مِن أَينَ أَنتَ وَمَن يُدريكِ أَينَ أَنا

الجِدُّ خُلقي وَمِن أَخلاقِكِ العَبَثُ

From where are you, and who can tell you where I am from?

My nature is serious, while yours is frivolous.

ما جِئتِ مَبعوثَةً بَل جِئتِ باعِثَةً

هَمّي وَلا خاطِرٌ في الهَمِّ مُنبَعِثُ

You did not come sent, but rather you came stirring up trouble.

My worries and thoughts are not awakened by worry.

لَبِثتُ في الحُبِّ عُمراً لا أُحَصِّلُهُ

كَفِتيَةِ الكَهفِ لا يَدرونَ ما لَبِثوا

I remained in love for a lifetime I cannot calculate,

Like the companions of the cave, not knowing how long they remained.

كَرّوا اللَواحِظَ بَحثاً عَن مَحاسِنِهِ

وَما دَرَوا أَنَّهُم عَن حَتفِهِم بَحَثوا

They denigrated al-Lawzi searching for his faults,

And they did not know they were searching for their own demise.