شَكَتْ عَارِضاً في الْجَفْنِ نَاءَ بِحَمْلِهِ

يُشَاكِلُ تَحْتَ الهُدْبِ عَالِقَةَ الحَبِّ

She complained of a twinge in her eyelid from its burden

It rivals, beneath the eyelashes, the clinging of love

فَقَالَتْ لَحَاهُ اللهُ ضَيْفاً مُشَوِّهاً

يُسَمَّونَهُ الشَّحاذُ فِي لُغَةِ الطِّبِّ

So she said, may Allah prolong the life of an unseemly guest

Whom they name beggar in the language of medicine

فَقُلْتُ لهَا عَطْفاً عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ جَنَى

نَعم هُوَ شَحَّاذٌ وَلَكِنَّه قَلْبِي

So I said to her, in sympathy for him, though he transgressed:

Yes, he is a beggar, but he is my heart

فَقَالَتْ وَمَاذَا يَبْتَغِي فَأَجَبْتُهَا

سَمَا يَسْتَجِيرُ الطَّرْفَ مِنْ أَلَمِ الضَّرْبِ

She said: What does he seek? I answered her:

A look that takes refuge from the pain of being stricken