1. تَأوَّبَهُ الخَيَالُ ولَيسَ يَألو

    بُكًى صَبُّ تَأَوبُّهُ الخَيَالُ

    A phantom visited him by night, and he never slackens

    in weeping—a lovesick man whom the phantom visits.

  2. وَفَارَقَهُ فَأرَّقَهُ وصَابٌ

    على الصَّابي التَّأُوُبُ والزَّيَالُ

    It left him, then kept him awake; an affliction

    to the lovesick are its visits and departures.

  3. فَبَلَّ بَلاَلُ أجفَاني جُفُوني

    ولَم أَحجُ الجُفُونَ بِهَا بَلاَلُ

    So my eyelids’ moisture drenched my lids,

    though I had not thought the lids held any moisture.

  4. وقَد ظَعَنَ الأَحِبَّةُ فَاستَمَالُوا

    فُؤَادَكَ حِينَ تُعتَسَفُ الرِّمَالُ

    The loved ones departed and drew away

    your heart as the sands were crossed without a path.

  5. ألاَ إِنَّ الظَّعَائِنَ يَومَ نَاءَت

    بِها أُدمُ الجِمَالِ نَأَى الجَمَالُ

    Indeed, on the day the women in their howdahs were borne away

    by white camels, beauty itself departed.

  6. فَمَا لِلعَينِ بَعدَ البَينِ أَينٌ

    عَن إجراءِ الدُّمُوعِ ولاَ كَلاَلُ

    So after parting the eye knows no exhaustion

    from shedding tears, nor any weariness.

  7. مَطَا حَرفُ التَّجلُدِ مُستَطِيعه

    يُسَلِّيه إِذَا طَالَ المِطَالُ

    One capable of it rode endurance’s lean she-camel,

    which consoles him when delay grows long.

  8. غَلَت أشوَاقُها في القَلبِ حَتَّى

    أُغِيلَ وكَانَ آلَى لاَ يُغَالُ

    Longings for her boiled within the heart until

    it was slain, though it had sworn it would not be slain.

  9. وَمَا لِلقَلبِ قَلبٌ عَن هَوَاهُم

    ولَو قَلَبَ المَجنَّ لُهُ الوِصَالُ

    And the heart cannot turn away from loving them,

    even if union turns its shield against it.

  10. وَغَرَّتني العِدَاةُ وَهىَّ آلٌ

    وكَم قَد غَرَّ قَبلِى الغِبرَّ آلُ

    Promises deceived me, though they were a mirage;

    and how often before me has a mirage deceived the shrewd!

  11. ولَو أبقَيتُ بَعضَ القَلبِ عَنهَا

    لَدَلَّ عَلَى بَقِّيتهِ الدَّلاَلُ

    Even had I withheld part of my heart from her,

    her coquetry would have pointed to what remained.

  12. سَيَالُوا اللاَّئِمُونَ إِذَا تَبَدَّى

    مُحَيَّاهَا الأضاحِى والسَّيَالُ

    The reproachers will roam—when there appears

    her face—the sunlit spaces and acacia groves.

  13. وخَالُوني أُسَلاَّ إِن تَبَدَّت

    وفي وَجَنَاتِها شَامٌ وخَالُ

    And they thought me mad whenever she appeared,

    with moles and a beauty spot upon her cheeks.

  14. سَمِعتُ فَخِلتُ نَغمَتَهَا فَعَابُوا

    عَلَىَّ الخُيَلاَ ولَو سَمِعُوا لَخَالُوا

    I heard her voice and swaggered; they reproached

    me for my swagger—had they heard, they too would have swaggered.