امرء القیس از ممالک خشک‌لب ** هم کشیدش عشق از خطه‌ی عرب
Imra’u ’l-Qays was weary of his empire: Love carried him away from the country of the Arabs,
تا بیامد خشت می‌زد در تبوک ** با ملک گفتند شاهی از ملوک
So that he came and worked as a brick-maker at Tabúk. The king was told that a royal personage,
امرء القیس آمدست این‌جا به کد ** در شکار عشق و خشتی می‌زند
Imra’u ’l-Qays (by name), having fallen a prey to Love, had come thither and was making bricks by (his own) labour.
آن ملک برخاست شب شد پیش او ** گفته او را ای ملیک خوب‌رو
The king rose up and went to him at night and said to him, “O king of beauteous countenance,
یوسف وقتی دو ملکت شد کمال ** مر ترا رام از بلاد و از جمال 3990
Thou art the Joseph of the age. Two empires have become entirely subject to thee—(one), of the territories (under thy sway), and (the other), of Beauty.
گشته مردان بندگان از تیغ تو ** وان زنان ملک مه بی‌میغ تو
Men are enslaved by thy sword, while women are the chattels of thy cloudless moon.
پیش ما باشی تو بخت ما بود ** جان ما از وصل تو صد جان شود
(If) thou wilt dwell with me, ’twill be my fortune: by union with thee my soul will be made (equal to) a hundred (enraptured) souls.
هم من و هم ملک من مملوک تو ** ای به همت ملک‌ها متروک تو
Both I (myself) and my kingdom are thine to hold as thine own, O thou who in high aspiration hast abandoned kingdoms!”
فلسفه گفتش بسی و او خموش ** ناگهان وا کرد از سر روی‌پوش
He reasoned with him for a long time, and he (Imra’u ’l-Qays) kept silence, (till) suddenly he unveiled the mystery.
تا چه گفتش او به گوش از عشق و درد ** هم‌چو خود در حال سرگردانش کرد 3995
Think what (secrets) of love and passion he (must have) whispered into his ear! Immediately he made him a crazy wanderer like himself.