لو أحْسنوا في مَلِكنَا أو أعتَقوا
لَصَفَا لَهُم من وُدّنا ما رنَّقُوا
Had they been kind in our kingdom or set free
The clearness of our love would have gratified them
مَلّكْتُهم رِقّي كما حكم الهوَى
فأبى اعتسَافُ جَمالِهم أن يَرفُقُوا
I made them as gentle as passion decreed
But the roughness of their beauty refused to relent
لَهِجُوا بهَجري في الدُّنوِّ كأنّهُم
لم يعلَمُوا أنّ الزّمانَ يُفَرِّقُ
They ignored me in life as though
They knew not that time separates
أمُشَيِّعِي باللّحظِ خَوفَ رَقِيبِه
والدّمعُ من أجفانِه يترقرَقُ
I bid farewell with a glance fearing its watcher
And tears flowing from my eyelids
قد كنتُ أخضعُ قبلَ بَيْنِكَ للنّوى
فالآنَ لستُ من التّفَرّقِ أفْرَقُ
I used to obey the passion between us
But now I am not bothered by separation
هّذي النّوَى قد نَالني من صَرْفِها
ما كُنتُ منه زمانَ وصلِكَ أُشْفِقُ
This passion has afflicted me with its twists
In a way I never feared in our days of union
ويَهيجُنِي بعد اندمالِ صَبَابَتِي
ورْقاءُ مادَ بِهَا قضيبٌ مُورِقُ
It excites me after the stillness of my youth
A nimble doe followed by a supple twig
عجماءُ تَنطِقُ بالحَنينِ ولم يَهِج
شوقَ القلوبِ كاعَجمِيٍّ ينطِقُ
A foreign woman speaking of yearning though
The longing of hearts speaks no foreign tongue
بي مَا بَها لكن كتَمتُ وأعلَنَتْ
ودموعُها حُبِسَتْ ودمعيَ مُطْلَقُ
There is nothing in her about me but she was silent
While her tears were imprisoned and mine flowed free
كمْ دُونَ رَبْعِك مَهْمهٌ مُتقاذِفٌ
تَشقَى الركابُ به وبيدٌ سَمْلَقُ
How many concerns below your abode
Trouble travelers, and the guide confused
ملَّ السُّرَى فيه الصِّحَابُ فعرَّسُوا
والشّوْقُ يُوضِع بي إليكَ ويُعنِقُ
The companions wearied of the journey and dismounted
While my longing for you continues fastened
قَطَعتْ إليكَ بنا المَطِيُّ وحثَّها
أشواقُها والشّوقُ نعم السّيِّقُ
Our mounts have hurried us to you
Driven by their longing, and longing is a good driver
بَارَتْ مَطارحَ لَحْظِهَا فيخالُها الرْ
رائِي تَسابقَ لحظُها والأسؤقُ
Their glances shine competing
And the most ardent outshines the rest
تَشكُو إلينا شوقَها وحنينَها
وَلرَكْبُها منْها أحَنُّ وأشْوَقُ
They complain to us of their fervor and their grief
And their riders are more plaintive and lovesick than they
مَعْقُولةٌ بِيَد الغَرامِ طليقةٌ
هَل يُفتَدى ذاكَ الأسيرُ المطْلقُ
Tamed by passion, set free
Can that captive now freed be ransomed?
مُنيَتْ بحَمْلِ غَرامِنا وغَرامِها
فَتجشّمتْ مالا تُطيقُ الأيْنُقُ
They have endured our passion and their own
Bearing what the delicate cannot endure
