خَليلَيَّ لا فِطرٌ يَسُرُّ وَلا أَضحى

خَليلَيَّ لا فِطرٌ يَسُرُّ وَلا أَضحى

فَما حالُ مَن أَمسى مَشوقاً كَما أَضحى

فَما حالُ مَن أَمسى مَشوقاً كَما أَضحى

My two friends, neither Eid al-Fitr nor Eid al-Adha brings joy.

My beloved, neither dawn brings joy, nor does eve,

What, then, of one still yearning at evening as he was in the morning?

Then what is the state of one who yearns at dusk as at dawn?

لَئِن شاقَني شَرقُ العُقابِ فَلَم أَزَل

لَئِن شاقَني شَرقُ العُقابِ فَلَم أَزَل

أَخُصُّ بِمَمحوضِ الهَوى ذَلِكَ السَفحا

أَخُصُّ بِمَمحوضِ الهَوى ذَلِكَ السَفحا

Though the east of al-Uqab has stirred my longing, I have never ceased

If the east wind distressed me, still I never ceased

To single out that slope for undivided love.

To be devoted to the ferment of passion in that plain,

وَما اِنفَكَّ جوفِيُّ الرُصافَةِ مُشعِري

وَما اِنفَكَّ جوفِيُّ الرُصافَةِ مُشعِري

دَواعِيَ ذِكرى تُعقِبُ الأَسَفَ البَرحا

دَواعِيَ ذِكرى تُعقِبُ الأَسَفَ البَرحا

And the northern part of al-Rusafa keeps awakening in me

Nor did my inner self cease being roused

Stirrings of remembrance that bring agonizing grief in their wake.

By the prompting of memories after sadness departs,

وَيَهتاجُ قَصرُ الفارِسِيِّ صَبابَةً

وَيَهتاجُ قَصرُ الفارِسِيِّ صَبابَةً

لِقَلبِيَ لاتَألو زِنادَ الأَسى قَدحا

لِقَلبِيَ لاتَألو زِنادَ الأَسى قَدحا

And al-Farisi's palace stirs an ardent longing

And the palace of the Persian sways gently

In my heart that ceaselessly strikes the flints of sorrow.

As my heart indefatigably fans the flames of sorrow,

وَلَيسَ ذَميماً عَهدُ مَجلِسِ ناصِحٍ

وَلَيسَ ذَميماً عَهدُ مَجلِسِ ناصِحٍ

فَأَقبَلَ في فَرطِ الوَلوعِ بِهِ نُصحا

فَأَقبَلَ في فَرطِ الوَلوعِ بِهِ نُصحا

Nor is the memory of Nasih's gathering-place so blameworthy

And the company of an advisor in the past was no dishonor

That I should heed counsel about my excessive attachment to it.

So he came in excessive ardour with good advice,

كَأَنِّيَ لَم أَشهَد لَدى عَينِ شَهدَةٍ

كَأَنِّيَ لَم أَشهَد لَدى عَينِ شَهدَةٍ

نِزالَ عِتابٍ كانَ آخِرُهُ الفَتحا

نِزالَ عِتابٍ كانَ آخِرُهُ الفَتحا

As though I had never witnessed, beside Shahda's spring,

As if I never witnessed at the eye of the beloved

A duel of reproaches whose outcome was victory.

The descent of reproach whose end was opening,

وَقائِعُ جانيها التَجَنّي فَإِن مَشى

وَقائِعُ جانيها التَجَنّي فَإِن مَشى

سَفيرُ خُضوعٍ بَينَنا أَكَّدَ الصُلحا

سَفيرُ خُضوعٍ بَينَنا أَكَّدَ الصُلحا

Battles stirred by unjust blame; and if there came

And the deeds of the one who wronged, if he walks

An envoy of submission between us, he sealed the peace.

As an envoy of humility between us, he confirms peace,

وَأَيّامُ وَصلٍ بِالعَقيقِ اِقتَضَيتُهُ

وَأَيّامُ وَصلٍ بِالعَقيقِ اِقتَضَيتُهُ

فَإِلّا يَكُن ميعادُهُ العيدَ فَالفِصحا

فَإِلّا يَكُن ميعادُهُ العيدَ فَالفِصحا

And days of union at al-Aqiq, which I claimed as my due—

And days of connection with mellow wine I procured

And if its appointed day was not Eid, then Easter.

Unless its time be Eid, or Easter,

وَآصالُ لَهوٍ في مُسَنّاةِ مالِكٍ

وَآصالُ لَهوٍ في مُسَنّاةِ مالِكٍ

مُعاطاةَ نَدمانٍ إِذا شِئتَ أَو سَبحا

مُعاطاةَ نَدمانٍ إِذا شِئتَ أَو سَبحا

And afternoons of merriment on Malik's embankment,

And nights of revelry in the tavern of Malik

Passing cups with a drinking companion, if you wished, or swimming,

Sometimes playing music, or swimming as you wish,

لَدى راكِدٍ يُصبيكَ مِن صَفَحاتِهِ

لَدى راكِدٍ يُصبيكَ مِن صَفَحاتِهِ

قَواريرُ خُضرٍ خِلتَها مُرِّدَت صَرحا

قَواريرُ خُضرٍ خِلتَها مُرِّدَت صَرحا

Beside still water, whose surfaces enchant you with

With a anchored one who pours you from his balconies

Green glass you thought had been made into a smooth palace floor.

Green goblets whose wine is tempered in the mansion,

مَعاهِدُ لَذّاتٍ وَأَوطانُ صَبوَةٍ

مَعاهِدُ لَذّاتٍ وَأَوطانُ صَبوَةٍ

أَجَلتُ المُعَلّى في الأَماني بِها قِدحا

أَجَلتُ المُعَلّى في الأَماني بِها قِدحا

Haunts of delight and homelands of youthful passion,

The haunts of pleasures and lands of youth

There I cast al-Mualla, the winning lot-arrow, in the game of hopes.

Where I put off the full one with them in my dreams,

أَلا هَل إِلى الزَهراءِ أَوبَةُ نازِحٍ

أَلا هَل إِلى الزَهراءِ أَوبَةُ نازِحٍ

تَقَضّى تَنائيها مَدامِعَهُ نَزحا

تَقَضّى تَنائيها مَدامِعَهُ نَزحا

Ah, is there a return to al-Zahra for one far away,

Can it be! Does the sanctuary of the blossoming one still stand

Whose eyes her remoteness has drained dry?

And accomplish its far goal his tears pouring forth?

مَقاصيرُ مُلكٍ أَشرَقَت جَنَباتُها

مَقاصيرُ مُلكٍ أَشرَقَت جَنَباتُها

فَخِلنا العِشاءَ الجَونَ أَثناءَها صُبحا

فَخِلنا العِشاءَ الجَونَ أَثناءَها صُبحا

Royal chambers whose precincts shone,

The towers of a kingdom whose sides shone

So we thought the dark evening within them was dawn.

And we spent the night in them while it was still dawn,

يُمَثِّلُ قُرطَيها لِيَ الوَهمُ جَهرَةً

يُمَثِّلُ قُرطَيها لِيَ الوَهمُ جَهرَةً

فَقُبَّتَها فَالكَوكَبَ الرَحبَ فَالسَطحا

فَقُبَّتَها فَالكَوكَبَ الرَحبَ فَالسَطحا

Imagination plainly shows me her two earrings,

Imagination represents its domes before me

Then her dome, then the spacious Star, then the rooftop.

So its cupola, then the vast celestial sphere, then the roof,

مَحَلُّ اِرتِياحٍ يُذكِرُ الخُلدَ طيبُهُ

مَحَلُّ اِرتِياحٍ يُذكِرُ الخُلدَ طيبُهُ

إِذا عَزَّ أَن يَصدى الفَتى فيهِ أَو يَضحى

إِذا عَزَّ أَن يَصدى الفَتى فيهِ أَو يَضحى

A haven of delight whose sweetness recalls Paradise,

A place of comfort whose beauty reminds of eternity

Where a young man can scarcely thirst or suffer the sun.

If the youth seldom echoes in it or spends the day there,

هُناكَ الجِمامُ الزُرقُ تُندي حِفافَها

هُناكَ الجِمامُ الزُرقُ تُندي حِفافَها

ظِلالٌ عَهِدتُ الدَهرَ فيها فَتىً سَمحا

ظِلالٌ عَهِدتُ الدَهرَ فيها فَتىً سَمحا

There are blue pools whose banks are kept moist

There are the blue doves that coo on its banks,

By shadows, where I knew Time as a generous youth.

Shadows where I entrusted to time therein a noble youth,

تَعَوَّضتُ مِن شَدوِ القِيانِ خِلالَها

تَعَوَّضتُ مِن شَدوِ القِيانِ خِلالَها

صَدى فَلَواتٍ قَد أَطارَ الكَرى ضَبحا

صَدى فَلَواتٍ قَد أَطارَ الكَرى ضَبحا

In place of the singing slave-girls' songs amid them, I have taken

I compensated for the severity of separation through them

A desert owl whose screech has driven sleep away;

An echo of expanses the vintages had filled at dawn,

وَمِن حَملِيَ الكَأسَ المُفَدّى مُديرُها

وَمِن حَملِيَ الكَأسَ المُفَدّى مُديرُها

تَقَحُّمُ أَهوالٍ حَمَلتُ لَها الرُمحا

تَقَحُّمُ أَهوالٍ حَمَلتُ لَها الرُمحا

And in place of holding the cup, whose cupbearer was dear as life,

And from carrying the cup whose guide I ransom

A plunge into terrors for which I have borne the spear.

Penetrating terrors, for it I carried the lance,

أَجَل إِنَّ لَيلي فَوقَ شاطِئِ نيطَةٍ

أَجَل إِنَّ لَيلي فَوقَ شاطِئِ نيطَةٍ

لَأَقصَرُ مِن لَيلي بِآنَةَ فَالبَطحا

لَأَقصَرُ مِن لَيلي بِآنَةَ فَالبَطحا

Yes, indeed, my night on Nita's shore

Yes, my night above the shore of Naytah

Is surely shorter than my night at Ana and then al-Batha.

Is shorter than my night at Anah then Bat'ha.