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