لَوَى جِيدَهُ وَانْصَرَفْ

لَوَى جِيدَهُ وَانْصَرَفْ

فَمَا ضَرَّهُ لَوْ عَطَفْ

فَمَا ضَرَّهُ لَوْ عَطَفْ

He turned his neck and went away.

What harm would it have done him to turn back?

غَزَالٌ لَهُ نَظْرَةٌ

غَزَالٌ لَهُ نَظْرَةٌ

أَعَانَتْ عَليَّ الْكَلَفْ

أَعَانَتْ عَليَّ الْكَلَفْ

A gazelle whose glance

Helped infatuation overpower me.

تَبَسَّمَ عَنْ لُؤْلُؤٍ

تَبَسَّمَ عَنْ لُؤْلُؤٍ

لَهُ مِنْ عَقِيقٍ صَدَفْ

لَهُ مِنْ عَقِيقٍ صَدَفْ

He smiled, revealing pearls

Whose shell was made of agate.

وَتَاهَ فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ

وَتَاهَ فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ

وَشَأْنُ الْجَمَالِ الصَّلَفْ

وَشَأْنُ الْجَمَالِ الصَّلَفْ

And acted haughtily, not looking back;

And arrogance is beauty's way.

جَرَى الْبَنْدُ فِي خَصْرِهِ

جَرَى الْبَنْدُ فِي خَصْرِهِ

عَلَى حَرَكَاتِ الْهَيَفْ

عَلَى حَرَكَاتِ الْهَيَفْ

The sash swayed at his waist

With the movements of his slender form.

وَمَا ذَاكَ خَالٌ بَدَا

وَمَا ذَاكَ خَالٌ بَدَا

وَلَكِنْ وِسَامُ التَّرَفْ

وَلَكِنْ وِسَامُ التَّرَفْ

And what appeared was not a mole,

But a badge of luxury.

رَآنِي بِهِ مُولَعاً

رَآنِي بِهِ مُولَعاً

فَعَاتَبَنِي وانْحَرَفْ

فَعَاتَبَنِي وانْحَرَفْ

He saw me infatuated with him,

So he reproached me and turned away.

وَلَمْ يَدْرِ أَنِّي بِهِ

وَلَمْ يَدْرِ أَنِّي بِهِ

عَلَى جَمَراتِ التَّلَفْ

عَلَى جَمَراتِ التَّلَفْ

And did not know that, because of him, I was

Upon the embers of ruin.

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ سَيِّدِي

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ سَيِّدِي

تَرَفَّقْ بِصَبٍّ دَنِفْ

تَرَفَّقْ بِصَبٍّ دَنِفْ

So I said to him, "My master,

Be gentle with a lover wasting away."

فَقَال أَخَافُ الْعِدَا

فَقَال أَخَافُ الْعِدَا

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لا تَخَفْ

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لا تَخَفْ

He said, "I fear the enemies."

So I told him, "Do not fear,

فَإِنِّني عَفِيفُ الْهَوَى

فَإِنِّني عَفِيفُ الْهَوَى

وَمَا كُلُّ صَبٍّ يَعِفْ

وَمَا كُلُّ صَبٍّ يَعِفْ

For I am chaste in love,

And not every lover is chaste."

وَأَنْشَدْتُهُ قِطْعَةً

وَأَنْشَدْتُهُ قِطْعَةً

وَشِعْرِيَ إِحْدَى الطُّرَفْ

وَشِعْرِيَ إِحْدَى الطُّرَفْ

And I recited a short poem to him—

And my verse is a rare delight.

فَأَصْغَى لَهَا بَاسِماً

فَأَصْغَى لَهَا بَاسِماً

وَبَانَ عَلَيْهِ الأَسَفْ

وَبَانَ عَلَيْهِ الأَسَفْ

So he listened to it, smiling,

And his regret became plain.

وَنَمَّتْ بِهِ خَجْلَةٌ

وَنَمَّتْ بِهِ خَجْلَةٌ

تَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا اقْتَرَفْ

تَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا اقْتَرَفْ

And his embarrassment betrayed him,

Revealing what he had done.

وَقَال أَهَذَا الضَّنَى

وَقَال أَهَذَا الضَّنَى

جَنَاهُ عَلَيْكَ الشَّغَفْ

جَنَاهُ عَلَيْكَ الشَّغَفْ

And he said, "Is this wasting sickness

What passion has brought upon you?"

فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ سَيِّدِي

فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ سَيِّدِي

وَأَبْرَحُ مِمَّا أَصِفْ

وَأَبْرَحُ مِمَّا أَصِفْ

So I said, "Yes, my master,

And it is worse than I describe."

فَصَدَّقَ لَكِنّهُ

فَصَدَّقَ لَكِنّهُ

تَجَاهَلَ لَمَّا عَرَفْ

تَجَاهَلَ لَمَّا عَرَفْ

So he believed me, but

Feigned ignorance once he knew.

وَقَالَ أَطَعْتَ الْمُنَى

وَقَالَ أَطَعْتَ الْمُنَى

وَبَعْضُ الأَمَانِي سَرَفْ

وَبَعْضُ الأَمَانِي سَرَفْ

And said, "You have obeyed your wishes,

And some wishes are excessive.

وَمَا كُلُّ ذِي حَاجَةٍ

وَمَا كُلُّ ذِي حَاجَةٍ

يَفُوزُ بِهَا إِنْ عَكَفْ

يَفُوزُ بِهَا إِنْ عَكَفْ

And not everyone with a need

Attains it, even if he persists."

فَأَشْفَقْتُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ

فَأَشْفَقْتُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ

وَلَكِنَّ رَبِّي لَطَفْ

وَلَكِنَّ رَبِّي لَطَفْ

So I grew fearful at his words,

But my Lord was gracious.

فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَدْمُعِي

فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَدْمُعِي

تَوَالَتْ وَقَلْبِي رَجَفْ

تَوَالَتْ وَقَلْبِي رَجَفْ

Then, when he saw my tears

Flowing in succession, while my heart trembled,

تَبَسَّمَ لِي ضَاحِكَاً

تَبَسَّمَ لِي ضَاحِكَاً

وَمَانَعَ ثُمَّ انْعَطَفْ

وَمَانَعَ ثُمَّ انْعَطَفْ

He smiled at me, laughing,

And held back, then relented.

فَأَغْرَمْتُهُ قُبْلَةً

فَأَغْرَمْتُهُ قُبْلَةً

عَفَا اللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفْ

عَفَا اللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفْ

So I exacted a kiss from him—

May God pardon what is past.