مَالَكَ وَضَّاحُ دَائمَ الغَزَلِ

أَلَستَ تَخشَى تَقَارُبَ الأَجَلِ

O Waddah, ever merry and jesting,

Do you not fear the nearing of death?

صَلِّ لِذِي العَرشِ وَاتَّخِذ قَدَمَاً

تُنجيكَ يَومَ العِثَارِ والزَّلَلِ

Pray to the Lord of the Throne and take steps

That will save you on the day of stumbling and slipping.

يَا مَوتُ ما إِن تَزَالُ مُعتَرِضَاً

لآِمِلٍ دُونَ مُنتَهى الأَمَلِ

O Death, you still stand in the way

Of every hopeful, however long their hope.

لَو كَانَ مَن فَرَّ مِنكَ مُنفَلِتاً

إِذاً لأَسرَعتُ رِحلَةَ الجَمَلِ

If one who fled from you escaped,

Then I would hasten the pace of my camel.

لَكِنَّ كَفَّيكَ نَالَ طولُهُما

مَا كَلَّ عَنهُ نَجائبُ الإِبِلِ

But your hands have reached the length

Of all, no matter how far the camel litters.

تَنَالُ كَفَّاكَ كُلَّ مُسهِلَةٍ

وَحُوتَ بَحرٍ وَمَعقِلَ الوَعِل

Your hands seize every one who travels

And whale of the sea and lion of the thicket.

لَولا حِذَارِي مِنَ الحُتُوفِ فَقَد

أَصبَحتُ مِن خَوفِها عَلى وَجَلِ

Were it not for my fear of graves, I would have

Become from that fear always apprehensive and anxious.

لَكُنتُ لِلقَلبِ في الهَوى تَبَعاً

إِنَّ هَواه رَبَائِبُ الحَجَلِ

I would have been a lover of the heart in passion;

For its passion is the darling of the thickets.

حَرَميَّه تَسكُنُ الحِجَازَ لها

شَيخٌ غَيورٌ يَعتَلُّ بِالعِلَلِ

My sweetheart lives in the Hijaz; for her

An old jealous man rules, sick with illnesses.

عُلِّقَ قَلبِي رَبِيبَ بَيتِ مُلو

كِ ذَاتَ قُرطَينِ وَعثَةُ الكَفَلِ

My heart attached itself to the darling of the house of Muluk,

She of the two earrings and musky hairlocks.

تَفتَرُّ عَن مَنطِقٍ تَضنُّ بهِ

يَجري رُضَاباً كَذَائِبِ العَسَلِ

She prattles ineloquently but I am pleased with her prattle,

Flowing gently like the running of honey.