أَطَعْتُ الْغَيَّ فِي حُبِّ الْغَوَانِي

وَلَمْ أَحْفِلْ مَقَالَةَ مَنْ نَهَانِي

I obeyed passion in loving the beautiful maidens,

And cared not for the words of those who reproached me.

وَمَا لِي لا أَهيمُ وَكُلُّ شَهْمٍ

بِحُبِّ الْغِيدِ مَشْغُوفُ الْجَنَانِ

Why should I not be madly in love, when every youth

Is love-sick for the black-eyed gazelle.

وَلِي فِي الأَرْبَعِينَ مَجَالُ لَهْوٍ

تَنَالُ يَدِي بِهِ عَقْدَ الرِّهَانِ

In my forties I still indulge in play and fun

Grasping the wine-cup and staking my wager.

فَكَيْفَ أَذُودُ عَنْ نَفْسِي غَرَامَاً

تَضَيَّفَ مُهْجَتِي بِاسْمِ الْحِسَانِ

How can I protect myself from a love

That has lodged in my soul like a most cherished guest?

أَبَحْتُ لَهُ الْفُؤَادَ فَعَاثَ فِيهِ

وَحَقُّ الضَّيْفِ إِعْزَازُ الْمَكَانِ

I laid bare my heart to him, and he made free in it,

For the due right of a guest is to honor his lodging.

فَدَعْنِي مِنْ مَلامِكَ إِنَّ قَلْبِي

أَبِيٌّ لا يَقُرُّ عَلَى الْهَوَانِ

Spare me your blame, for my heart

Is too proud to settle for humiliation.

فَمَا بِالْحُبِّ عَارٌ أَتَّقِيهِ

وَإِنْ أَخْنَى عَلَى دَمْعِي زَمَانِي

What shame is there in love that I should fear it

Even if my days should weep for me?

رَضِيتُ مِنَ الْهَوَى بِنُحُولِ جِسْمِي

وَمِنْ صِلَةِ الْبَخِيلَةِ بِالأَمَانِي

I am content with the leanness of my body

And the miserliness of my hopes.

وَلَسْتُ بِطَالِبٍ فِي النَّاسِ خِلاً

يُنَاصِحُنِي فَعَقْلِي قَدْ كَفَانِي

I do not seek an intimate among people to advise me

For my own reason suffices to guide me.

فَإِنْ يَكُنِ الْهَوَى قَدْ رَاضَ نَفْسِي

فَلَسْتُ لِغَيْرِهِ سَلِسَ الْعِنَانِ

If passion has pleased my soul,

I do not easily put the reins in another's hands.

أَشَدُّ مِنَ الصُّخُورِ الصُّمِّ قَلْبِي

وَأَرْهَفُ مِنْ شَبَا سَيْفِي لِسَانِي

My heart is harder than rocks,

My tongue sharper than an Indian sword.

وَلَوْ كَانَ الْغَرَامُ يَخَافُ بَأْسَاً

أَمَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ كَفِّي بِالسنَانِ

And if love feared violence

I would confront it with my right hand and spear.

فَكَمْ بَطَلٍ خَضَبْتُ الأَرْضَ مِنْهُ

بِأَحْمَرَ مِنْ دَمِ التَّأْمُورِ قَانِي

How many champions have I felled,

Dyeing the ground red with their blood?

وَمَا أَنَا بِالذَّلِيلِ أَرَدْتُ خَتْلاً

وَلَكِنِّي أَزِفُّ إِلَى الطِّعَانِ

It is not because I am cowardly that I sue for peace,

Rather it is my way to dash into the fray.

وَلِي فِي سَرْنَسُوفَ مَقَامُ صِدْقٍ

أَقَرَّ بِهِ إِلَيَّ الْخَافِقَانِ

In love I have a steadfast, faithful station

To which beating hearts draw near.

وَمَا أَبْقَتْ بِهِ الأَشْوَاقُ مِنِّي

سِوَى رَمَقٍ تَجُولُ بِهِ الأَمَانِي

Of me the longings have left

Only a breath on which hopes wander.

وَيَسْلُبُ أَنْفُسَ الأَبْطَالِ سَيْفِي

وَتَسْلُبُ مُهْجَتِي حَدَقُ الْحِسَانِ

My sword robs the souls of heroes

While eyes of gazelles rob my soul.

فَلَوْ بَرَزَ الْحِمَامُ إِلَيَّ شَخْصَاً

دَلَفْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِالسَّيْفِ الْيَمَانِي

If the driver came out to face me

I would rush at him with my Yemeni sword!