1. هُبّا قَلِيلاً أيّهَا النَّئِمَان

    وَأسعِدَا إن كُنتُما تُسعِدَان

    Wake for a little while, you two sleepers,

    and offer comfort, if you two can offer comfort.

  2. أَمُنفِدَي لَيلِى كَرىً أنتُمَا

    أم أنتُمَا مِن سَقَمٍ عَائِدَان

    Are you two spending my night in slumber,

    or are you visiting me in my sickness?

  3. لا تَبكِيَانِي مَيّتاً وابكِيَا

    عَلَيّ حَيّاً بالدُّمُوعِ الهِتَان

    Do not weep for me dead; instead, weep

    for me alive, with streaming tears.

  4. ولا تَكُونَا مِثلَ مَا قِيلَ فِي

    تَتبُّعِ الآثَارِ بَعدَ العِيَان

    Nor exemplify the saying about

    following traces after firsthand sight.

  5. تَطاوَلَ اللَّيلُ عَلَى مُقلتِي

    كأنَّما لَيلُهَا لَيلَتان

    The night has stretched long over my eye,

    as though its night were two nights.

  6. مَا لِنُجُومِ اللَّيلِ مَعقولَةً

    مَأ زَالَ مِنهَا وَاحِدٌ مِن مَكَان

    Why are the stars of night hobbled fast?

    Not one of them has shifted from its place.

  7. كَأنّما النَّسرُ هِيضَ إِذا

    رَامَ نُهوضاً خَانَهُ الأبهَرَان

    As though the Eagle were crippled: when

    it tries to rise, its two great arteries fail it.

  8. وَالبَدرُ قَد أَنحَلَهُ مَحقُهُ

    فَلَم يَكَد مِن ضَعفِهِ يُستَبان

    And the full moon is wasted by its waning,

    so that, in its weakness, it is scarcely discerned.

  9. كَأَنَّما عَبّ الدُّجَى عَبّة

    في قَعبِهِ فَانثَلَمَ الجانِبان

    As though the darkness had gulped a draught

    from its bowl, chipping both its sides.

  10. وَشَابَ جُنحُ اللَّيلِ مِن مُكثِهِ

    ينتظرُ الصُّبحَ مَروعَ الجَنان

    And night's darkness grew gray from lingering,

    awaiting dawn, terrified at heart,

  11. حَتَّى إِذا ورّسَ أثوابَه

    وَعمَّمَ الآفاق بالزعفران

    until, when dawn dyed its robes yellow

    and turbaned the horizons with saffron,

  12. قَلَّصَ ذَيلَهُ وَحَثّ الخُطَى

    رُعباً وفَود رأسه الشهبان

    night drew up its hem and quickened its steps,

    in terror, with both temples of its head gray.

  13. وَكَفُّهُ تُمسِكُ مِن بَدرِهِ

    مَعجِسَ قَوسٍ أو عَصَا صَولَجان

    And its hand grasps its moon as

    a bow's handgrip or a polo mallet's shaft.

  14. قَضَيتُهُ سُهداً وَعَينَايَ مِن

    فَرط الأسَى عَينانِ نَضّاختان

    I spent it sleepless, and my two eyes, from

    overwhelming sorrow, were two gushing springs.

  15. عَدِمتُ هَذَا القَلبَ مِن صَاحِبٍ

    هَل أنتُما لِي غَيرَهُ وَاجِدان

    May I be rid of this heart as a companion!

    Can you two find me another in its place?

  16. واجتَنِيا مِن وَردَتَي خَدِّهِ

    .....

    And pluck from the two roses of his cheek,

    .....

  17. وَإنَّ أُنَاساً رَمَت حَظِّيكُما

    .....

    And indeed some people aimed at your two shares,

    .....

  18. فَصَيّراني مَثَلاً في الهَوَى

    .....

    So make me a byword in love,

    .....

  19. حَسبِي كَفَتني نَظرَةٌ قَد

    لَبِستُ مِن دائِها ما عَرَان

    Enough! One glance sufficed me; I have

    worn the affliction its malady brought upon me.

  20. أضرَمَت فِي القَلبِ جَمرَة إِذَا

    خَبَت زيدَت فَوقَهَا جَمرَتَان

    It kindled an ember in my heart: whenever

    it dies down, two more embers are laid upon it.

  21. يَبِيتُ لِلحُبِّ مَرُوعاً كَمَا

    يَبيتُ لِلحَرّ

    It spends the night terrified by love, just as

    it spends the night because of heat.

  22. وَكُلّما قُلتُ لَه لا تُرَع

    وَلذ بِصَبرٍ قَالَ إِنِّي جَبان

    And whenever I told it, 'Do not fear,

    and take refuge in patience,' it said, 'I am a coward.'

  23. هَذَا وَلَم أُنظُر سوَى نَظرَةٍ

    فَكَيفَ بِي لَو أنَّهَا نَظرَتان

    All this, though I cast only one glance;

    then how would I fare if there had been two glances?

  24. مَا اللَّحظُ إلاّ مِقَةٌ كُلُّهُ

    وَمَا الهَوَى إلا اجتلابُ الهَوَان

    A glance is nothing but affection, through and through,

    and passion is nothing but courting humiliation.

  25. يَا غُصناً زينَ بِهِ عِيصُهُ

    وكوكبا أطلعًهُ نَيِّران

    O branch that adorns its thicket,

    and star made to rise by two luminaries,

  26. هَل بَعدَ هَذَا الصِّدِّ مِن عَطفَةٍ

    تُرجَى وَهَل بَعدَ النَّوَى مِن تَدَان

    after this rejection, is there any tenderness

    to be hoped for? And after separation, any drawing near?

  27. أينَ تَجارِينَا إلَى غَايَةٍ

    فِي طَلَقِ الوَصلِ بِطَرفَي رِهَان

    Where is our racing each other toward a goal,

    on union's racecourse, upon two racing steeds?

  28. أينَ تَخَالِينَا بِلا كَاشِحٍ

    فِي دَوحَةِ الأنسِ وَظِلِّ الأمَان

    Where is our being alone together, without a spiteful foe,

    beneath intimacy's spreading tree and safety's shade?

  29. فَيَا سَمِي المُصطَفَى إِن أمُت

    وَقَامَ يَنعَانِي لَك النَّاعِيان

    So, O namesake of al-Mustafa, if I die,

    and the two heralds rise to announce my death to you,

  30. فلا تَخَف مِن ثائِرٍ فَدَمِي

    حلّ وَبلّ لكَ يا مَن سَبان

    do not fear an avenger, for my blood

    is lawful and freely yours, O you who captivated me.

  31. أُقسِمُ بِالبَيتِ وَخَيفِ مِنّي

    وَمَا حَوَت مَكّةُ وَالأخشبَان

    I swear by the House and the Khayf of Mina,

    and all that Mecca and the two Akhshabs hold:

  32. لأنتَ فِي القلبِ وَإن سُؤتَنِي

    بالهَجرِ حَتَّى انتَقَمَ الحَاسِدَان

    you are surely in my heart, though you have hurt me

    with estrangement, until the two enviers had their revenge.

  33. نَاشَدتُكَ اللهَ أعِد نَظرةً

    فَرُبّما أبرَأنِي مَا بَرَان

    I implore you by God: give that glance again,

    for perhaps what wasted me will heal me.