أَبى اللَهُ ما لِلعاشِقينَ عَزاءُ

وَما لِلمِلاحِ الغانِياتِ وَفاءُ

The lovers find no solace as ordained by God,

Nor loyalty from the fair singing girls.

تَرَكنَ نُفوساً نَحوَهُنَّ صَوادِياً

مُسِرّاتِ داءٍ ما لَهُنَّ دَواءُ

They left souls as prey longing for them,

Bearers of a malady that has no cure.

يَرِدنَ حِياضَ الماءِ لا يَستَطِعنَها

وَهُنَّ إِلى بَردِ الشَرابِ ظِماءُ

They approach watering places but cannot reach them,

Thirsty though they are for the coolness of drink.

وَجُنَّت بِأَطلالِ الدُجَيلِ وَمائِهِ

وَكَم طَلَلٍ مِن خَلفِهِنَّ وَماءُ

They were maddened by the vestiges and waters

Of the abandoned abodes of the Dijla and the Mawa.

إِذا ما دَنَت مِن مَشرَعٍ قَعقَعَت لَها

عِصِيٌّ وَقامَت زَأرَةٌ وَزُقاءُ

When they approach a tent, staffs are brandished at them

With shouts and screams rising all around.

خَليلَيَّ بِاللَهِ الَّذي أَنتُما لَهُ

فَما الحُبُّ إِلّا أَنَّةٌ وَبُكاءُ

O my two friends, by God who has claim over you,

Love is naught but sorrow and weeping.

كَما قَد أَرى قالا كَذاكَ وَرُبَّما

يَكونُ سُرورٌ في الهَوى وَشَقاءُ

As I see, both said this, though haply

In passion there may also be joy and woe.

لَقَد جَحَدَتني حَقَّ دَيني مَواطِلٌ

وَصَلنَ عُداةً ما لَهُنَّ أَداءُ

They denied me truly my due, those who make excuses,

And joined foes who will never fulfill.

يُعَلِّلُني بِالوَعدِ أَدنَينَ وَقتَهُ

وَهَيهاتَ نَيلٌ بَعدَهُ وَعَطاءُ

They put me off with a promise for the morrow

But alas, no gain after it, no gift.

فَدُمنَ عَلى مَنعي وَدُمتُ مُطالِباً

وَلا شَيءَ إِلّا مَوعِدٌ وَرَجاءُ

So they persisted in denying while I persisted requesting

Nothing left but a tryst and a hope.

حَلَفتُ لَقَد لاقَيتُ في الحُبِّ مِنهُمُ

أَخا المَوتِ مِن داءٍ فَأَينَ دَواءُ

By God, in love I have met from them

A kinship with death from a malady with no cure.