هُم حَمَّلوني في الهَوى فَوقَ طاقَتي

فَمِن أَجلِهِم قامَت عَلَيَّ قِيامَتي

They burdened me with passion beyond my capacity,

So because of them my resurrection was upon me.

وَما كُنتُ لَولا هَجرِهِم وَصدُودِهم

حَليفَ ضَنىً مَلَّ الطَبيبُ إعادَتي

And I would not have been, were it not for their estrangement and aloofness,

An ally of grief that the healer despaired of curing me.

بِحَقِّكُم يا جائِرينَ تَعَطَّفوا

فَقَد رَقَّ لي مِن جَورِكُم كُلُّ شامِتِ

I implore you, oh you who have done me wrong, be kind

For I am saddened by every gloating enemy of yours.

وَلا تَبخَلوا أَن تَسمَحوا لي بِنَظرَةٍ

تُخَفِّفُ أَشجاني وَفَرطِ صَبابَتي

Do not be stingy to allow me a glance

That might alleviate my sorrows and the excess of my youth.

سَأَلتُ فُؤادي الصَبرَ عَنكُم فَقالَ لي

إِلَيكَ فَإِنَّ الصَبرَ مِن غيرِ عادَتي

I asked my heart to be patient with you, but it said to me

“To you, for patience is not of my making.”

أَضُمُّ عَلى الداءِ الدَفينِ جَوانِحي

وَأُظهِرُ مِن خَوفِ الرَقيبِ بَشاشَتي

I conceal the chronic illness in my bosom

And I feign cheerfulness fearing the watchman.

وَلَيسَ تَلافي مُذ رُميتُ بِهَجرِكُم

عَجيبٌ وَلَكِنَّ العَجيبَ سَلامَتي

And since you estranged me I have not found

Solace, but the wonder is my deliverance.

وَكَيفَ اِشتِغالي عَنكُم لا عَدِمتكُم

وَنارُ الأَسى وَالشَوقِ مِلءُ حَشاشَتي

And how can I be distracted from thoughts of you when you are not here

While the fire of anguish and longing fills my senses?

فَوا حَسرَتي طالَ الأَسى وتَصَرَّمَت

دُهوري وَلا قَضَّيتُ مِنكُم لُبانَتي

Oh what regrets! Sorrows have lasted long

And my days have gone by without fulfilling my wishes from you.

لَهُ قَدُّ عَسّالٍ وَحُسن مُعَيشِقٍ

وَلي قَلبُ مَحزون وَنَظرَة باهِتِ

He has the grace of a honey bee and the beauty of a gazelle,

While I have a sorrowful heart and a fading glance.