أَعَبدَةُ ما يَنسى مَوَدَّتَكِ القَلبُ

وَلا هُوَ يُسليهِ رَخاءٌ وَلا كَربُ

The hearts do not forget your love, Abda,

Neither solace nor sorrow soothe it.

وَلا قَولُ واشٍ كاشِحٍ ذي عَداوَةٍ

وَلا بُعدُ دارٍ إِن نَأَيتِ وَلا قُربُ

No slanderer's words filled with enmity,

No distance if you depart, no nearness.

وَما ذاكِ مِن نُعمى لَدَيكِ أَصابَها

وَلَكِنَّ حُبّاً ما يُقارِبُهُ حُبُّ

This is no bounty that came your way,

But a love no other love can match.

فَإِن تَقبَلي يا عَبدَ تَوبَةَ تائِبٍ

يَتُب ثُمَّ لا يُوجَد لَهُ أَبَداً ذَنبُ

If you accept, o Abda, a penitent's repentance,

One who repents but for whom sin is never found.

أَذِلُّ لَكُم يا عَبدَ فيما هَويتُمُ

وَإِنّي إِذا ما رامَني غَيرَكُم صَعبُ

I am submissive to you in what you desire,

But stubborn if any but you seek me.

وَأَعذُلُ نَفسي في الهَوى فَتَعُقَّني

وَيَأصِرُني قَلبٌ بِكُم كَلِفٌ صَبُّ

I blame myself for passion, so it angers me,

My heart bound to you, pouring, ever fervent.

وَفي الصَبرِ عَمَّن لا يُواتيكَ راحَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّهُ لا صَبرَ عِندي وَلا لُبُّ

Patience with one who grants you no peace,

But I have no patience, no composure.

وَعَبدَةُ بَيضاءُ المَحاجِرِ طَفلَةٌ

مُنَعَّمَةٌ تُصبى الحَليمَ وَلا تَصبو

Abda of the white, smooth cheeks, a child

Pampered, who pours gently, and is not poured on.

قَطوفٌ مِنَ الحورِ الأَوانِسِ بِالضُحى

مَتى تَمشِ قَيسُ الباعَ مِن بُهرِها تَربُ

Clusters from the lovely maidens at dawn,

When does Qais the afflicted recover from their charm?

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ يَومَ قالَت لِأَربَعٍ

نَواعِمَ غُرٍّ كُلُّهُنَّ لَها تِربُ

I am not people on the day she said to four

Gazelles, all of them her deer:

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري فيمَ كانَ صُدودُهُ

أَعُلِّقَ أُخرى أَم عَلَيَّ بِهِ عَتبُ

Oh, would that I knew about his aloofness,

Did he turn to another or was he vexed with me?