تَثاقَلَ لَيلي فَما أَبرَحُ

وَنامَ الصَباحُ فَما أُصبِحُ

My night lingered, so I did not depart,

And the dawn slept, so I did not rise,

وَكُنتُ اِمرَءاً بِالصِبا مولَعاً

وَبِاللَهوِ عِندي لَهُ مَفتَحُ

I was a youth obsessed with pleasure,

And for me, amusement was unlocked,

لَقَد كُنتُ أُمسي عَلى طَربَةٍ

وَأُصبِحُ مِن مَرَحِ أَمرَحُ

I would spend the evening in joy,

And the morning playing happily,

فَلَمّا نَهاني إِمامُ الهُدى

وَلاحَ لي المَطلَعُ الأَفيَحُ

But when the Imam of guidance forbade me,

And the splendid rising shone for me,

وَجارِيَةٍ دَلُّها رائِعٌ

تَعِفُّ فَإِن سامَحَت تَمزَحُ

And a maid whose allure was stunning,

She was chaste, but if she jested, she would wink,

كَأَنَّ عَلى نَحرِها فَأرَةً

مِنَ المِسكِ في جَيبِها تُذبَحُ

As if a musk rat lay slaughtered

In her pocket, on her neck,

كَأَنَّ القُرونَ عَلى مَتنِها

أَساوِدُ شَتَّ بِها أَبطَحُ

As if the braids on her back

Were black serpents coiled on her hump,

لَها مَنطِقٌ فاخِرٌ فاتِنٌ

كَحَلي العَرائِسِ يُستَملَحُ

She had an eloquent, captivating speech,

Like the kohl of brides, carefully applied,

وَعَينانِ يَجري الرَدى فيهِما

وَوَجهٌ يُصَلّى لَهُ أَسجَحُ

And two eyes in which emotion flowed,

And a face for which prostration was owed,

وَثَديٌ لِرُؤيَتِهِ سَجدَةٌ

يَدينُ لَهُ الناسِكُ الأَجلَحُ

And a breast whose sight demanded bowing down,

To which even the devout lowered their brows,

وَثَغرٌ إِذا ذُقتَهُ لَم تَمُت

وَطابَ لَكَ العَيشُ وَالمَسرَحُ

And a mouth, that if tasted, you would not die,

And life would be sweet and carefree for you,

وَخَدٌّ أَسيلٌ وَكَفٌّ إِذا

أَشارَت لِقَومٍ بِها سَبَّحوا

And a soft cheek and a palm which if

She gestured with it, people praised,

وَساقٌ تُزَيِّنُ خَلخالَها

عَلى أَنَّها صَعبَةٌ تَرمَحُ

And a leg adorned with anklets,

As if she was firm and threw spears,

وَتَضحَكُ عَن بَرَدٍ بارِدٍ

تَلالى كَما لَمَعَ الوَحوحُ

She would laugh at intense cold,

Glittering as lightning flashed,

مُبَتَّلَةٌ فَخمَةٌ فَعمَةٌ

هَضيمُ الكَشحِ بَوصُها أَرجَحُ

Of perfect proportions, tall and ample,

The parting of her hair braided and long,

إِذا ذُكِرَت سَبَقَت عَبرَتي

وَكادَت لَها كَبِدي تَقرَحُ

When she was remembered, my tears outpaced me,

And for her sake my liver almost ruptured,

مِنَ البيضِ تَجمَعُ هَمَّ الفَتى

كَما يَجمَعُ اللَبَنَ الإِنفَحُ

From her whiteness she gathered the anxiety of the youth,

As whey gathers cream to the surface,

جَلَت عَن مَعاصِمِ جِنِّيَّةٍ

تَغِشُّ بِها الدينَ لا تَنصَحُ

She revealed the schemes of a crafty demon,

Who corrupted faith, not counseling sincerely,

وَزَجّاءَ بَرجاءَ في جَوهَرٍ

تَروقُ بِها عَينُ مَن يَلمَحُ

And the fraud of a swindler in a jewel,

Pleasing to the eye of any who glanced,

خَروجٌ عَلى جَمعِ أَترابِها

كَما يَخرُجُ الأَبلَقُ الأَقرَحُ

She went beyond the gatherings of her peers,

As a mangy camel sticks out from the herd,

نَهاني الخَليفَةُ عَن ذِكرِها

وَكُنتُ بِما سَرَّهُ أَكدَحُ

The Caliph prohibited me from mentioning her,

And I strove to please whatever delighted him,

فَأَعرَضتُ عَن حاجَتي عِندَها

وَلَلمَوتُ مِن تَركِها أَروَحُ

So I turned away from my need of her,

And I almost died from being denied her,

عَلى أَنَّ في النَفسِ مِن حُبِّها

أَحاديثَ لَيسَ لَها مَطرَحُ

For in my soul is a love of her,

With conversations that have no relief,

تَرَكتُ سُدَيفاً وَأَصحابَهُ

وَأَحرَمتُ ما يَجتَني شَرمَحُ

I left behind parties and companions,

And denied myself what would ruin me,

وَقالَ المُفَرَّكُ ثابَ الفَتى

وَسالَمَني الكَلبُ لا يَنبَحُ

The debauched one bid the young man farewell,

And the dog greeted me, without barking,

فَهَذا أَوانَ اِنقَضَت شِرَّتي

وَشَرَّعتُ في الدينِ لا أَطلُحُ

So this is the time my wickedness has vanished,

And I embarked upon religion, no longer reckless,

بَلَوتُ اِبنَ نِهيا فَما عِندَهُ

سِوى أَن سَيَأكُلُ أَو يَسلَحُ

I tested the son of Nahya, but he had

Nothing but eating or armoring himself,

وَذاكَ فَتىً مِن سُراةِ النَبيطِ

تَعَوَّدَ شَيئاً فَما يُفلِحُ

That was a lad from the chiefs of the Nabataeans,

Who had grown accustomed to shamelessness,

يُحِبُّ النِكاحَ وَيَأبى الصَلاحَ

كَذاكَ النَباطِيُّ لا يَصلُحُ

He loves marriage but avoids piety,

That is the way of the Nabataean, he does not excel,

إِذا شِئتَ لاقَيتَهُ رابِضاً

عَلى ظَهرِهِ رَجُلٌ يَسبَحُ

If you wish, you will find him lying down,

With a man on his back praising God,

تَراهُ يُسَرُّ بِنَيكِ اِبنِهِ

عَلى أَنَّهُ سُبَّةٌ تَفضَحُ

You see him happy with his son's sodomy,

As if it were a disgrace to be exposed,

وَما كانَ إِلّا كَأُمِّ العَروسِ

إِذا نُكِحَت بِنتُها تَفرَحُ

When it was just like the mother of the bride,

When her daughter is married, she rejoices.