أَصْبَحْتُ لاَ مَالَ لِي سِوَى الأَمَلِ

وَأَنَّنِي عَامِلٌ بِلاَ عَمَلِ

I have become with no wealth but hope

And that I work without work

وَلِي غَرِيْمٌ مُوَاصِلٌ خَتِلٌ

أَعْجَزَ فَضْلُ احْتِيَالِهِ حِيَلِي

And I have a persistent cunning creditor

Whose guiles have wearied my guiles

مَا حُدَّ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ أَجَلٌ

إِلاَّ تَوَهَّمْتُ أَنَّهُ أَجَلِي

Nothing stands between us except

I imagined he is my appointed time

عَذُبَتْ بِالرَّشْفِ مِنْهُ شَفَةٌ

مَصُّهَا أَطْيَبُ مِنْ نَيْلِ الأَمَلْ

A lip has been sweetened by sipping

Its suckling is sweeter than attaining hopes

وَعَلَتْهَا حُمْرَةٌ فِي لَعَسٍ

تَسْتَعِيْرُ اللَّوْنَ مِنْ صِبْغِ الخَجَلْ

And redness has risen in a cheek

That borrows its color from the dye of shyness

هِيَ فِيْمَا خِلْتُ آثارُ دَمٍ

مِنْ فُؤَادِي عَلَّ فِيْهِ وَنَهَلْ

It is, while I passed, traces of blood

From my heart, so it overflowed and dripped