أَشِر يا اِبنَ عَمّي في سَلامَةَ ما تَرى

لَنا وَتَبَدّيها لِتَسلُبَني عَقلي

Be warned, my cousin, of what you see as safe

And reveal it to me, that you may rob me of my reason

عَلى حينِ لاحَ الشيبُ وَاِستُنكِرَ الصِبا

وَراجَعَني حِلمي وَأَقصَرتُ عَن جَهلي

Now that grey hairs have appeared and youth is rejected

And wisdom has returned to me, moving beyond ignorance

وَآلَت كَما آلَ المُجَرَّبُ بَعدَ ما

صَحَوتُ وَمَلَّ العاذِلاتُ مِنَ العَذلِ

And I have become as the experienced one becomes after

I awoke, and the blamers grew weary of blaming

وَأَبدَيتُ عِصياناً لَهُنَّ سَبَبنَني

وَأَلقَينَ مِن يَأسٍ عَلى غارِبي حَبلي

I showed them disobedience, which caused them

To cast the rope of my love into a setting sun

وَأَقبَلنَ يَمشينَ الهُوَينا عَشِيَّةً

يُقَتِّلنَ مَن يَرمينَ بِالحَدَقِ النُجلِ

And they marched my passion in the evening

Killing those at whom they glance with languid eyes

غَرائِبُ مِن حَيَّينِ شَتّى لَقينَني

عَلى حالَةٍ ما خافَ مِن مِثلِها مِثلي

Strange women from various places met me

In a state I never imagined the like of

فَسَلَّمنَ تَسليماً ضَعيفاً وَأَعيُنٌ

نُحاذِرُها مِن أَهلِهِنَّ وَمِن أَهلي

They bid me meager farewells, while their eyes

Fear their people and mine

وَقُلنَ لَوَ اِنَّ اللَهَ شاءَ لَقيتَنا

عَلى غَيرِ هَذا مِن مَقامٍ وَمِن شُغلِ

And said, "If God had willed, we would have met you

In a different place and occupation

إِذاً لَبَثَثناكَ الأَحاديثَ وَاِشتَفَت

نُفوسٌ وَلَكِنَّ المَقامَ عَلى رِجلِ

Then we would have talked at length and commiserated

Souls, but the situation calls for moving on"

وَقُلنَ مَتى بَعدَ العَشيَّةِ نَلتَقي

لِميعادِنا هَيهاتَ هَيهاتَ لِلوَصلِ

And they said, "When after evening could we meet again

For our appointment? Alas! Alas! For the reunion!"