سالَت جُفونُ الهَوى عَلى قَدَرِ

فلَم يَدَع سَيلُها وَلَم يَذَرِ

The eyelids of passion shed tears abundantly,

Neither stopping its flood, nor ceasing.

فَمَرَّ عَنّا بِهِ المَلامُ فَما

عِندي لَهُ حَيثُ مَرَّ مِن خَبَرِ

Blame passed us by with it, though to me

There is no news wherever it passed.

هَذي سُيولٌ أَنّى يَقومُ لَها ال

عَذلُ وَما قامَ قائِمُ الحَجَرِ

These are floods, can reproach withstand them?

Nor did the steadfast rock stand up to them.

يَبيتُ كُلُّ الوَرى لَهُ قَمَرٌ

غَيري وَما لِيَ بِاللَيلِ مِن قَمَرِ

All people sleep having a moon,

Except me – my night has no moon.

سافَرَ عَنّي وَلا أَرى قَمَراً

أُفْقاً وَأَرضاً إِلّا عَلى سَفَرِ

He traveled away from me, and I see no moon,

Horizon or land, except in travel.

وَكُلُّ لَيلٍ يُرجى لَهُ سَحَرٌ

وَلَيلُ مَن فارَقوا بِلا سَحَرِ

And each night that hopes for dawn

Is not the night of those departed without dawn.

أَما وَمِنهُ لا يَنقَضي وَطَري

فَقَد صَحِبتُ الدُنيا بِلا وَطَرِ

Of it there is no end to estrangement,

So I lived the world companionless.

لي لَمَحاتٌ عَلى مُحَبَّرِها

أَحفَل مِن أَدمُعي عَلى بَصَري

I have glances at its script

More heedless than my tears to my sight.

أُقسِمُ يا بَدرُ لَو عَقَلتَ وَقَد

أَبصَرتَ تِلكَ الأَنوارَ لَم تُنِرِ

I swear O moon, if you were rational

And saw those lights, you would not shine.

سِر لا تَقِف وَاِستَعِن بِأَجنِحَةِ ال

سُحبِ إِلى وَكرِ مَغرِبٍ وَطِرِ

Travel on, do not stand still, and seek help from the wings of

Clouds, to the den at the setting place.

وَعَورَةٌ أَنتَ في العُيونِ وَإِن

رَأَيتَ أَلّا تَراكَ فَاِستَتِر

And you are a defect in eyes, so if

You see, do not be seen, and take cover.

ما أَنتَ يا شَيخَنا الكَبيرَ كَمَن

أَضحى كَبيرَ الجَمالِ في الصِغَرِ

You, my old sheikh, are not like one

Who reached old age in youthful beauty.