طَرِبَ الفُؤادُ هَل لَهُ مِن مَطرَبِ

أَم هَل لِسالِفِ وُدِّهِ مِن مَطلَبِ

The heart was disturbed - was there for it a consoler?

Or was there for his old love an obtainer?

وَصَبا وَمالَ بِهِ الهَوى وَاِعتادَهُ

لَهوُ الصِبا بِجُنونِ قَلبٍ مُسهَبِ

Passion inclined towards him and accustomed him,

The madness of youth with a burning heart.

فيهِ مِنَ النُصبِ المُبينِ زَمانُهُ

وَالحُبُّ مَن يَعلَق جَواهُ يَعطَبِ

His time had clear adversity,

And love - whoever hungers for it sickens.

عَلِقَ الهَوى مِن قَلبِهِ بِغَريرَةٍ

رَيّا الرَوادِفِ ذاتِ خَلقٍ خَرعَبِ

He hung passion from his heart for a fawn,

A driver of yearning, of lovely creation.

تُجري السِواكَ عَلى أَغَرَّ مُفَلَّجٍ

عَذبِ اللِثاتِ لَذيذِ طَعمِ المَشرَبِ

She passed the toothstick over the sweetest gap-toothed mouth,

Of sweet lips, delicious in taste like a drink.

قالَت لِجارِيَةٍ لَها قولي لَهُ

مِنّي مَقالَةَ عاتِبٍ لَم يُعتِبِ

She said to a maid of hers: say to him

A saying of one who complains but doesn't complain.

وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ لَئِن عَدَدتُ ذُنوبَهُ

أَن سَوفَ يَزعُمُ أَنَّهُ لَم يُذنِبِ

And I knew well that if I listed his sins

He would claim that he hadn't sinned.

أَلمُخبِري إِنّي أُحِبُّ مُصاقِباً

داني المَحَلِّ وَنازِحاً لَم يَصقَبِ

Tell me, I love one who is reproached

Lowly in status and not highborn.

لَو كانَ بي كِلفاً كَما قَد قالَ لَم

يُجمِع بِعادي عامِداً وَتَجَنُّبي

If he had avoided me as he said, he wouldn't

Have persisted in harming me and avoiding me.

فَجَعَلتُ أُثلِجُها يَميناً بَرَّةً

بِاللَهِ حَلفَةَ صادِقٍ لَم يَكذِبِ

So I made her swear sincerely, an oath not lying,

That your love still increases in me

ما زالَ حُبُّكِ بَعدُ يَنمي صاعِداً

عِندي وَأَرقُبُ فيكِ ما لَم تَرقُبي

And I watch for you what you don't watch for.