أَطِع الَهوى واعْصِ المُعاتِبْ

واصْدِف عن الواشِي المُراقِبْ

Obey desire, though censurers reprove,

And turn aside from eve's observing eyes.

وتَغَنَّمِ اللّذّات إن

نَ مَمَرّها مَرُّ السَّحائِبْ

Make merry and the flying moments seize,

For, look! Their course is rapid as the clouds'.

وانْظُر إلى الأغصانِ حا

مِلةً شُموساً في غَياهِبْ

Behold the boughs how they are laden down

With suns in all their brilliant canopies!

من كلِّ حَاوٍ قد تَكَن

نَفَهُ ثَعابِينُ الذّوائِبْ

In every nook lurks hidden from your sight

The adder of seductive qualities.

في وجهِهِ ضِدّانِ كُل

لٌ مِنهُما لِلُّبِّ سَالِبْ

Her face shows opposites in each detail,

Her every feature thieving hearts of men.

نارٌ بلا لَفْحٍ تَضَر

مُ وسْطَ ماءٍ غيرِ ذَائِبْ

A flame that burns yet does not scorch at all,

A sea of water that is never turbid.

هَذي بقايا سِحْرِ بَا

بِلَ وهيَ من إحدى العجائِبْ

These are the remnants of old Babylon,

Among the wonders they were famous for.

فحذَارِ يا أُسْدَ الشَّرى

من فَتكِ ألحاظِ الرّبَارِبْ

So, lion of mankind, beware her glances'

Murderous onslaught and the typhoon's roar!

غَضبانُ أفديهِ عَلى

ما كانَ منهُُ مِن مَغَاضبْ

Angered I am because of what occurred

Twixt me and him in way of enmity.

دَعْ ذا فما عُذرُ الفَتى

في غَيِّه والفودُ شَائِبْ

Cease now, for what excuse can serve the youth

Bewildered, when the old themselves mislead?