُ أَطمَعُ

My hope in life's bloom refused that

It will remain while I do not hope

فَكُلُّ زَمانٍ لَيسَ لي فيهِ صاحِبٌ

وَكُلُّ حَبيبٍ ما لَهُ فِيَّ مَوضِعُ

Every era that has no friend of mine

And every beloved who has no place for me