لم يُطِقْ هواهُ فَباحا

لم يُطِقْ هواهُ فَباحا

عندما رام الخليطَ ورواحا

عندما رام الخليطَ ورواحا

He could not bear his love, so he confessed it,

He could not bear his passion, so he confessed

When he sought the company and departure.

When they tried to mix and disturb the pure

قصدوا بالبينِ قتلَ المعنّى

قصدوا بالبينِ قتلَ المعنّى

وهْو لو ذاقَ الحِمامَ استراحا

وهْو لو ذاقَ الحِمامَ استراحا

Through separation they intended to kill the tormented lover,

They meant to kill the meaning with separation

Though, had he tasted death, he would have found rest.

If only he had tasted solitude, he would have rested

حجبوا عنه التصبّر لما

حجبوا عنه التصبّر لما

حجبوا عنه المَهاةَ الرّداحا

حجبوا عنه المَهاةَ الرّداحا

They withheld patient endurance from him when

They denied him patience when

They veiled from him the full-hipped oryx.

They denied him ample consolation

لكِ يا أرضَ الحِمى في فؤادي

لكِ يا أرضَ الحِمى في فؤادي

سرُّ حُبٍّ لا يُطيقُ انتِزاحا

سرُّ حُبٍّ لا يُطيقُ انتِزاحا

For you, O land of the protected pasture, within my heart

For you, O land of sanctuaries, in my heart

Lies a secret love that cannot bear removal.

Is a secret love that cannot bear to leave

كلما أبصرْتُ تلك المغاني

كلما أبصرْتُ تلك المغاني

صِحْتُ من فرطِ الهوى لا بِراحا

صِحْتُ من فرطِ الهوى لا بِراحا

Whenever I saw those dwelling places,

Whenever I see those melodies

I cried from excess of passion, "No departure!"

I cry out from intense passion without any rest

ملَكَتْ رقّي لواحظُ ريم

ملَكَتْ رقّي لواحظُ ريم

سكنَ القلبَ وعافَ البِطاحا

سكنَ القلبَ وعافَ البِطاحا

A gazelle's glances made me their slave;

The glances of Rim captivated my soul

It inhabited my heart and shunned the broad plains.

And settled in my heart and relieved affliction

وعجيبٌ من جفونٍ مِراضٍ

وعجيبٌ من جفونٍ مِراضٍ

كيف تصطادُ العقولَ الصِّحاحا

كيف تصطادُ العقولَ الصِّحاحا

And how wondrous that languid eyelids

And wondrous are those sickly eyelids

Should ensnare minds that are sound!

How they hunt sound minds and take them as prey

ما رأينا قبل فتكِ الغواني ال

ما رأينا قبل فتكِ الغواني ال

فاتراتِ الطّرْفِ فتْكاً مُباحا

فاتراتِ الطّرْفِ فتْكاً مُباحا

We had never seen, before the slaying by the beauties

We did not see before the slaughter of beauties

Of languid gaze, a lawful slaying.

Except relaxed glances slaughtering openly

إنما العيشُ ارتشافُ مُدامٍ

إنما العيشُ ارتشافُ مُدامٍ

راضَها المزْجُ فزادَتْ جِماحا

راضَها المزْجُ فزادَتْ جِماحا

Life is nothing but sipping aged wine;

Life is only sipping wine

Dilution tamed it, yet it grew more unruly.

Its blend pleased her, so she increased in pride

فاسقِنيها يا نَديمي اغتِباقاً

فاسقِنيها يا نَديمي اغتِباقاً

واسقِنيها يا نديمي اصْطِباحا

واسقِنيها يا نديمي اصْطِباحا

So pour it for me, my drinking companion, at evening,

Serve it to me, my boon companion, in gulps

And pour it for me, my drinking companion, at dawn.

And serve it to me, my companion, in the morning

عانسٌ بكرٌ وقد قلَدوها

عانسٌ بكرٌ وقد قلَدوها

حين درَتْ من حَبابٍ وشاحا

حين درَتْ من حَبابٍ وشاحا

An aged maiden, still a virgin; they have adorned her,

An unmarried virgin whom they adorned

As she flowed, with a sash of bubbles.

When she let down her hairnet and removed her veil

ما بدَتْ في الليلِ إلا وأبدَتْ

ما بدَتْ في الليلِ إلا وأبدَتْ

لك من قبلِ الصّباحِ صَباحا

لك من قبلِ الصّباحِ صَباحا

She never appeared at night without revealing

She did not appear at night except to show you

To you a dawn before daybreak.

From before dawn a radiant morning

زارَني طيفُ الخيالِ مُحبّاً

زارَني طيفُ الخيالِ مُحبّاً

وغُرابُ الليلِ سد الجناحا

وغُرابُ الليلِ سد الجناحا

A dream-phantom visited me lovingly,

The phantom of imagination visited me in love

And night's raven had closed its wing.

And the raven of night folded its wings

أي زَوْرٍ لو سَعى لي قصداً

أي زَوْرٍ لو سَعى لي قصداً

لشَفى منّي السَّقامَ المُتاحا

لشَفى منّي السَّقامَ المُتاحا

What a visitor! Had he come to me deliberately,

What visitation, if it had tried intentionally for me

He would have cured me of the sickness allotted me.

Would have cured my incurable sickness?

قطف اللحظُ من الخدّ ورداً

قطف اللحظُ من الخدّ ورداً

ومن الثّغْرِ المصونِ أقاحا

ومن الثّغْرِ المصونِ أقاحا

The glance plucked roses from the cheek,

The moment plucked a rose from the cheek

And daisies from the guarded mouth.

And from the guarded lips, a kiss

وأمونٍ لا تشكّى كِلالاً

وأمونٍ لا تشكّى كِلالاً

كلّما سارتْ تفوتُ الرياحا

كلّما سارتْ تفوتُ الرياحا

And a trusty she-camel that never complains of weariness—

With an easy gait that does not complain of fatigue

Whenever she travels, she outstrips the winds.

However much the winds blow past her

قال لي صَحْبي لمّا سَما لي

قال لي صَحْبي لمّا سَما لي

إنّ في سيرِ المطيّ النّجاحا

إنّ في سيرِ المطيّ النّجاحا

My companions said to me, when he rose into view:

My companion said to me when he appointed to me

"Indeed, success lies in the journey of the riding camels.

That there is success in the riding of mounts

حُثّها نحو النفيسِ المفدّى

حُثّها نحو النفيسِ المفدّى

واطّرِحْ كلَّ الأنامِ اطّراحا

واطّرِحْ كلَّ الأنامِ اطّراحا

Urge her toward al-Nafis, the one we would ransom,

Urge it toward the precious deliverance

And cast all humankind utterly aside."

And discard all other people entirely

علَماً أصبح كالطودِ حِلماً

علَماً أصبح كالطودِ حِلماً

والسّحابِ المُمطراتِ سَماحا

والسّحابِ المُمطراتِ سَماحا

An eminent man, now mountainlike in forbearance,

A flag that in patience became like a mountain

And like rain-bearing clouds in generosity.

And clouds pouring down rain in forgiveness

روضُ فضلِ من أتاه اجتَناهُ

روضُ فضلِ من أتاه اجتَناهُ

بحرُ جودٍ من أتاهُ استَماحا

بحرُ جودٍ من أتاهُ استَماحا

A garden of excellence: whoever comes to him harvests it;

A garden whose excess anyone who enters picks

A sea of generosity: whoever comes to him asks for bounty.

An ocean whose giving anyone who comes to takes in gulps

لم أُمِلْ فكري الى من سِواهُ

لم أُمِلْ فكري الى من سِواهُ

وطِلابُ الجِدِّ يُنسي المِزاحا

وطِلابُ الجِدِّ يُنسي المِزاحا

I have not turned my thoughts toward anyone but him,

I do not hope my mind will go to other than Him

And the pursuit of seriousness makes one forget jesting.

And earnest seekers forget foolishness

أوحدٌ يهتزّ عند العطايا

أوحدٌ يهتزّ عند العطايا

للعطايا فرَحاً وارتياحا

للعطايا فرَحاً وارتياحا

A peerless man who thrills whenever he gives gifts,

Alone, he trembles before gifts

With joy and delight in the giving.

Rejoicing and comforted by gifts

سِرْ إليه تلقَ عِرْضاً مَصوناً

سِرْ إليه تلقَ عِرْضاً مَصوناً

حينَ تلقاهُ ومالاً مُباحا

حينَ تلقاهُ ومالاً مُباحا

Go to him: you will find honor kept inviolate,

Go to Him, you will meet a guarded honor

When you meet him, and wealth freely offered.

When you meet Him and wealth made permissible

أيها الغيثُ الذي فاضَ جوداً

أيها الغيثُ الذي فاضَ جوداً

فسقى أعلى الرُبى والبِطاحا

فسقى أعلى الرُبى والبِطاحا

O rain that overflowed with generosity,

O rain that overflowed in munificence

And so watered the hilltops and the broad plains.

Quenching the highest abodes and lowlands

زعم الواشي افتِراء ومَيْناً

زعم الواشي افتِراء ومَيْناً

أنني آثرْتُ منكم بِراحا

أنني آثرْتُ منكم بِراحا

The tale-bearer claimed, in slander and falsehood,

The slanderer claimed with falsehood and malice

That I had preferred departure from you.

That I preferred you all for comfort

لا وما أبدعْتَه من أيادٍ

لا وما أبدعْتَه من أيادٍ

تركَتْ خُرْسَ الرّجالِ فِصاحا

تركَتْ خُرْسَ الرّجالِ فِصاحا

No—by the favors you have so wondrously wrought,

No! And how you created such hands

Which made mute men eloquent!

That left the mute men shouting

أيَعافُ الروضُ وبلاً وتأبى

أيَعافُ الروضُ وبلاً وتأبى

كبدُ الظّمآنِ ماءً قَراحا

كبدُ الظّمآنِ ماءً قَراحا

Would a garden spurn a downpour, and would

Does the garden reject affliction and refuse

The thirsty man's liver refuse pure water?

The thirsty liver water in gulps?