لو كان سُقْمُ حَبيبِ القلبِ في بدني

لكان أَوْفَقَ لي أَوْ كَان أَرفقَ بي

If my beloved's sickness was in my body,

It would be more suitable for me, or more merciful to me.

قد زادَه السُّقْمُ حُسْنَاً زادني كلفاً

فَصِرْت في طَرَبٍ منه وفي حَرَب

The sickness increased his beauty, it increased my torment,

So I became distressed by him, and at war.

حُمَّاه نارٌ وذاك اللَّوْنُ من ذَهبٍ

والنَّارُ تُعرَفُ بالتحسينِ للذَّهب

A fire inflamed him, and that color was from gold,

And fire is known to enhance gold.

أَنَّى له البردُ والحمَّى مُغافِصةٌ

هذا من الخدِّ أَو هذا من الشَّنب

How can he have cold and fever together?

This is from his cheek, or this is from his mouth.

لقد تزايدَ ذاكَ الثَّغْرُ من خصَرٍ

كما توقَّدَ ذاكَ الخدُّ من لَهب

Indeed, that gap from his waist has increased,

As that cheek blazed from flame.

يا من يَعزُّ عليه أَن تقبِّله

حُمَّاه خَوْفاً على قَلْبي من الغَضَب

O you, who finds it difficult to kiss him,

Inflamed out of fear for my heart from anger.

أَدْعُوك بالشَّمس لاَ بالبدْرِ مُنْكَسِفاً

فالشَّمسُ محمومَةٌ فاسْعد بِذَا اللَّقب

I call you by the eclipsed sun, not the moon,

For the sun is feverish, so be content with this title.

أَكني ولست أُسَمِّي من كَلِفْتُ به

وإِن كنيتُ فمَحْبُوبي من العَرب

I hint but do not name whom I was burdened with,

And if I hinted, then my beloved is from the Arabs.

ممَّن يَعافُ كئوسَ الخمرِ صافِيةً

ويَشْتهي حَلَب الأَلْبانِ في الْعُلبَ

One who disdains cups of pure wine,

And craves the milking of milk in jugs.

تكسُّر الجفنِ منه غيرُ مفْتَعل

فطابَعُ الحسنِ منه غيرُ مُكْتَسبِ

My eyelid involuntarily twitches because of him,

So the stamp of beauty on him is not fabricated.