أذبْتَ فؤادي يا فديتُكَ بالعَتْبِ

ولو بتَّ صبّاً ما عَنُفْتَ على صَبِّ

You have captivated my heart, O my beloved, with reproach,

And if you were to become angry, you would not be harsh with anger.

وقاتلتي بينَ الغواني كأنَّها

مصوَّرةٌ بالعينِ في حبَّةِ القلبِ

You fought me among the youths as if

She were illustrated with the eye in a grain of the heart.

حياةٌ ولكنْ طَرْفُها ذو منيّةٍ

أما يُتَوقّى الموتُ من طَرَفِ العضبِ

A life yet its edge has a purpose,

Does not death avoid the edge of the canine tooth?

شكوْتُ إليها لوعةَ الحبّ فانثنَتْ

تقولُ لتربيها وما لوعةُ الحبِّ

I complained to her of the agony of love, so she bent

Saying, to nurture it, though what is the agony of love?

فقيل عذابٌ لو أحطتِ بعلمِهِ

لجدتِ على الصّادي بماءِ اللّمَى العذبِ

So it was said, “It is torment. Had you comprehended its knowledge,

You would have found the lover with the sweet water of tears.”

وقاكِ الهوى إذ لم تذوقيه ضُرَّهُ

وهل تُحْدِثُ الخمرُ الخُمارَ بلا شرْبِ

Passion protected you since you did not taste its harm.

Does wine make the tipsy without drinking?