يا مُفْلِتَ الظَّبْيَةِ الْغَنّاءِ مِنْ يَدِهِ

هَلاّ عَلِقْتَ بِها حُيِّيتَ مُقْتَنِصاً

O you who let the singing gazelle slip through his hands

Why did you not hold on to her, presenting yourself as a hunter?

ذُقِ الْمَلامَةَ مَحْقُوقاً فَما ظَلَمَتْ

كَأْسُ النَّدامَةِ إِنْ جُرِّعْتَها غُصَصا

Taste blame, defeated, for she has done no wrong

The cup of regret, if you are made to drink it straight, is bitterness

قَدْ أَمْكَنَتْكَ فَما بادَرْتَ فُرْصَتَها

مَنْ شاوَرَ الْعَجْزَ لَمْ يَسْتَنْهِضِ الْفُرَصا

She made herself available to you, yet you did not seize the opportunity

He who consults incompetence will not rouse opportunities

وَقَدْ تَحاماكَ فِيها حاذِقٌ دَرِبٌ

بِالصَّيْدِ لَوْلاكَ لَمْ يُحْجِمْ وَلا نَكَصا

And one skilled in the hunt was urging you on about her

If not for you, he would not have hesitated or drawn back

إِنَّ اللَّبِيبَ إِذا ما عَنَّ مَطْلَبُهُ

أَهْوى إِلَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَنْظُرْ بِهِ الرُّخَصا

Indeed when an intelligent man's goal eludes him

He strives for it and does not look for excuses