شَكَوتُ فَلَم يَرِقَّ لِضَعفِ حالي

حَبيبٌ جِسمُهُ بِالحُسنِ حالي

I complained, but my lowly state did not soften him,

A beloved whose beauty equals my state.

خَلِيٌّ مِن خِلالِ العَذلِ فيهِ

ضَنَيتُ فَصِرتُ نِضواً كَالخِلالِ

Avoiding me with the evasion of the reproached,

I became thin like threads.

حَلا لي في الهَوى مُرُّ التَجَنّي

بِلَفظٍ مِنهُ كالسِّحرِ الحَلالِ

He lightened my love sickness with gentle words,

Like innocent magic spells.

إِذا ما اِفتَرَّ عَن غُرِّ الثَنايا

ثَنى في خَجلَةٍ غُرَّ اللآلي

When he smiled, free from the captivity of dimples,

He bent shyly, with the shyness of the crescent moon.

بِنَضرَتِهِ وَنَظرَتِهِ إِلَينا

نَرى حُسنَ الغَزالَةِ وَالغَزالِ

With his softness and his gaze upon us,

We see the beauty of a gazelle and a fawn.

وَغانِيَةٍ تَهُزُّ عَلى كَثيبٍ

قَوامَ الخَيزُرانَةِ بِاِعتِدالِ

And a singing girl sways gracefully on a hill,

With the figure of a tender branch in balance.

يَعودُ البَدرُ عَنها ذا مِحاقٍ

إِذا نَظَرَت إِلَيهِ في الكَمالِ

The full moon returns to her with admiration

When she looks at it in perfection.

تَضِنُّ بِوَصلِها المَأمولِ عَنّي

وَقَد خَوَّلتُها روحي وَمالي

She is stingy with the hoped for union with me

When I had given her my soul and money.

بُليتُ عَلى اِكتِهالِ السِّنِّ مِنّي

بِمَعشوقِ التَّثَنّي وَالدَّلالِ

I was tried, as my years turned white,

By the beloved of flirting and coquetry.

بَديعُ الحُسنِ وَالإِحسانُ مِنهُ

بَعيدٌ وَصلُهُ صَعبُ المَنالِ

Wondrous beauty and kindness come from him,

But attaining the union with him is difficult.

أَتى شَيبي وَفارَقَني شَبابي

فَواصَلَني اِكتِئابٌ غَيرُ آلي

My youth left me and my hair turned white,

And ceaseless melancholy accompanied me.

فَوا أَسَفاً عَلى دَهرٍ جَنَينا

بِأَيدي طيبِهِ ثَمَرَ الوِصالِ

Alas for the days we harvested

With the good of his hand the fruits of union.

مَضى الأَحبابُ وَاللَذاتُ عَنّي

فَوا أَسَفي عَلى عَيشٍ مَضى لي

The loved ones and pleasures left me,

Alas for a life that passed me by.

لَئِن طالَت بِهَجرِهِمُ لَيالٍ

لَقَد قَصُرَت بِوَصلِهِمُ لَيالي

If estrangement’s nights were long,

Then the nights of union with them were short.

نَديمي هاتِها راحاً شَمولاً

أَرَقَّ لَدَيَّ مِن رَوحِ الشَمالِ

My friend, bring it gently, enchantingly,

It comforts me more than the north wind.

إِذا صَدَمَت جُيوش الهَمِّ وَلَّت

جيوشُ الهَمِّ إِذ تَدعو نَزالِ

When the armies of worries attack and retreat,

The armies of worries when they call for war.

أَدِر كاساتِها ذَهَباً مُذاباً

أَحاطَ بِرَأسِها عِقدُ اللآلي

Pass around its cups, melted gold,

Collars of pearls surround their necks.

فَحُلَّ بِها عِقالَ الهَمِّ عَنّي

وَقُم وَاِنشَط لأَنشَطَ مِن عِقالي

Undo with them the fetters of worry from me,

And rise, be lively, more spirited than my vigor.

أَدِر شَمسَ المُدامَةِ أَو ترانا

نَرى الأَيّامَ سَكرى كَاللَيالي

Turn the sun of the wine round, so we see

Days drunk like nights.

عَلى وَردٍ كَأَنَّ بِهِ خُدودَ ال

غَواني نافِحاتٌ بِالغَوالي

On roses as though cheeks of charmers were in them,

Brimming over with amorous gazes.

يَقولُ تَمَتَّعوا بِشُموسِ فَضلي

طَوالِعَ عِندَكُم قَبلَ الزَّوالِ

It says: Enjoy my generosity’s suns,

Rising for you before noon.

وَأَيّامي قِصارٌ وَاللَيالي

وَإِلمامي كَإِلمامِ الخَيالِ

My days are short and the nights

Are like the guidance of imagination.

فَقَد أَبدى الرَّبيعُ وجوهَ حُسنٍ

أَنيقاتٍ بَديعاتِ الجَمالِ

Spring has shown faces of beauty,

Graceful, wondrous in their beauty.

وَمَنثوراً أَنامِلُهُ رِخاصٌ

بِهِنَّ جَواهِرُ الحُسنِ الغَوالي

Its fingers strewed, charming,

With them the jewelry of gorgeous beauty.