ألشَيْمِ برقٍ أم شميمِ عَرارِ

ألشَيْمِ برقٍ أم شميمِ عَرارِ

أوْرى بجانحَتَيْهِ زنْدُ أُوارِ

أوْرى بجانحَتَيْهِ زنْدُ أُوارِ

Was it from watching lightning, or the fragrance of ʿarār blossoms,

Is it lightning in the clouds or the fragrance of meadows

that a fire-stick of blazing heat sparked within his ribs?

Flapping its wings over it is the bird of foreboding

أم هزّ مِعطَفَهُ الغرامَ فمزّقَتْ

أم هزّ مِعطَفَهُ الغرامَ فمزّقَتْ

أيدي الصّبابةِ عنه ثوبَ وَقارِ

أيدي الصّبابةِ عنه ثوبَ وَقارِ

Or did passion shake his frame, so that

Or did passion dishevel its cloak, so the hands

the hands of longing tore his robe of dignity from him?

Of youth tore from it the raiment of dignity

أم باكرتْهُ يدُ الهَوى بمُدامةٍ

أم باكرتْهُ يدُ الهَوى بمُدامةٍ

صِرْفٍ فباتَ لها صريعَ خُمارِ

صِرْفٍ فباتَ لها صريعَ خُمارِ

Or did the hand of love visit him at dawn with wine,

Or did the hand of love make it taste at dawn

unmixed, so he spent the night laid low by its hangover?

A draft, so it remained for it prostrate and intoxicated

وعليلُ نفحةِ روضةٍ مطلولةٍ

وعليلُ نفحةِ روضةٍ مطلولةٍ

باحتْ بما ضمّتْ من الأسرارِ

باحتْ بما ضمّتْ من الأسرارِ

And the gentle breath of a dew-covered garden

And the wafting breeze of an open garden

revealed the secrets it held.

Disclosed what secrets it contained

ما استَنْشَقَتْ منها المعاطفُ بلّةً

ما استَنْشَقَتْ منها المعاطفُ بلّةً

إلا انثَنَتْ في القلبِ جُذوةَ نارِ

إلا انثَنَتْ في القلبِ جُذوةَ نارِ

Never did the body's sides inhale any moisture from it

When the cloaks inhaled its subtle fragrance

without its turning into a fiery ember in the heart,

The embers of fire curled up in the heart

حيثُ الغصونُ تميسُ في كُثبانِها

حيثُ الغصونُ تميسُ في كُثبانِها

طرَباً لسجعِ ملاحنِ الأطيارِ

طرَباً لسجعِ ملاحنِ الأطيارِ

where the boughs sway amid its sand dunes,

Where the boughs sway tipsily in its dunes

in rapture at the birds’ melodious cooing.

Agitated by the warbling of the birds

عبثتْ بها أيدي الصَّبا فتمايلتْ

عبثتْ بها أيدي الصَّبا فتمايلتْ

فكأنّما شرِبَتْ بكأسِ عُقارِ

فكأنّما شرِبَتْ بكأسِ عُقارِ

The east wind’s hands toyed with them, and they swayed,

The hands of youth toyed with them so they swayed

as though they had drunk from a cup of wine.

As if they had drunk from a cup of poison

وتكلّلتْ تيجانُ أزهارِ الرُبى

وتكلّلتْ تيجانُ أزهارِ الرُبى

بفرائدٍ من لؤلؤِ الأمطارِ

بفرائدٍ من لؤلؤِ الأمطارِ

And the crowns of the hill-flowers were wreathed

And the garlands of flowers were crowned

with rare jewels from the pearls of rain.

With necklaces of the pearls of rain

فالجوّ في مِسكيّةِ الغيمِ انبرى

فالجوّ في مِسكيّةِ الغيمِ انبرى

والأرضُ في موشيّةِ الأزهارِ

والأرضُ في موشيّةِ الأزهارِ

So the sky appeared in musk-dark robes of cloud,

So the air was scented with the musk of clouds

and the earth in flower-embroidered robes.

And the earth adorned with carpet of flowers

والغانياتُ تميسُ في أرجائها

والغانياتُ تميسُ في أرجائها

مختالةً ميسَ القَنا الخَطّارِ

مختالةً ميسَ القَنا الخَطّارِ

And beautiful women sway through its expanses,

The singers sway languidly in its expanses

proudly, with the sway of quivering spear-shafts,

Swaying coquettishly like the swaying of a charmer

من كلِّ سافكةٍ بسيفِ فُتورِها

من كلِّ سافكةٍ بسيفِ فُتورِها

عمداً وما لِقَتيلها من ثارِ

عمداً وما لِقَتيلها من ثارِ

each shedding blood with the sword of her languid gaze,

By each murderess who slew with the sword of her charm

deliberately, with no vengeance for her slain;

Deliberately, though her victim had no blood-revenge

كالبدرِ في بُعدِ المنالِ وفي السّنا

كالبدرِ في بُعدِ المنالِ وفي السّنا

والريمِ في كحَلٍ وفرطِ نِفارِ

والريمِ في كحَلٍ وفرطِ نِفارِ

like the full moon, beyond reach and radiant,

Like the moon in the remoteness of attainment, and in grace

and the white gazelle in dark-rimmed eyes and utter skittishness.

Like a gazelle, in kohl, and overflowing charm

ومهفهفٍ عبثَ الصّبا بقوامِه

ومهفهفٍ عبثَ الصّبا بقوامِه

عبثَ الصَّبا بمعاطِفِ الأشجارِ

عبثَ الصَّبا بمعاطِفِ الأشجارِ

And a slender youth whose form youthfulness had toyed with

And a swaying, which the morning breeze disheveled,

as the east wind toys with the bending boughs of trees,

Toying with the cloaks of the trees

وسنانَ ما حالَتْ قِداحُ جمالِه

وسنانَ ما حالَتْ قِداحُ جمالِه

إلا ثَنى قلبي من الأعشارِ

إلا ثَنى قلبي من الأعشارِ

sleepy-eyed—his beauty’s gaming arrows never shifted

And the glitter of what the goblets of his beauty poured

without his making my heart a double share among the ten.

Melted my heart with the most potent wine

عاطيتُهُ راحاً الى الشمسِ انتمَتْ

عاطيتُهُ راحاً الى الشمسِ انتمَتْ

بزُجاجةٍ تُنْمى لضوءِ نَهارِ

بزُجاجةٍ تُنْمى لضوءِ نَهارِ

I shared with him wine that traced its descent to the sun,

I gave him respite to the sun but it inclined

in a glass whose lineage was traced to the light of day;

Towards a flask growing in the light of day

والليلُ من جَوزائه وهلالِه

والليلُ من جَوزائه وهلالِه

يختالُ بين قِلادةٍ وسِوارِ

يختالُ بين قِلادةٍ وسِوارِ

while night, with its Jawzāʾ and its crescent moon,

And the night prides itself with its necklaces and crescent moon

strutted between a necklace and a bracelet.

Among necklaces and bracelets