ليلةُ الشَّعر كالدجى مدلهمَّةْ

ليلةُ الشَّعر كالدجى مدلهمَّةْ

فمتى يهتدي إليك ابن همَّهْ

فمتى يهتدي إليك ابن همَّهْ

The night of his hair is pitch-dark as the night's gloom.

The night of poetry is like an obscure darkness

When, then, will a son of resolve find his way to you?

So when will the preoccupied find their way to you?

ضاق باعُ الخيال عن حوب ليـ

ضاق باعُ الخيال عن حوب ليـ

ـلين ليقضي تسليمةً أو ضمَّهْ

ـلين ليقضي تسليمةً أو ضمَّهْ

The dream-phantom's reach is too short for the travail of two ni—

The horizons of imagination are too narrow

—ghts, to offer a greeting or an embrace.

For these subtle nights to fulfill their promise or gather them in an embrace

كم إلى كم تفلي الطيوفُ إلى

كم إلى كم تفلي الطيوفُ إلى

لقياك هام الربى وظهر المهمةْ

لقياك هام الربى وظهر المهمةْ

How long, how long, will dream-phantoms scour, seeking

How often the ghosts travel to meet you

to meet you, the hilltops and the back of the trackless waste?

While people wander lost and confused

وبروحي من لا يرى ابيضاض النـ

وبروحي من لا يرى ابيضاض النـ

ـحر منه لولا سواد اللمهْ

ـحر منه لولا سواد اللمهْ

And my soul for him: unseen would be the whiteness of his thro—

And in my soul, one who cannot see the whiteness of dawn in it

—at, were it not for the blackness of his locks.

Except for the darkness of sorrow

راح في جفنه الكرى حمَّ للعشـ

راح في جفنه الكرى حمَّ للعشـ

ـاق سحرٌ سبا القلوب وحمَّهْ

ـاق سحرٌ سبا القلوب وحمَّهْ

Slumber is wine in his eyelid; destined for lov—

In his eyelids is a burning passion for lovers

—ers are a spell that captured hearts, and venom.

A magic that has enchanted hearts and gathered them

فهوَ الغصن رنَّح الماءُ عطفيـ

فهوَ الغصن رنَّح الماءُ عطفيـ

ـه وبدرُ السماء أعطيَ تمَّهْ

ـه وبدرُ السماء أعطيَ تمَّهْ

He is the bough: water has set swaying both sides of—

He is the branch the water has gently swayed

—him; and heaven's moon, granted its fullness.

And the full moon of the sky that has given it completeness

آه ما ألينَ القوامَ وما أحـ

آه ما ألينَ القوامَ وما أحـ

ـسن ذاك الجبينَ تحت اللمَّهْ

ـسن ذاك الجبينَ تحت اللمَّهْ

Ah, how supple the figure, and how beauti—

Oh, how supple his figure is and how beautiful

—ful that brow beneath the locks!

That forehead under the soft hair

ضلَّ قلبي بعد الهداية إذ أسـ

ضلَّ قلبي بعد الهداية إذ أسـ

ـري إليه ما بين نورٍ وظلمهْ

ـري إليه ما بين نورٍ وظلمهْ

My heart strayed after guidance, as I traveled

My heart went astray after guidance when

by night toward him, between light and darkness.

I walked toward him between light and darkness

أنا أشقى به ويقضي لغيري

أنا أشقى به ويقضي لغيري

صدقوا فالهوى حظوظ وقسمهْ

صدقوا فالهوى حظوظ وقسمهْ

I suffer because of him, while he fulfills another's wishes.

I suffer for him while he fulfills the desires of others

They spoke truly: love is luck and destiny.

Believe me, passion allots and divides its favors

ديم جفني سقى رسيمة والوجـ

ديم جفني سقى رسيمة والوجـ

ـد جواد فليس يقطع رسمه

ـد جواد فليس يقطع رسمه

The steady rains of my eyelid watered a faint trace; and long—

My eyelids were always wet with tears and longing

—ing is generous, never cutting off its customary gift.

Is a generous steed, it does not cut short its journey

جلَّ من صاغ قلبه الفظَّ صخراً

جلَّ من صاغ قلبه الفظَّ صخراً

وعلا من برا من الماء جسمه

وعلا من برا من الماء جسمه

Exalted is He who fashioned his harsh heart as rock,

Exalted is one who molded his heart from unyielding rock

and sublime is He who shaped his body from water.

And ascended is one who was virtuous despite the water of life

لا ووجهِ الرياض أبلجَ والما

لا ووجهِ الرياض أبلجَ والما

ءُ عيونٌ له فليس بأكمهْ

ءُ عيونٌ له فليس بأكمهْ

Nay, by the gardens' radiant face—and wa—

No, by the face of the meadows all clad in white

—ter is its eyes, so it is not blind from birth—

And the water of the spring, clear-eyed, not bleary

ووحقّ الغصون تحت نسيمٍ

ووحقّ الغصون تحت نسيمٍ

ساحبٍ ذيله البليل وكمَّهْ

ساحبٍ ذيله البليل وكمَّهْ

and by the honor of the boughs beneath a breeze

And by the sincerity of the branches beneath the blowing

trailing its moist train and sleeve,

Breeze, its trailing gown the soft rain and its collector

لا دعوت الملك الممدَّح فخر الد

لا دعوت الملك الممدَّح فخر الد

دين إلاَّ لدفع كل ملمَّهْ

دين إلاَّ لدفع كل ملمَّهْ

I have not invoked the much-praised king, Fakhr al-

I called upon the praised King, pride of the faith

Din, except to ward off every calamity.

Only to repel every concern and sorrow