1. دَعني فَما طاعَةُ العُذّالِ مِن ديني

    ما الصالِمُ القَلبِ في الدُنيا كَمَحزونِ

    Leave me, for obedience to reproachers is no part of my creed.

    The hard-hearted in this world are not like the grief-stricken.

  2. لا تَسمَعِ النُصحَ إِلّا القَلبُ يَقلِبُهُ

    يَكفيكَ رَأيُكَ لي رَأيٌ سَيَكفيني

    Heed no counsel unless the heart turns it over.

    Your judgment suffices you; I have a judgment that will suffice me.

  3. أَقرَرتُ أَنِّيَ مَجنونٌ بِحُبِّكُمُ

    وَلَيسَ لي عِندَكُم عُذرُ المَجانينِ

    I have admitted that I am mad with love for you,

    Yet in your eyes I have no madman's excuse.

  4. وَصاحِبٍ بَعدَ سَنِّ النَومِ مُقلَتُهُ

    دَعَوتُهُ وَلِسانُ الصُبحِ يَدعوني

    And a companion, after sleep had whetted his eye—

    I called him while the tongue of dawn was calling me.

  5. نَبَّهتُهُ وَنُجومُ اللَيلِ راكِعَةٌ

    في مَحفِلٍ مِن بَقايا لَيلِها جونِ

    I roused him while the stars of night were bowing

    In a dark assembly of their night's remnants,

  6. رُكوعَ رُهبانِ دَيرٍ في صَلاتِهِمُ

    سودٌ مَدارِعَهُم شِمِّ العَرانينِ

    Like monastery monks bowing at prayer,

    Their robes black, their noses high-bridged.

  7. فَقامَ يَمسَحُ عَينَيهِ وَسُنَّتَهُ

    بِقَعدَةِ النَومِ مِن فيهِ يُلَبّيني

    Then he rose, wiping his eyes and face,

    Seated sleepily, answering my call from his lips.

  8. وَطافَ بِالدَنِّ ساقٍ وَجهُهُ قَمَرٌ

    وَطَرفُهُ بِسَريعِ الحَدِّ مَسنونِ

    And a cupbearer went round with the wine-jar, his face a moon,

    And his glance was whetted to a swift-cutting edge.

  9. كَأَنَّ خَطَّ عِذارٍ شَقَّ عارِضَهُ

    مَيدانُ آسٍ عَلى وَردٍ وَنِسرينِ

    As though the line of down cleaving his cheek

    Were a field of myrtle upon roses and eglantine.

  10. وَخَطَّ فَوقَ حِجابِ الدُرِّ شارِبَهُ

    بِنِصفِ صادٍ وَدالُ الصُدغِ كَالنونِ

    And his mustache was traced above the veil of pearls

    With half a ṣād, while his temple-lock's dāl was like a nūn.

  11. فَجاءَ بِالراحِ يَحكي وَردَ وَجنَتِهِ

    مُقَرطَقٌ مِن بَني كِسرى وَشيرينِ

    Then he came with wine resembling the rose of his cheek,

    Clad in a short tunic, of the line of Kisra and Shirin.

  12. عَلَيهِ إِكليلُ آسٍ فَوقَ مَفرِقِهِ

    قَد رَصَّعوهُ بِأَنواعِ الرَياحينِ

    He wore a myrtle wreath above the parting of his hair;

    They had studded it with assorted fragrant herbs.

  13. لا أَتَّقي الراحَ بِالنُدمانِ مِن يَدِهِ

    وَإِن سَقَتنِيَ حَولاً قُلتُ زيديني

    I put no fellow drinkers between myself and wine from his hand;

    Even if she gave me drink for a year, I would say, "Give me more."

  14. قولوا لِمَكتومَ يا نورَ البَساتينِ

    الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ حَتّى أَنتِ تَجفوني

    Tell Maktum: O light of the gardens,

    Praise be to God—even you shun me!

  15. قَد كُنتُ مُنتَظِراً هَذا فَجِئتِ بِهِ

    وَلَيسَ خَلقٌ عَلى غَدرٍ بِمَأمونِ

    I had been expecting this, and you have brought it.

    And no creature can be trusted not to betray.

  16. ذَكَرتُ مِن خَوفِ أَهلي مَن بُليتُ بِهِ

    مِن بَينِهِم وَاِحطَمَلتُ العارَ في ديني

    For fear of my family, I mentioned the one I was afflicted with

    From among them, and bore disgrace in my faith.

  17. صَرَفتُ مَعنى حَديثي عَن ظُنونِهِمُ

    عَمداً كَمَن فَرَّ مِن ماءٍ إِلى طينِ

    I turned the meaning of my words away from their suspicions,

    Deliberately, like one who fled from water into mud.