هو الليل ما لليل من صبوةٍ بدّ

ولا لشجون الليل عن مهجتي ردّ

It is the night, but the night has no morning freshness

Nor do the sorrows of the night have any effect on my inner self

توهجت الحمّى وثار شرارها

وفي أضلع المحموم من نارها وقد

The fever has flared up and its flames have roared

And from its fire, the ribs of the feverish one have caught flame

أصابرها حيناً وحينا أصدّها

بعزمة مشبوب الفؤاد فتنصدّ

Sometimes I endure it and sometimes I drive it back

With a will that has a flaming heart, so it bounces back

تعجبت للحمّى تزور جوانحي

وليس لها عندي إذا وفدت ورد

I'm amazed that the fever visits my being

Yet when it comes to visit, it has no flowers from me

أتأكل نارا وهي نار ولم تكن

بأخطر مني حين تطغى وتشتدّ

It eats fire while it's itself fire, and it has not been

More dangerous than I when it exceeds and intensifies

إلى مهدك المشئوم عودي ذميمة

فما لك في بيتي على رحبه مهد

Return, o spiteful one, to your ill-omened cradle

For you have no place to spread your cradle in my abode

أتمسى ضلوعي طعمة لغريمة

طفيلية يضرى بها الأسد الورد

Do you wish my ribs to be a morsel for an enemy

A parasitic germ that hurts even the most gentle lion

وهل مات بالحمى الغضنفر مرة

وفي كل يوم من لظاها له عهد

Has the formidable one ever died of fever

While he faces its severity every single day

توقد عينيه لهول أوارها

فتنفر خوفا من أذاه وترتد

It makes his eyes blaze because of its flames

So they shrink back, scared of its harm and turn away

خذي الدرس يا حمّى خذيه وأقلعي

ولا ترجعي إني إذا عدت قد أعدو

Take the lesson, o fever, take it and desist

And do not return, if you return, I have prepared

سأعدو وللعدوان مني عواقبٌ

يصاولها الحصن الأشمّ فينهدّ

I will prepare, and my preparations have consequences

That will make the most mighty citadel collapse