وَمَريضَةٍ مَرَضَ الهَوى

بَكَرَت بِعَبرَتِها تَعيب

Lovesick and lovesickness has struck

Her tears flowed and graced her cheeks

وَرَفَعتُ عِندَ جَوابِها

صَوتي وَقَد سَكَتَ المُريب

And when she replied, I raised my voice

While the blamer fell silent

إِنَّ الهُمومَ تَعَلَّقَت

حَوراءَ كالرَشَأَ الرَبيب

Worries clung to her

Like beads of dew

وَيلي عَلى رَوَعانِها

وَلِسانِها المَلِقِ الخَلوب

Woe to me because of her bashfulness

And her sweet, fluent tongue

فَلَقَد شُعِفتُ بِحُبِّها

شِعفَ النَصارى بِالصَليب

For I was weakened by love of her

As Christians are weakened by the cross

عَهِدَت إِلَيَّ وَأَدبَرَت

عَهداً تَذَكُّرُهُ يُشيب

She made a promise to me and turned away

A promise that remembering makes one grey

وَكَأَنَّها لَمّا مَشَت

أَيمٌ تَأَوَّدَ في كَثيب

As if when she walked away

She was a loving female ostrich in the dunes

وَكَأَنَّني مِن حُبِّها

ظَأرٌ أَهابَ بِهِ مُهيب

And as if because of love for her

I am a wolf terrified by a fearful one

خُلِقَ النِساءُ خِلافَها

ضُرُباً وَلَيسَ لَها ضَريب

Women were created unlike her

In type, and she has no equal

زَينُ المَجاسِدِ مِثلُها

يُشفى بِهِ ضِغنُ القُلوب

The adornment of bodies like hers

Can heal the sickness of hearts

لَمّا شَعَبتُ عَلى الوُشا

ةِ وَغُصنُ ناظِرِكِ الشَعوب

When I roamed the prairie and the branch of your watching eyes

The roamers returned as if they had no guide

رَجَعَ الوُشاةُ كَأَنَّهُم

عُرَفاءُ لَيسَ لَهُم نَقيب