تقضي زماني في انتظار وصاله

تقضي زماني في انتظار وصاله

ومات اصطباري والغرام بحاله

ومات اصطباري والغرام بحاله

My time has passed in waiting for union with him.

My life passes awaiting her union

And my patience died, while passion remains unchanged.

While my patience died and love persisted

قضيب نقا قد كنت أرجو انعطافه

قضيب نقا قد كنت أرجو انعطافه

فرحت لحيني آيساً من خياله

فرحت لحيني آيساً من خياله

A bough upon a dune—I had hoped he would bend toward me.

I was an erect spear hoping for its bending

So I went away to my doom, despairing of his phantom.

Then despaired of its imagination

أعرض من وجد بعسال قده

أعرض من وجد بعسال قده

ومعسول فيه بالعذيب وضاله

ومعسول فيه بالعذيب وضاله

I allude, out of longing for his swaying figure

I turn away from one with a slender waist

And his honeyed mouth, to al-ʿUdhayb and its wild lote trees.

And a sweet mouth with pure and clear saliva

أليس من التبريج أن مزاره

أليس من التبريج أن مزاره

قريب ونيل الشهب دون مناله

قريب ونيل الشهب دون مناله

Is it not torment that his dwelling

Is it not refreshing that his tomb

Is near, yet reaching the shooting stars is easier than reaching him?

Is near and catching stars is beyond his reach

لئن عمه بالحسن ياقوت خده

لئن عمه بالحسن ياقوت خده

فقد خصه بالصون عنبر خاله

فقد خصه بالصون عنبر خاله

If the ruby of his cheek has suffused him with beauty,

If ruby adorns his cheek

Then the ambergris of his mole has singled him out for protection.

Amber decorated his throat

إذا ما شكوت الوجد قال أخو الهوى

إذا ما شكوت الوجد قال أخو الهوى

صبابته تغنيه عن شرح حاله

صبابته تغنيه عن شرح حاله

Whenever I complain of longing, a fellow lover says:

If I complained of love's torment, the love expert said

“His yearning spares him the need to explain his state.”

His coquetry makes him needless of explaining his state

وإن رمت وصلاً قال لي أنت مدع

وإن رمت وصلاً قال لي أنت مدع

فأعرض عنه خيفة من جداله

فأعرض عنه خيفة من جداله

And if I seek union, he tells me, “You are a pretender.”

And if I sought union he called me a liar

So I turn away from him, fearing his argument.

So I turned away fearing his argument

وما ذاك عياً غير أن دليله

وما ذاك عياً غير أن دليله

علي عليه شاهد من دلاله

علي عليه شاهد من دلاله

And this is not for lack of words, but because his evidence

And that's no defect except that his guide to me

Against me is a witness against him, drawn from his coyness.

Is a witness against him from his own evidence