يفَنِّدُنِي في العَامِرِيَّةِ لُوَّمِي

وَلَيْسَ هَوَاها بالحَديثِ المُرَجَّمِ

In Al-Amariyya, my critics denounce me,

Though her love is no novel tale translated.

يُرِيدُونَ بِي عَن شِرْعَةِ الحُبِّ رِدّةً

ومِنْ دُونِهَا إخْلاصُ قلْبٍ مُصَمِّمِ

They want me to renounce love's creed,

Yet without it my heart is staunchly dedicated.

ولِي عِنْدَ لُبْنَى لَوْ تَسَنَّى لُبَانَةٌ

أزَجِّي إلَى مَاذِيِّهَا كُلَّ عَلْقَمِ

With Lubna, had we shared sweetness,

I'd reveal to her refuge every secret.

إِذا رُمْتُ لُقْياها عَدَانِي مُرَاقِبٌ

فَأَقْنَعُ مِنْهَا بالخَيَالِ المُسَلِّمِ

When I try to meet her, a watcher thwarts me,

So I'm content with a submissive apparition.

أَطُوفُ بِهَا شَوْقاً وأُمْسِكُ عِفَّةً

فَأَحْسَبُنِي بَيْنَ المَقامِ وَزمْزِمِ

For her, longing, for me, restraint,

I'm midway between pause and wellspring.

قَضَى رَبُّهَا رَعْيَ الكَواكِبِ إنَّنِي

مَتَى سِمْتُ كانَت لِي قَضايَا مُنَجِّمِ

Her Lord's decree is tending stars,

Whenever I name her, decrees unfold for me.

مِنَ العَرَبِيَّاتِ الرَّعابِيبِ تَنْتَمِي

لأشْرَفِ بَيْتٍ في هِلالٍ وَأكْرَمِ

Of pure Arabian steeds she descends,

From the noblest lineage of crescent and perfection.

مُحَجَّبَةٌ مِن دونِهَا ذُبُلُ القَنَا

تَأَطَّر مِنْهَا فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ مُنَعَّمِ

Veiled, beyond her, the branches wither,

Framed above a soft, flourishing bough.

لَئِنْ ضُمِّخَتْ دِيباجَتَاها بِمِسْكَةٍ

لقَد ضُرِّجَت كافورَتاها بِعَنْدَمِ

If her brocade is scented with musk,

Her camphor is dyed with sweet roots.

كَتَمْتُ الهَوَى عَنْها فَمِنْ مُتَشَابِهٍ

تَفَهَّمْتُهُ عِنْدَ الوَدَاعِ ومُحْكَمِ

I hid my love from her, so in parting

I understood the ambiguous and explicit.

أَقَمْتُ وسَارَتْ غَيْرَ قَلْبٍ مُشَيِّعٍ

رَكائِبهَا بَيْنَ الخِيامِ مخَيِّمِ

I stayed and her caravan left without a heart to bid farewell,

Its howdahs between tents camped.

تُنَازِعُهَا فيها الجَوَانِح ضِلَّةً

ومَنْ يَخْصِمِ البِيضَ الكَواعِب يُخْصَمِ

The wild birds vie for her there,

Who contends with the white antelope is contended.

وَعَيْنُ الحِجَى ألا يُقامَ بِحُجَّةٍ

لَدَى حَكَمٍ مِنْ حُسْنِهَا مُتَحَكِّمِ

By her beauty's judgment no argument can stand,

Before an arbiter perfectly enthralled.

تُحَلِّلُ للأَحْدَاقِ قَتْلَ بَنِي الهَوَى

كَأنَّ دَمَ العُشَّاقِ غَيْرُ مُحَرَّمِ

For the enamored, she makes lawful the slaying

As though lovers' blood were not forbidden.

ومَاذَا عَلَيْهَا لَوْ تَلافَتْ حُشَاشَتِي

وعَاجَتْ على هَيْمَانَ غَيْرِ مُهَوِّمِ

What's it to her if my longing took notice

And she turned to gaiety, free of worry?

وفي لَثْمِ مَا لاثَتْ عَلَيْهِ لِثَامَهَا

شِفَاءٌ لِتَبْريجِ الفُؤَادِ المُتَيَّمِ

In the kiss of her veiled lips is a cure,

For the heart broken and distressed.

ولَكِنَّهُ يُحْمَى بِسَاجٍ ونَاهِدٍ

كَأمْضَى غِرارٍ أوْ كأَنْفَذ لَهْذَمِ

But it's protected by an invincible guard,

Like the keenest blade or strongest fortress.