أَعَرَفتَ يَومَ لِوى سُوَيقَةَ دارا

هاجَت عَلَيكَ رُسومُها اِستِعبارا

Do you remember the day you twisted the neck of your house

And its rules flared against you rebelliously?

وَذَكَرتَ هِنداً فَاِشتَكَيتَ صَبابَةً

لَولا تُكَفكِفُ دَمعَ عَينِكَ مارا

You recalled Hind and complained of lovesickness—

If your tears didn’t restrain you, you would keep flowing.

وَذَكَرتَها حَوراءَ لَيِّنَةَ المَطا

مِثلَ المَهاةِ خَريدَةً مِعطارا

You recalled her, tender, gentle, perfumed,

Like an aroused doe, scented and sweet.

وَإِذا تُنازِعُكَ الحَديثَ تَظَرَّفَت

أَنفَ الحَديثِ وَلَم تُرِد إِكثارا

When you converse, you act coy,

Turning up your nose without wanting to say much.

وَإِذا نَظَرتَ إِلى مَناكِبِ حُسنِها

كَمُلَت وَزِدتَ بِحُسنِها اِستِهتارا

When you look at the beauty of her shoulders,

You’re completed and made more beautifully contemptuous.

إِنَّ العَواذِلَ قَد بَكَرنَ يَلُمنَني

وَحَسِبتُ أَكثَرَ لَومِهِنَّ ضِرارا

Truly, the maidens blame me early on,

And I reckon most of their blame brings harm.

وَزَعَمنَ أَنَّ وِصالَ عَبدَةَ عائِدٌ

عاراً عَلَيَّ وَلَيسَ ذَلِكَ عارا

They claim that receiving ‘Abda is shameful for me—

It’s no shame, that’s not shame at all!

وَالنَفسُ يَمنَعُها الحَياءُ فَتَرعَوي

وَتَكادُ تَغلِبُني إِلَيكِ مِرارا

Modesty prevents the soul, so she guards herself

And almost overcomes me, tormenting me.

ما يُذكَرُ اِسمُكِ في حَديثٍ عارِضٍ

إِلّا اِستُخِفَّ لَهُ الفُؤادُ فَطارا

Whenever your name arises in conversation,

My heart takes flight, made light.

هَل في هَوى رَجُلٍ جُناحٌ زائِرٍ

جَهراً أَحَبَّ خَريدَةً مِعطارا

Is there any wrong in a visiting man’s love

Who openly loved Kharida, scented and sweet?

أَسِفٍ عَلَيكِ يَهيمُ حينَ قَتَلتِهِ

وَسَلَبتِهِ لِبَّ الفُؤادِ جِهارا

He perishes, crazed with yearning, when you killed him

And robbed the heart of its mantle, openly.