عرج أخي حمى ليلى ومنعرج

مع بارق عن غراب البين في وهج

Turn aside, my brother, to Layla's sanctuary and a winding bend.

With a lightning flash, away from parting's raven, in a blaze.

قد فتتت كبدي من بعد حبهم

ومزقت فزعي من بين ذي غنج

You have shattered my liver after my love for them.

And torn my fear apart through separation from a coquettish one.

قد معمعت ديكي من هوك ذي حجل

فالشجو أقلقني والقلب في هزج

You have thrown my rooster into tumult through the folly of one with an anklet.

So sorrow has disquieted me, and the heart is singing.

ها بارق من أهيل الحي أزعجني

فالدمع منسجم والطرف في لجج

Lo, lightning from the encampment's dear folk has disturbed me.

So tears stream, and the eye is amid deep waters.

لولا البكاء لكان الطرف محترقا

يا مالكا للحشا والقلب والمهج

Were it not for weeping, the eye would be burning.

O master of the inward parts, the heart, and the souls!

فالجسم منهمك من نغمة الهمم

والجفن منهمر من جرحة الودج

So the body is absorbed by the melody of aspirations.

And the eyelid streams from a wound in the jugular vein.

وزفرتي حيرة ما غادرت رمقا

إن الحشاشة باقيها من الحجج

And my sigh is bewilderment that has left no spark of life.

Indeed, the last spark of life—what remains of it—is among the proofs.

لدك منزله في القلي يا أملي

هذا القتيل وهذا الحب في أجج

For razing his dwelling in the frying, O my hope [reading uncertain].

This is the slain one, and this love is in blazing heat.

شكت محاسنها عيني وقد غدرت

تذيب جفني وجفن العين في حرج

Her charms pierced my eye and have indeed proved treacherous.

They melt my eyelid, and the eye's lid is in distress.

فالبرق شق جيوب السحب عن كبدي

والرعد حن وأبكى دمعي الهبج

So lightning rent the clouds' bosoms, uncovering my liver.

And thunder moaned and made my [foolish] tears weep.

أغن يكسر جفنيه على حور

يذيب نفسي ونفسي تعشق النفج

A nasal-voiced one lowers his eyelids over eyes of striking black and white.

He melts my soul, and my soul adores boastfulness.

يا رب لا زال وصب واصب سقما

عند الكروب إذا ما استوقدت سرج

O Lord, may unceasing pain remain an illness.

Amid afflictions, whenever you kindle lamps.

فالديم منهبط من مقلة هملت

والضوء منحلك من كثرة العرج

So steady rains descend from an eye that has overflowed.

And the light is darkened by much limping.

ولو علمت بأن الشوق موصله

إلى الحمام لما قد ذقت من حرج

And had I known that longing would bring him

To death, for the distress I have already tasted,

لاخترت ذاك وجئت للحمى طالبا

وهمت في مدد والكاس ذي فرج

I would have chosen that and come to the sanctuary as a seeker,

And wandered amid succor, with the cup holding relief.

ولو شرى عاشق وصل الحبيب بما

يرضيه من ملكه والروح والسحج

And if a lover bought union with the beloved with whatever

Would please him—his possessions, the soul, and abrasions—

لما على دنف شكوى لربعهم

فإن أقصضى مرامي رؤية البلج

A lovesick man would have no complaint to their dwelling.

For my [utmost] aim is to behold the radiance.

أفدي الحبيب بما يرضى ولا حرج

فإن مفديه حقا من الهمج

I ransom the beloved with whatever pleases him; there is no blame.

For the one who ransoms him is truly among the rabble.

لقد رماني بسهم لائق ذبح

صاح الفؤاد كئيبا من هوى الدعج

He has indeed struck me with an arrow fit for slaughter.

The heart cried out in sorrow from love of dark eyes.

عليه كل هلال ينحني أسفا

وكل بدر سقي من وجهه البهج

Over him, every crescent bends in sorrow.

And every full moon is watered from his radiant face.

والنرجس الغض غض الطرف حين رنا

الرفق شيمتكم والبين منزعج

And the tender narcissus lowered its gaze when he gazed.

Gentleness is your nature, and separation is restless.

هل لي حوار لما قد أحرقت جنني

عرج أخي حمى ليلى ومنعرج

Have I a reply, now that you have burned my shields?

Turn aside, my brother, to Layla's sanctuary and a winding bend.

كم عذبتني بنار البين والوهج

ونيمت الحصفي بل الطرف والبلج

How often you have tormented me with the fire of separation and blazing heat!

And you put [unclear word] to sleep—rather, the eye and the radiance.

وفتت كبدي بالنبل والنصلا

ومزقت جنبي بالجفن ذي غنج

And shattered my liver with arrows and the blade,

And tore my side with a coquettish eyelid.

أحيي اشتياقي وما أطويه من أسف

فالسجو أقلقني والقلب في هزج

I revive my longing and the sorrow I keep concealed.

So stillness has disquieted me, and the heart is singing.

وزفرة الشوق مني زجل

فمقلتي هملت من فرط ذي أجج

And the sigh of longing from me is a ringing cry.

So my eye overflowed from the excess of one full of blazing heat.

وقوة الهجر لم تقوى لها طرقي

فالنوم أرقني والقلب في عجج

And my ways had no strength against the force of abandonment.

So sleep has kept me awake, and the heart is in clouds of dust.

ها بارق من أهيل الحي أزعجني

فالدمع منسجم والطرف في لجج

Lo, lightning from the encampment's dear folk has disturbed me.

So tears stream, and the eye is amid deep waters.

لولا البكاء لكان الجفن محترقا

يا مالكا للحشا والقلب والمهج

Were it not for weeping, the eyelid would be burning.

O master of the inward parts, the heart, and the souls!

فالجسم في سفر بالطيف وحور

والجفن منهمر من حرقة الودج

So the body is on a journey with the apparition and dark-eyed beauties.

And the eyelid streams from the burning pain of the jugular vein.

وزفرتي حيرة ما غادرت رمقا

إن الحشاشة باقيها من الحجج

And my sigh is bewilderment that has left no spark of life.

Indeed, the last spark of life—what remains of it—is among the proofs.

العشق مسكنه في العين يا أملي

هذا القتيل وهذا الحب في أجج

Love's dwelling is in the eye, O my hope.

This is the slain one, and this love is in blazing heat.

فالبرق شق جيوب السحب عن كبدي

والرعد حن وأبكى دمعي الهبج

So lightning rent the clouds' bosoms, uncovering my liver.

And thunder moaned and made my [foolish] tears weep.

يا رب لا زال وصب واصب سقما

يذيب نفسي ونفسي تعشق النفج

O Lord, may unceasing pain remain an illness.

He melts my soul, and my soul adores boastfulness.

فالديم منهبط من مقلة هملت

والضوء منحلك من كثرة العرج

So steady rains descend from an eye that has overflowed.

And the light is darkened by much limping.

لصدعي مني غدا في الكون منتشرا

فالنصل فرقني والسهم في قبج

My rending has indeed spread from me through the cosmos.

So the blade has split me apart, and the arrow is in a partridge.

ولو بدت ذرة في الكون من ضرمي

لاستهلكوا أو تلاشوا في الطوى هجج

And if a speck of my burning appeared in the cosmos,

They would be consumed or vanish in hunger [unclear final word].

قد أحرقت كبدي ليلى ولا حرج

فإن عاشقها في أرفع الدرج

Layla has indeed burned my liver, and there is no blame.

For her lover is in the highest ranks.

أهلا بما قد أتى حبي ولا ملل

فإن دمعي جرى من مقلتي مشج

Welcome to whatever my beloved has brought; there is no weariness.

For my tears flowed from my eye, mingled.

حبي مليح ونار الشوق أسقمني

يا ليت شعري هل وصل لذي سرج

My beloved is beautiful, and the fire of longing has made me ill.

If only I knew: is there union for one who possesses lamps?

لقد رماني سهم رائق دبج