1. دَعهُ فَقَد جَذَبَ الهَوى بِعِنانِهِ

    وَشُؤونُهُ هَتَكَت سَريرَةَ شانِهِ

    Leave him be, for love has tugged at his rein,

    And his tear ducts have laid bare the secret of his plight.

  2. إِنَّ اِنتِهاكَ السِرِّ في حُكمِ الهَوى

    حُلوٌ فَسِر بِالسِرِّ عَن كِتمانِهِ

    Indeed, under love's rule, the disclosure of a secret

    Is sweet; so carry the secret out of hiding.

  3. هَيهاتَ أَن تَخفى صَبابَةُ عاشِقٍ

    وَجُنونُهُ مُستَحكِمٌ بِجنانِهِ

    Impossible that a lover's longing should remain hidden,

    While his madness holds firm sway within his heart.

  4. وَمُمَنطَقٍ عِندَ اِرتِجاجَةِ رِدفِهِ

    يَخشى اِنخِزالَ الخَصرِ في هَيمانِهِ

    And a girdled one, when his haunches quiver,

    Fears his waist will snap in his lovesick wandering.

  5. هاروتُ بابِلَ كامِنٌ في طَرفِهِ

    مُتَعَلِّمٌ لِلسِّحرِ مِن إِنسانِهِ

    Harut of Babylon lies hidden in his eye,

    Learning magic from its pupil.

  6. وَكَأَنَّما ماروتُ يَعشَقُ لَفظَهُ

    فَيَرى بَديعَ السِّحرِ نَفثَ لِسانِهِ

    And it is as though Marut adores his speech,

    So he sees his tongue's breath as wondrous magic.

  7. يَبدو بِصورَةِ يوسُفٍ يَتلو الهَوى

    آياتِ سورَةِ يوسُفٍ بِبَيانِهِ

    He appears in Joseph's likeness; love recites

    The verses of the surah of Joseph through his eloquence.

  8. مَن مُنصِفي مِن شادِنٍ أَحوى مُعَر

    بِدِ لَحظِهِ نَشوانِهِ وَسِنانِهِ

    Who will grant me justice against a dusky fawn, whose riotous

    Glance is drunken and drowsy?

  9. يَجلو الرَبيعُ بِكُلِّ فَصلٍ حُسنَهُ

    فَالرَوضُ يَخجَلُ مِنهُ في نَيسانِهِ

    Spring reveals his beauty in every season,

    So the garden blushes before him in its April.

  10. غَضٌّ جَنِيُّ الوَردِ في وَجناتِهِ

    يُزري بِلَونِ الوَردِ في أَغصانِهِ

    Fresh is the rose-harvest on his cheeks,

    Putting the color of roses on their branches to shame.

  11. قَمَرٌ وَلَكِن صَدُّهُ لَم يُبقِ لي

    رَمَقاً يُعيدُ الحُسنَ في إِحسانِهِ

    He is a moon, but his rejection has left me

    No spark of life for beauty to revive through his kindness.

  12. مُتَأَوِّدٌ كَالرُمحِ فِعلُ قَوامِهِ

    مُتَثَنِّياً أَضعاف فِعلِ سِنانِهِ

    He sways like a spear; the effect of his figure,

    As he bends, is many times the effect of its point.

  13. مِن وَجهِهِ تُجنى ثِمارُ الحُسنِ يا

    نِعَةً بِما نَهواهُ مِن بُستانِهِ

    From his face the fruits of beauty are gathered, ripe

    With what we desire from his garden.

  14. يَهتَزُّ كَالرُمحِ المُثَقَّفِ قَدُّهُ

    سَفَكَ الدِّماءَ بِضَربِهِ وَطِعانِهِ

    His stature quivers like a straightened spear;

    It has shed blood with its blows and thrusts.

  15. لَو كانَ موسى جاءَ فِرعَوناً بِعَق

    رَبِ صُدغِهِ أَغنَتهُ عَن ثُعبانِهِ

    Had Moses come to Pharaoh with the scorpion

    Of his temple-curl, it would have left him no need of his serpent.