أَشارَت مَن لها في الحُسن شارَه

فأَفهمتِ الضَّميرَ من الإِشارَه

She gestured with that beauty granting her distinction,

So I understood the hint from her gesturing.

وَبشَّر طيفُها بالوَصل لَيلاً

ووافاني يَقول لكَ البِشارَه

And her image brought tidings of a nightly union,

And came to me saying, "I bring you glad tidings."

مُهفهفةُ القَوام إذا تَثَنَّت

ثنت قَدّاً تفرَّدَ بالنَضارَه

Swaying in stance when she sways,

She sways a slender form unmatched in bloom.

لها خَدٌّ تَسعَّرَ جلُّ ناري

به لَمّا أَراني جُلَّنارَه

She has a cheek aflame, kindling all my fire,

When she showed it to me, stoking all my blaze.

توقَّ أَخا الغرام رُضابَ فيها

فَكَم شقَّت حلاوتُها مَرارَه

My love-sick brother, yearn after her,

Though her sweetness cleaved such bitterness.

وَكم غرَّت بماضي مُقلتَيها

مُعَنّىً حكَّمت فيه غِرارَه

And how her glances' passing charmed me,

Instilling a meaning where passion held sway.

وشبّهت الحُسامَ به مَضاءً

فَغار فَشَنَّ في العُشّاق غارَه

I compared swords to their flash,

So it raged and stormed against all lovers.

جَرى ماءُ النَعيم بوَجنتيها

فَزاحمه الجَحيمُ فشبَّ نارَه

The water of bliss flowed in her cheeks,

While hell competed, igniting its flames.

تُريكَ إذا بدت وَهناً محيّاً

يُحاكي ليلُه ضوءاً نَهارَه

She shows you, when appearing, languid and animated,

Her night rivaling daylight's splendor.

وَلَولا أَنَّه قَمَرٌ تَجَلّى

لَما دار الخِمارُ عليه دارَه

Were it not for her being a moon unveiled,

Her veil would not have revolved around her.

وَتُبدي حالَتي وصلٍ وصدٍّ

فُتحيي تارَةً وَتُميتُ تارَه

She reveals my state in union and estrangement,

At times bringing me to life, at times to death.

سَكِرتُ بحبِّها من قبل سُكري

وما عاقرتُ من دَنٍّ عُقارَه

I was drunk with love of her before my drunkenness,

And never was sobered by any potion.

وَقالوا حبُّها نارٌ تَلظّى

لَقَد قاسوا وما قاسوا أوارَه

And they said her love was a blazing fire -

Little did they experience its flames.

فأَينَ النارُ منه وَمِن لَظاهُ

وَلَيسَ النارُ منه سِوى شَرارَه

Where is the fire next to it and its heat?

It has nothing of fire but embers.

وَكَم عاصيتُ فيها من نَصوحٍ

أَقالَ اللَه من نُصحي عِثارَه

And how I disobeyed, in love of her, the good advice

Of those who rebuked me, God lighten their burden.

رأَى هَجري وَلَم يَعلم لجهلٍ

بأَنَّ الهَجرَ عُقباهُ الزِيارَه

He saw my estrangement, but in his ignorance,

Knew not estrangement's requital is a visit.

وَقاسَمتُ العَذولَ عَلى هَواها

فَكانَ الرِّبحُ لي وَلَه الخَسارَه

I made peace with my critic for love of her,

And the profit was mine, while the loss was his.