تبدت إلى وصلي وما كنت راجيا — عبد اللطيف بن إبراهيم آ…

تبَدَّت إِلى وَصلي وَما كنتُ راجِياً

جِهاراً على رغم الحسودِ المُعادِيا

She appeared to seek union with me when I had not hoped for it,

Openly, despite the spiteful, hostile envier.

فتاةٌ لَعُوبٌ يُخجِلُ البَدرَ نورُها

وَيَفضَحُ بدرَ التِمِّ إِذ كانَ بادِيا

A playful young woman whose radiance puts the moon to shame

And outshines the full moon when it appears.

أَتَتني تَجُرُّ هَيفاءَ بعد ما

هَجعنَ عيونُ الخَلقِ وَالكلُّ ساهِيا

She came to me, slender-waisted and trailing her steps, after

The eyes of all people had fallen asleep and everyone was still.

فلمّا رأَت عيني مُحيّا جمالها

يضيءُ سَناهُ سافراً في الدَياجيا

When my eyes beheld the beauty of her face,

Its brilliance shone unveiled through the darkness,

علمتُ بأنَّ الحبَّ قد جاءَ زائِراً

وأسفَرَ حظِّي بعد ما كان غافيا

I knew that love had come to visit

And my fortune had awakened after lying dormant.

فقُمتُ كأنِّي شاربٌ كأسَ خمرَةٍ

مِنَ الشَوقِ أمشي مُسرِعاً في رِدائيا

I rose as though I had drunk a cup of wine;

With longing, I hurried along in my cloak.

فقبَّلتُها يا صاحِ قُبلةَ والِهٍ

عن الوِردِ محجوباً وقد كان ظامِيا

I kissed her, my friend, with the kiss of one distraught

Who had been kept from the spring while thirsty.

وبِتنا تُعَاطِيني كؤوسَ حديثها

وأرشُفُ مِن ثَغرٍ لها كان صافيا

We spent the night as she offered me cups of her conversation,

And I sipped from her pure lips.

فلمَّا رأيتُ الليلَ يَطوِي خِيامَهُ

وَهذا سَنا الإِصباحِ قد كان سارِيا

But when I saw the night fold up its tents

And the light of morning begin to spread,

تيقَّنتُ أَنَّ الحبَّ لا شكَّ راحلٌ

وأَنَّ غُرابَ البينِ أَضحى مُنادِيا

I knew for certain that love was departing

And that the raven of separation had begun to call.

فقبَّلتُها ثمَّ اعتنقتُ بغُصنِها

وَوَدَّعتُها والدَمعُ في الخَدِّ جارِيا

I kissed her, then embraced her slender form,

And bade her farewell, tears running down my cheek.

وسارت فأمسى الصَبُّ بعد فِراقِها

يبيتُ بطولِ اللَيلِ لِلنَجمِ راعِيا

She left, and after parting from her the lovesick one

Spent the whole night watching the stars.

ويُصبحُ مِن مُرِّ الفراقِ بلَوعةٍ

ومن زَفَراتِ القلبِ حَيرانَ باكِيا

He greeted the morning with anguish from separation’s bitterness,

And, sighing from the heart, bewildered and weeping.

فما لِعَذُولي قد لَحاني بعَذلِهِ

وعنَّفَني جُهداً وطالَ مَلامِيا

Why has my reproacher rebuked me with his blame

And scolded me so fiercely, prolonging his reproach?

عَساهُ يُلاقي ما أُلاقي مِنَ الهَوى

وَمِن شِدَّةِ الأَشواقِ أضعافَ ما بِيا

May he encounter what I encounter in love

And, from fierce yearning, many times what I bear.

ولمّا رأَت قلبي بها مُتَعَلِّقاً

يَهيمُ وما هوَ عن هواها بِسَالِيا

When she saw my heart attached to her,

Wandering in love, unable to forget its passion for her,

تصَدَّت إِلى هَجري وأَظهَرَتِ الجَفا

وأَبدَت صُدوداً فاستزادَ عَذابِيا

She turned to abandoning me and showed coldness;

She turned away, increasing my torment.

فيا ليتَ ذاكَ الوصلَ بيني وبينها

يعودُ كما كنّا ويطوي التَنائِيا

Would that the union between her and me

Might return as it once was and fold away the distance.

ويا ليتَها للصَبِّ تَرنُو لِحالِهِ

وتُبدِلَ هذا البُعدَ مِنها تَدانِيا

Would that she look upon the lovesick one in his plight

And replace this distance from her with nearness.

ويا لَيتَها تَمنُن عَليَّ بِوَصلِها

لِيُطفي لَهيباً مُضرَماً في فُؤادِيا

Would that she favor me with her company

To quench the flame burning in my heart.

ويا ليتها ترعى عُهودَ مُحِبِّها

وتعطِف عَلى مَن جِسمُه كان باليا

Would that she honor her lover’s pledges

And show compassion to one whose body has wasted away.

وإِن كان قد أبدَت قِلىً وتجنُّباً

فإني لها ما عشتُ لستُ بقالِيا

Though she has shown dislike and avoidance,

As long as I live, I will not turn against her.

ولكنَّني خِلٌّ مُلازِم عهدِها

وحافظ ذمامَ الوُدِّ منها وراعِيا

I remain a devoted friend, faithful to her pledge,

Guarding and tending the bond of affection with her.

عساها عَلَيَّ اليومَ تمنُن بنظرةٍ

لتُبري بها دائي وتُشفي سقامِيا

Perhaps today she will favor me with a glance

To cure my illness and heal my suffering.

وما ضَرَّكِ لو زُرتِني مُتَيَقِّظاً

جِهاراً وكنّا لا نحاذِرُ واشِيا

What harm would it do you to visit me while I am awake,

Openly, with no fear of a tale-bearer,

لأبردَ ناراً قد تلَظَّت بِمُهجَتي

ومَزَّقَ جِسمي حَرُّها وَحشائِيا

So I might cool the fire blazing in my soul,

Whose heat has torn through my body and innards?

وِإلا يكُن ذا إِنَّني منكِ قانِعٌ

بطَيفِ خيالٍ زائرٍ في مَنامِيا

And if that cannot be, I would be content with

A passing phantom of you visiting me in my sleep.

فلو أَنَّني أَشري بروحي اجتماعنا

ولو ساعةً يا صاحِ لستُ مُكافِيا

Even if I bought our meeting with my life,

Though only for an hour, my friend, I could not repay its worth.

أقولُ لها يا رَبَّةَ الحُسنِ والثَنا

أَبي اليَومَ ذنبٌ مُوجِبٌ لِجَفائيا

I say to her: O mistress of beauty and praise,

Have I today committed a fault that warrants your coldness?

وإِن كانَ أَنّي قد أَسَأتُ فأجمِلِي

لِيَ العفوَ عن هذا الذي كنتُ جانِيا

And if I have done wrong, graciously grant me

Pardon for the wrong I committed.

فواللَه إني لم أجِد من مُعَوِّضٍ

لرِقِّكِ يُسلِيهِ وما كنتُ سالِيا

By God, I have found no substitute

For your tenderness to console me; I have not forgotten you.

فقَالت بلى يكفيكَ مِن وَصِليَ البُكا

وَطولُ الأسى والوَجدُ هذا عَطائيا

She said: Indeed, tears are enough of my union for you;

Long sorrow and longing are my gift to you.

فأرجو مَن بالحُسنِ قد خصَّها بِهِ

وأَلبَسَهَا ثَوبَ المَلاحةِ ثانِيا

So I beseech the One who singled her out for beauty

And clothed her, too, in the garment of loveliness,

وصَيَّرَها يا صاحِ للناسِ فِتنَةً

إِذا ما تبدّت يَصبُ مَن كان رائِيا

And made her, my friend, a source of enchantment to people—

Whenever she appears, whoever sees her falls in love—

يَمُنُّ بجمعِ الشَملِ بيني وبينَها

ويمنَحُنا منهُ رِضاً مُتَواليا

To favor us by bringing her and me together

And granting us His continuing favor.

عليها إِلهي لا يزالُ بفضلِهِ

حفيظاً لها من كل سُوءٍ وكافِيا

May my God, by His grace, always be

Her guardian, protecting her from every harm.