عَرَفَ الْهَوَى فِي نَظْرَتِي فَنَهَانِي

خِلٌّ رَعَيْتُ وِدَادَهُ فَرَعَانِي

Love saw the look in my eyes, so it warned me away,

I tended its affection like a young gazelle, so it galloped me along,

أَخْفَيْتُ عَنْهُ سَرِيرَتِي فَوَشَى بِهَا

دَمْعٌ أَبَاحَ لَهُ حِمَى كِتْمَانِي

I hid my secret from it, but a tear betrayed it -

My tear allowed access to the sanctuary of my concealment.

فَبِأَيِّ مَعْذِرَةٍ أُكَذِّبُ لَوْعَةً

شَهِدَتْ بِهَا الْعَبَرَاتُ مِنْ أَجْفَانِي

What excuse can deny the burning now

That my own tears have witnessed it from my eyelids?

يَا صَاحِ لا أَبْصَرْتَ مَا صَنَعَ الْهَوَى

بِأَخِيكَ يَوْمَ تَفَرُّقِ الأَظْعَانِ

Oh companion, did you not see what love has done

To your brother the day the companions parted?

يَوْمٌ فَقَدْتُ الْحِلْمَ فِيهِ وَشَفَّنِي

وَلَهٌ أَصَابَ جَوَانِحِي فَرَمَانِي

A day when I lost my patience - it stripped me bare

And a burning consumed my very soul - it threw me down.

فَعَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَلْبِي السَّلامُ فَإِنَّهُ

تَبِعَ الْهَوَى فَمَضَى بِغَيْرِ عِنَانِ

So my heart bids you peace - for it

Followed its love and left with no restraint.

هَيْهَاتَ يَرْجِعُ بَعْدَما عَلِقَتْ بِهِ

لَحَظَاتُ ذَاكَ الشَّادِنِ الْفَتَّانِ

Alas, will it return after

The glances of that enchanting charmer have captured it?

وَعَلَى الرَّحَائِلِ نِسْوَةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ

يَخْدَعْنَ لُبَّ الْحَازِمِ الْيَقْظَانِ

The traveling women, Arabian beauties

Who seduce the minds of even the most prudent men -

أَغْوَيْنَنِي فَتَبِعْتُ شَيْطَانَ الْهَوَى

إِنَّ النِّسَاءَ حَبَائِلُ الشَّيْطَانِ

They tempted me and I followed the devil of desire

Women are the snares of Satan.

مَا كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ قَبْلَ بَادِرَةِ النَّوَى

أَنَّ الأُسُودَ فَرَائِسُ الْغِزْلانِ

I did not know, before the early days of passion,

That lions are the prey of does.

رَحَلُوا فَأَيَّةُ عَبْرَةٍ مَسْفُوحَةٍ

وَيَدٍ تَضُمُّ حَشَاً مِنَ الْخَفَقَانِ

They departed - so what use is a pouring tear

And a hand clasping an empty lap?

وَلَقَدْ حَنَنْتُ لِبَارِقٍ شَخَصَتْ لَهُ

مِنَّا الْعُيُونُ بِأَبْرَقِ الْحَنَّانِ

Indeed I longed for the lightning whose flash

Our eyes greeted with the rain of affection.

يَسْتَنُّ فِي عُرْضِ الْغَمَامِ كَأَنَّهُ

لَهَبٌ تَرَدَّدَ فِي سَمَاءِ دُخَانِ

It lingers in the bosom of the clouds as if

It were a flame wavering in a smoke-filled sky.

فَانْظُرْ لَعَلَّكَ تَسْتَبِينُ رِكَابَهُ

طَوْعَ الرِّيَاحِ يُصِيبُ أَيَّ مَكَانِ

So look - perhaps you will discern its motion

Borne by the winds - striking wherever it wishes.

فَهُنَاكَ تَجْتَمِعُ الشُّعْوبُ وَتَلْتَقِي

هُدْبُ الْخُدُورِ عَلَى غُصُونِ الْبَانِ

For there the nations gather and meet -

The bosoms of the lovely maidens on the branches of acacia.

فَاخْلَعْ عِذَارَكَ وَاغْتَنِمْ زَمَنَ الصِّبَا

قَبْلَ الْمَشِيبِ فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ فَانِي

Take off your excuse and seize the days of youth

Before old age comes and all things perish.