لِهَوَى الْكَوَاعِبِ ذِمَّةٌ لا تُخْفَرُ

وَأَخُو الْوَفَاءِ بِعَهْدِهِ لا يَغْدِرُ

For the passion of beautiful women there is a pact unbroken,

And a friend of loyalty keeps his word, never deceiving.

فَعَلامَ يَنْهَانِي الْعَذُولُ عَنِ الصِّبَا

أَوَلَيْسَ أَنَّ هَوَى النُّفُوسِ مُقَدَّرُ

Why then does censure bar me from loving one still young?

Is not the soul's desire something fated and ordained?

قَدْ كَانَ لِي فِي بَعْضِ مَا صَنَعَ الْهَوَى

عُذْرٌ وَلَكِنْ أَيْنَ مَنْ يَتَبَصَّرُ

For some of the madness wrought by love I have excuse,

Though who is there to see and understand?

وَمِنَ الْبَلِيَّةِ غَافِلٌ عَمَّا جَنَتْ

يَدُهُ عَلَيَّ وَلائِمٌ لا يَعْذِرُ

Oblivious of my torment a critic blames unheeding,

Not knowing what kohl of the beloved has blackened his eyes,

لَمْ يَدْرِ مَنْ كَحَلَ الْكَرَى أَجْفَانَهُ

مَاذَا يُكَابِدُ فِي الْهَوَى مَنْ يَسْهَرُ

Or what suffering is borne by the sleepless lover.

O you, blind to my heart, where a flame bursts its cage,

يَا غَافِلاً عَنِّي وَبَيْنَ جَوانِحِي

لَهَبٌ يَكَادُ لَهُ الْحَشَا يَتَفَطَّرُ

Let me unburden to you but a little of my inner world,

And judge as you please, for the choice now is yours.

دَعْنِي أَبُثكَ بَعْضَ مَا أَنَا وَاجِدٌ

وَاحْكُمْ بِمَا تَهْوَى فَأَنْتَ مُخَيَّرُ

Had you but seen the secrets of my inner being,

You would know what blood is shed for love of you.

فَلَو اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَى تَبَارِيحِ الْجَوَى

لَعَلِمْتَ أَيُّ دَمٍ بِحُبِّكَ يُهْدَرُ

Before your love I never knew I could endure

Griefs bitter brew, and show such patience.

مَا كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ قَبْلَ حُبِّكَ أَنَّنِي

أُغْضِي عَلى مَضَضِ الْهَوانِ وَأَصْبِرُ

With a mere glance of your eye you brought me to love -

A look is the frailest, yet strongest, of weapons.

أَوْرَدْتَنِي بلِحاظِ عَيْنِكَ مَوْرِداً

لِلْحُبِّ مَا لِلْقَلْبِ عَنْهُ مَصْدَرُ

Before the spell of those heavy-lidded eyes

I never knew how eyes of languor could bewitch.

هِيَ نَظْرَةٌ كَانَتْ ذَرِيعَةَ صَبْوَةٍ

وَاللَّحْظُ أَضْعَفُ مَا يَكُونُ وَأَقْدَرُ

They have wronged the lovely fair one, would that they knew

What magic may lie in eyes and slender shape!

مَا كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ قَبْلَ وَحْيِ جُفُونِهَا

أَنَّ الْعُيُونَ الْجُؤْذُرِيَّةَ تَسْحَرُ

O you who mock valiant horsemen in battle's midst,

Your lance falls short of your opponent by far.

ظَلَمُوا الأَسِنَّةَ خَاطِئِينَ وَلَيْتَهُمْ

عَلِمُوا بِمَا صَنَعَ السِّنَانُ الأَحْوَرُ

What are lances to glances, what mail coats to the glance

Of bewitching eyes where beauty and magic abide?

أَمُطَاعِنَ الْفُرْسَانِ فِي حَمَسِ الْوَغَى

أَقْصِرْ فَرُمْحُكَ عَنْ غَريمِكَ أَقْصَرُ

No coat of mail can withstand that piercing glance,

No armour save a man when those eyes assail.

أَيْنَ الْرِّمَاحُ مِنَ الْقُدُودِ وَأَيْنَ مِنْ

لَحْظٍ تَهِيمُ بِهِ السِّنَانُ الأَخْزَرُ

Loveliness has weapons when gathered all at once

Against which no defences, no wards could avail.

هَيْهَاتَ يَثْبُتُ فِي الوَقِيعَةِ دَارِعٌ

يَسْطُو عَلَيْهِ مُخَلْخَلٌ وَمُسَوَّرُ

A mere look is a blade that slashes, each lovely tress

A sure arrow, the slender shape a spear's point.

لِلْحُسْنِ أَسْحِلَةٌ إِذَا مَا اسْتَجْمَعَتْ

فِي حَوْمَةٍ لا يَتَّقِيهَا مغْفَرُ

What heart can escape with only a hint, a flutter

Of lashes, when the eyebrow's bow is tautly strung?

فَالْلَّحْظُ عَضْبٌ صَارِمٌ وَالْهُدْبُ نَبْ

لٌ صَائِبٌ وَالْقَدُّ رُمْحٌ أَسْمَرُ

A moon he is, who progresses through hearts' stations,

Each moon must have its aspect, its time to shine.

أَنَّى يَطِيشُ عَنِ الْقُلُوبِ لِغَمْزَةٍ

سَهْمٌ وَقَوْسُ الْحَاجِبَيْنِ مُوَتَّرُ

Consider his turban, his cheek's radiance -

Guidance itself, though the night be moonlit and fair.

يَا لَلْحَمِيَّةِ مِنْ غَزَالٍ صَادَنِي

وَمِنَ الْعَجَائِبِ أَنْ يَصِيدَ الْجُؤْذَرُ

When he appeared beneath his cloak I cried aloud,

"Beware this one who hides his face from your sight!"

بَدْرٌ لَهُ بَيْنَ الْقُلُوبِ مَنَازِلٌ

يَسْرِي بِهَا وَلِكُلِّ بَدْرٍ مَظْهَرُ

In my heart's tablet he is captured by my imagination

Through the lens of my eyes, so I have him pictured.

انْظُر لِطُرَّتِهِ وَغُرَّةِ وَجْهِهِ

تَلْقَ الْهِدَايَةَ فَهوَ لَيْلٌ أَقْمَرُ

The electricity of his beauty has coursed through my being,

Tracing its path through artery and vein.

نَادَيْتُ لَمَّا لاحَ تحْتَ قِنَاعِهِ

هَذَا الْمُقَنَّعُ فَاحْذَرُوا أَنْ تُسْحَرُوا

I am his, amidst a passion endless,

At trysts that bear no fruit, no profit I earn.

طَبَعَتْهُ فِي لَوْحِ الْفُؤَادِ مَخِيلَتي

بِزُجَاجَةِ الْعَينَينِ فَهُوَ مُصَوَّرُ

My body's a cage, thinned by care until

My heart inside is a bird that cries.

وَسَرَتْ بِجِسْمِي كَهْرَبَاءةُ حُسْنِهِ

فَمِنَ الْعُرُوقِ بِهِ سُلُوكٌ تُخْبرُ

Were it not for breathing, a sigh might still this breath,

Making me seem a bird in sudden flight.

أَنَا مِنْهُ بَيْنَ صَبَابَةٍ لا يَنْقَضي

مِيقَاتُهَا وَمَواعِدٍ لا تُثْمِرُ

No wonder that I am under his command,

For love rules souls, and is mightiest ever.

جِسْمٌ بَرَتْهُ يَدُ الضَّنَى حَتَّى غَدَا

قَفَصاً بِهِ لِلْقَلْبِ طَيْرٌ يَصْفِرُ

The guarded king and the most cautious man both fear its power,

As does the tyrant, bold, fierce and strong.

لَوْلا التَّنَفُّسُ لاعْتَلَتْ بِيَ زَفْرَةٌ

فَيَخَالُنِي طَيَّارَةً مَنْ يُبْصِرُ

When the noble youth refrains from base desire,

Love is a grace, an honor to him.

لا غَرْوَ أَنْ أَصْبَحْتُ تَحْتَ قِيَادِهِ

فَالْحُبُّ أَغْلَبُ لِلنُّفُوسِ وَأَقْهَرُ

The coward finds strength, the greedy hope,

The arrogant are humbled before its force.

يَعْنُو لِقُدْرَتِهِ الْمَلِيكُ الْمُتَّقَي

وَيَهَابُ صَوْلَتَهُ الْكَمِيُّ الْقَسْوَرُ

So adorn yourself with noble qualities, for they

Give worth to the wise and are their pride.

وَالْعِشْقُ مَكْرُمَةٌ إِذَا عَفَّ الْفَتَى

عَمَّا يَهِيمُ بِهِ الْغَوِيُّ الأَصْوَرُ

When you determine, be confident in yourself,

For those relying on others will never prevail.

يَقْوَى بِهِ قَلْبُ الْجَبَانِ وَيَرْعَوِي

طَمَعُ الْحَريصِ وَيَخْضَعُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ

When a man has no insight to guide him in deeds,

Who will aid him when fate turns against him?

فَتَحَلَّ بِالأَدَب النَّفِيسِ فَإِنَّهُ

حَلْيٌ يَعِزُّ بِهِ اللَّبِيبُ وَيَفْخَرُ

Beware the low fellow's company, though he be exalted in rank,

For a man is ruined by the baser companion.

وَإِذا عَزَمْتَ فَكُنْ بِنَفْسِكَ وَاثِقاً

فَالْمُسْتَعِزُّ بِغَيْرِهِ لا يَظْفَرُ

Some men of good repute make agreeable friends,

Whose affection enriches - while some are corrupt.

إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْمَرءِ مِنْ بَدَهاتِهِ

فِي الْخَطْبِ هَادٍ خَانَهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُ

Consider the wisdom of a youth, not his physical form,

For it's by deeds that a man becomes great or small.

وَاحْذَرْ مُقَارَنَةَ اللَّئِيمِ وَإِنْ عَلا

فَالْمَرْءُ يُفْسِدُهُ الْقَرِينُ الأَحْقَرُ

Sometimes a single man can rout a whole army,

While a vile crowd brings shame on their people.

وَمِنَ الرِّجَالِ مَنَاسِبٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ

تَزْكُو مَوَدَّتُهَا وَمِنْهُمْ مُنْكَرُ

Beauty lies in character, not outer looks -

Wisdom is hidden, does not show its face.

فَانْظُرْ إِلَى عَقْلِ الفَتَى لا جِسْمِهِ

فَالْمَرْءُ يَكْبُرُ بِالْفِعَالِ وَيَصْغُرُ

So choose for yourself enduring qualities to live by,

For what makes a man memorable are his deeds.

فَلَرُبَّمَا هَزَمَ الْكَتِيبَةَ وَاحِدٌ

وَلَرُبَّمَا جَلَبَ الدَّنيئَةَ مَعْشَرُ

إِنَّ الْجَمَالَ لَفِي الْفُؤَادِ وَإِنَّما

خَفِيَ الصَّوَابُ لأَنَّهُ لا يَظْهَرُ

فَاخْتَرْ لِنَفْسِكَ مَا تَعِيشُ بِذِكْرِهِ

فَالْمَرْءُ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَدِيثٌ يُذْكَرُ