كَتَبْتُ وَبِي وَجْدٌ يَهِيجُ تَذَكُّرِي

كَتَبْتُ وَبِي وَجْدٌ يَهِيجُ تَذَكُّرِي

عَلَى طِرْسِ كَافُورٍ بِحِبْرٍ كَعَنْبَرِ

عَلَى طِرْسِ كَافُورٍ بِحِبْرٍ كَعَنْبَرِ

I wrote, with longing within me stirring my remembrance,

I wrote, while passion stirred my recollection,

I wrote, possessed by a passion that stirs my memory,

On camphor-white parchment, with ink like ambergris.

On Chinese paper with ambergris-infused ink,

Upon camphor-white parchment, with ink like ambergris,

وَنَمَّقْتُ أَسْطَاراً عَلى ظَهْرِ مُهْرَقٍ

وَنَمَّقْتُ أَسْطَاراً عَلى ظَهْرِ مُهْرَقٍ

كَمَا رَاقَ تَطْرِيزٌ بِثَوْبٍ مُحَبَّرِ

كَمَا رَاقَ تَطْرِيزٌ بِثَوْبٍ مُحَبَّرِ

And I adorned lines upon the back of a writing sheet,

And I decorated prose upon the surface of a parchment

And I embellished lines upon the surface of a scroll,

As embroidery charms upon a richly patterned robe.

As exquisite as a brocade robe embroidered.

Like exquisite embroidery upon an ornate garment,

لِمَنْ غَاضَ صَبْرِي مِنْ نَوَاهُ وَهَزَّنِي

لِمَنْ غَاضَ صَبْرِي مِنْ نَوَاهُ وَهَزَّنِي

إِلَيْهِ اشْتِيَاقٌ كَالْقَنَا الْمُتَأَطِّرِ

إِلَيْهِ اشْتِيَاقٌ كَالْقَنَا الْمُتَأَطِّرِ

For one whose parting drained my patience, and I was swayed

For one whose patience left me because of his reproach that shook me

For one whose absence exhausted my patience, shaking me

By longing for him, like bending spear-shafts.

To him a yearning cleaved like fitted armor,

With a yearning for him like a bending spear,

خَلِيلِي وَخِدْنِي نَجْلُ عَمِّي مُحَمَّدٍ

خَلِيلِي وَخِدْنِي نَجْلُ عَمِّي مُحَمَّدٍ

وَزَنْدِي الذِي أَوْرَى وَغَايَةُ مَفْخَرِي

وَزَنْدِي الذِي أَوْرَى وَغَايَةُ مَفْخَرِي

My close friend and companion, the son of my uncle Muhammad,

My boon companion, pride of my uncle Muhammad,

My intimate friend and companion, my cousin Muhammad,

And my firestick that kindled flame, and the summit of my pride.

And my delight whom I befriended and apex of my pride,

The flint that sparked my fire, and the pinnacle of my pride,

وَغَادَرَنِي يَوْمَ النَّوَى تَعِسَ النَّوَى

وَغَادَرَنِي يَوْمَ النَّوَى تَعِسَ النَّوَى

وَلِي زَفَرَاتٌ مِثْلُ رَنَّاتِ مِزْهَرِ

وَلِي زَفَرَاتٌ مِثْلُ رَنَّاتِ مِزْهَرِ

And he left me on the day of parting—cursed be parting!

Who left me on the day of parting, miserable day,

He left me on the day of parting—may parting be cursed!

And I have sighs like the ringing notes of a lute.

And I have sighs like the warbling of songbirds,

While my sighs echo like the strumming of a lute,

وَمُوجِبُهُ إِهْدَاءُ أَزْكَى تَحِيَّةٍ

وَمُوجِبُهُ إِهْدَاءُ أَزْكَى تَحِيَّةٍ

إِلَيْكُمْ كَعَرْفِ النَّدِّ ضَاعَ بِمِجْمَرِ

إِلَيْكُمْ كَعَرْفِ النَّدِّ ضَاعَ بِمِجْمَرِ

And what prompts it is the offering of the purest greeting

Prompting me to send to you the most gracious greetings,

Its purpose is to offer the purest greeting,

To you, like the scent of incense wafting from a censer.

As fragrance of tender sprigs scattered into embers.

To you all, like the scent of aloeswood diffusing from a censer,

تَمُرُّ عَلَى رَوْضٍ أَنِيقٍ وَتَنْثَنِي

تَمُرُّ عَلَى رَوْضٍ أَنِيقٍ وَتَنْثَنِي

تَهُبُّ بِأَنْفَاسٍ كَرَيَّا الْيَلَنْفُرِ

تَهُبُّ بِأَنْفَاسٍ كَرَيَّا الْيَلَنْفُرِ

It passes over a lovely garden and turns back,

Passing by a plush garden, you gently bend

Passing over an elegant garden, then swaying,

Wafting breaths like the fragrance of the water lily.

Rushing with breaths like soughing Tamarisk,

Blowing with breaths like the fragrance of the water lily,

فَتُعْرِبُ عَنْ شَوْقٍ ثَوَى بِأَضَالِعِي

فَتُعْرِبُ عَنْ شَوْقٍ ثَوَى بِأَضَالِعِي

وَعَنْ كَبِدِي الْحَرَّى وَطَرْفِي الْمُسَهَّرِ

وَعَنْ كَبِدِي الْحَرَّى وَطَرْفِي الْمُسَهَّرِ

Thus it speaks of longing lodged within my ribs,

Conveying a passion nested in my ribs

Expressing a longing that has settled deep within my ribs,

And of my burning liver and my sleepless eye.

And my burning liver and sleepless eyes.

And of my burning liver and my sleepless gaze,

وَإِنِّي وَإِنْ شَطَّ الْمَزَارُ أَحِبَّتِي

وَإِنِّي وَإِنْ شَطَّ الْمَزَارُ أَحِبَّتِي

صَفَاءُ وِدَادِي لَمْ يُشَبْ بِتَكَدُّرِ

صَفَاءُ وِدَادِي لَمْ يُشَبْ بِتَكَدُّرِ

And as for me, though the place of meeting is distant, my beloved ones,

Though the visits of loved ones have dwindled,

And though the distance to visit my loved ones is vast,

The purity of my affection has remained unclouded.

The serenity of my affection remains untainted.

The purity of my affection remains untainted by any murk,

أَحِنُّ وَأَصْبُو كُلَّ حِينٍ إِلَيْكُمُ

أَحِنُّ وَأَصْبُو كُلَّ حِينٍ إِلَيْكُمُ

وَأُمْطِرُ دَمْعاً كَالْغَمَامِ الْكَنَهْوَرِ

وَأُمْطِرُ دَمْعاً كَالْغَمَامِ الْكَنَهْوَرِ

I yearn and long for you at every moment,

I yearn and pine for you all the while,

I yearn and ache for you at every moment,

And rain down tears like a massive cloud.

And rain tears like torrential showers,

Raining down tears like heavy, towering clouds,

أَجُودُ بِهِ كَيْمَا يُبَرِّدُ لَوْعَتِي

أَجُودُ بِهِ كَيْمَا يُبَرِّدُ لَوْعَتِي

فَيُضْرِمُهَا مِثْلَ الْجَحِيمِ الْمُسَعَّرِ

فَيُضْرِمُهَا مِثْلَ الْجَحِيمِ الْمُسَعَّرِ

I pour them forth so they may cool my anguish,

Lavishing them so they may cool my torment,

I pour them out generously to cool my anguish,

Yet they set it ablaze like a stoked inferno.

And inflame it like a raging inferno.

Yet they ignite it further, like a blazing inferno,

فَأَعْجِبْ بِدَمْعٍ وَهْوَ مَاءٌ مُسَلْسَلٌ

فَأَعْجِبْ بِدَمْعٍ وَهْوَ مَاءٌ مُسَلْسَلٌ

يُؤَجِّجُ نَاراً فِي فُؤَادِي الْمُفَطَّرِ

يُؤَجِّجُ نَاراً فِي فُؤَادِي الْمُفَطَّرِ

So marvel at tears, though they are flowing water,

Marvel at tears which are cascading water

So marvel at a tear, which is but cascading water,

That fan a fire within my riven heart.

Igniting a fire within my broken heart.

Yet kindles a fire within my shattered heart!

عَسَى مَنْ قَضَى بِالْبَيْنِ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا

عَسَى مَنْ قَضَى بِالْبَيْنِ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا

وَيَنْظِمُنَا فِي سِلْكِ عِزٍّ مُؤَزَّرِ

وَيَنْظِمُنَا فِي سِلْكِ عِزٍّ مُؤَزَّرِ

May he who decreed our parting bring us together,

May He who ordained separation reunite us,

Perhaps the One who decreed our separation will unite us,

And string us together on a strand of firmly upheld honor,

And align us in the path of might and honor,

And string us together upon a mighty thread of glory,

فَنَمْرَحُ فِي أَكْنَافِ عَيْشٍ مُنَعَّمٍ

فَنَمْرَحُ فِي أَكْنَافِ عَيْشٍ مُنَعَّمٍ

وَنَسْرَحُ فِي رَوْضِ السُّرُور ِالْمُنَضَّرِ

وَنَسْرَحُ فِي رَوْضِ السُّرُور ِالْمُنَضَّرِ

So we may revel in the shelter of a blissful life,

So we may frolic in the bosom of luxury living

So we may revel in the embrace of a blissful life,

And roam in the verdant garden of joy.

And roam in a garden of bliss ever verdant.

And roam freely in the blossoming garden of joy,

وَدُونَكَ مِنِّي حُلَّةً عَبْقَرِيَّةً

وَدُونَكَ مِنِّي حُلَّةً عَبْقَرِيَّةً

مُعَطَّرَةَ الأَذْيَالِ حُفَّتْ بِجَوْهَرِ

مُعَطَّرَةَ الأَذْيَالِ حُفَّتْ بِجَوْهَرِ

And take from me a wondrous robe,

And below, from me, is a robe of exquisite making

Accept from me this masterfully crafted raiment of words,

With perfumed hems, bordered with jewels,

Scented at its fringes, embroidered with jewels,

With perfumed trailing hems, bordered with jewels,

تُفَاوِحُ نَشْرَ الرَّوْصِ دَبَّجَهُ الْحَيَا

تُفَاوِحُ نَشْرَ الرَّوْصِ دَبَّجَهُ الْحَيَا

وَتَنْفَحُ عَنْ مِسْكٍ ذَكِيٍّ وَعَنْبَرِ

وَتَنْفَحُ عَنْ مِسْكٍ ذَكِيٍّ وَعَنْبَرِ

Rivaling the scent of the garden embroidered by rain,

Exhaling the aroma of a meadow saffron-embroidered,

It rivals the fragrance of a garden painted by the rain,

And exhaling fragrant musk and ambergris.

And redolent of sweet musk and ambergriss.

And breathes out the scent of sweet musk and ambergris.