سَمِعَ الْخَلِيُّ تَأَوُّهِي فَتَلَفَّتَا

وأَصَابَهُ عَجَبٌ فَقَالَ مَنِ الْفَتَى

The cheeky one heard my sighs and turned about,

Struck with wonder he asked "Who is that lad?"

فَأَجَبْتُهُ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ لَعِبَ الأَسَى

بِفُؤادِهِ يَوْمَ النَّوَى فَتَشَتَّتَا

I answered him "I am a man whom sorrow played

With his heart the day desire scattered.

انْظُرْ إِليَّ تَجِدْ خَيَالاً بَالِياً

تَحْتَ الثِّيَابِ يَكادُ أَلَّا يُنْعَتَا

Look at me, you'll find a fading shadow

Beneath the clothes, barely to be made out.

قَدْ كَانَ لِي قَلْبٌ أَصَابَ سَوادَهُ

سَهْمٌ لِطَرْفٍ فَاتِرٍ فَتَفَتَّتَا

My heart once had, hitting its core,

An arrow from a languid eyelid shot.

تَبِعَ الْهَوَى قَلْبِي فَهَامَ وَلَيْتَهُ

قَبْلَ التَّوَغُّلِ فِي البَلاءِ تَثَبَّتَا

My heart pursued passion so it wandered astray—

Would that, before trespassing into affliction, it had stood firm!

أَلْقَتْهُ فِي شَرَكِ الْمَحَبَّة غَادَةٌ

هَيْهَاتَ لَيْسَ بِصاحِبي إِنْ أَفْلَتَا

A coquette cast it into the snare of love.

Alas! It is not my comrade if it slips away.

كَالْوَرْدِ خَدَّاً والْبَنَفْسَجِ طُرَّةً

والْغُصْنِ قَدَّاً والْغَزَالَةِ مَلْفَتَا

With cheeks like roses and violets his gaze,

Limbs like branches, hips like a fawn's so sleek,

نَظَرَتْ بِكَحْلاوَيْنِ أَوْدَعَتَا الْهَوَى

بِالْقَلْبِ حَتَّى هَامَ ثُمَّ تَخَلَّتَا

He looked at me with dark brown eyes that evoked desire

And lodged it in my heart till I grew mad, then left me.

تاللهِ لَوْ عَلِمَ الْعَذُولُ بِمَا جَنَى

طَرْفِي عَليَّ لَساءَهُ أَنْ يَشْمَتَا

By God! If the censurers but knew what

His eyes gained from me, their spite would gloat.

طَرْفٌ أَطَلْتُ عِنَانَهُ لِيُصِيبَ لي

بَعْضَ الْمُنَى فَأَصابَنِي لَمَّا أَتَى

An eye whose rein I let go to gain for me

Some joy, but when it came, it wounded me.

يا قَلْبُ حَسْبُكَ قَدْ أَفاقَ مَعَاشِرٌ

وَأَراكَ تَدْأَبُ فِي الهَوَى فَإِلَى مَتَى

O heart, enough! People are awake while you

Still ply your love. How long will this go on?