بَكَرتْ عليَّ عَواذلي يَلْحيْنَني

وعَلى الذي لم يَعْدُ بي أَعْدَيْنَني

The maidens awoke me, coquettishly teasing me,

And blaming the one who no longer comes to me.

إِيهاً عليكَ فقد كبرتَ عن الصِّبا

ونَهى المشيبُ عنِ الذي يَنْهَيْنَني

Alas for you! You have grown too old for youthfulness,

And gray hair has forbidden what would seduce me.

أَنَّى وكيفَ وقد رأينَ تغيُّري

عن عهدِهِنَّ إِذا العيونُ رأيْنَني

How and why, when they have seen my alteration

From their time, if eyes were to look upon me?

وعلى مُفارَقَةِ الشَّبابِ شَمتْنَ بي

وعلى مُعاداةِ الصِّبا عادَينَني

They rejoice at the separation from youth,

And show enmity to youthfulness by hating me.

أدْنَيْنَني حتّى إذا التَهبَ الجَّوى

أقْصَيْنَني أضعافَ ما أدْنَينَني

They drew me near until, when my heart kindled,

They rejected me, exceeding what drew me near.

وفَتَنَّني بِلواحظٍ تَشكو الضَّنى

دائي بِهنَّ وربَّما داوَيْنَني

They tempted me with glances that complain of sadness,

My disease through them, though they may heal me.

يُذْكينَ في قَلبي وبَيْنَ جَوانحي

حُرَقاً بنارِ جَحيمِها أصْلَيْنني

They ignite in my heart and between my ribs

A burning with the fire of their hell, roasting me.

يا ابْنَ الخَلائفِ إِنَّ أيّامَ الغِنى

أيَّامُكَ الغُرُّ التي أَغْنَيْنَني

O son of the caliphs, the days of riches

Were your days of pride that enriched me

بِنوالِها وسجالِها وثِمالِها

أسْقَيْنني حتّى لقد أرْوَيْنني

With their gifts, their jewelry, and their trinkets,

Watering me until they saturated me.