بِعَينيهِ سَحار يعلمني السِحرا

بِعَينيهِ سَحار يعلمني السِحرا

وَيوحيهِ لي سرّاً فَأنظمهُ شِعرا

وَيوحيهِ لي سرّاً فَأنظمهُ شِعرا

In his eyes, a master sorcerer teaches me magic,

With his eyes a sorcerer, he teaches me magic

and imparts it to me in secret, so I weave it into verse.

And whispers its secrets to me, so I shape them into verse

وَلَيسَ بِقَولي إِن في اللَحظ ساحِراً

وَلَيسَ بِقَولي إِن في اللَحظ ساحِراً

مُبالغَة لا وَالَّذي خَلَقَ السحرا

مُبالغَة لا وَالَّذي خَلَقَ السحرا

And my saying that a sorcerer dwells in his glance is no

And it is no exaggeration when I say his glance is bewitching

exaggeration—no, by Him who created magic.

By Him who created all sorcery!

يسرُّ رُضاهُ عَن عُيون رَقيبِهِ

يسرُّ رُضاهُ عَن عُيون رَقيبِهِ

وَيَفهمنيهِ حينَ يَلحَظني شَزرا

وَيَفهمنيهِ حينَ يَلحَظني شَزرا

He conceals his favor from his watcher's eyes,

His pleasure shines from his watcher's eyes

and makes it known to me when he looks askance at me.

And he conveys it to me when he gives me an amorous glance

وَأَقسَمتُ لَو تَدنو الطَلا مِن رِضابِهِ

وَأَقسَمتُ لَو تَدنو الطَلا مِن رِضابِهِ

لِعُطرِها طيباً وَغَيبَها سُكرا

لِعُطرِها طيباً وَغَيبَها سُكرا

And I swore: were wine to draw near the moisture of his lips,

And I swear if cups of wine approached his party

he would perfume it with sweetness and make it swoon with drunkenness.

Their scent would be perfume and make them disappear in drunkenness

مَناطِقهُ في خِصرِهِ أَبَداً حَيرى

مَناطِقهُ في خِصرِهِ أَبَداً حَيرى

كَحيرة قَلبي بَعدَ ما زايل الصَبرا

كَحيرة قَلبي بَعدَ ما زايل الصَبرا

His girdles at his waist are forever bewildered,

His waist wrapper in his waist will forever perplex

like my heart's bewilderment after it parted from patience.

Like my heart's perplexity after patience is gone

فَلا قَلب إِلّا في هَواهُ مُبلبلٌ

فَلا قَلب إِلّا في هَواهُ مُبلبلٌ

وَلا عَينٌ إِلّا مِن تَجنيهِ عَبرى

وَلا عَينٌ إِلّا مِن تَجنيهِ عَبرى

There is no heart but is distraught with love for him,

So every heart but his is infatuated

and no eye but is tearful from his unjust treatment.

And every eye but his is tearful

بِروحي حَبيباً صَدَّ عَنيَ مُعرِضاً

بِروحي حَبيباً صَدَّ عَنيَ مُعرِضاً

وَعاقَبَني بِالهَجر ظُلماً وَلا وَزرا

وَعاقَبَني بِالهَجر ظُلماً وَلا وَزرا

My soul be ransom for a beloved who shunned me, turning away,

With my soul, he turned away from me, refusing

and punished me with abandonment, unjustly and without any guilt of mine.

And punished me with estrangement, unjustly and without fault

تَطاول لَيلي وَالسُهاد وُهَجرَهُ

تَطاول لَيلي وَالسُهاد وُهَجرَهُ

فَلا فَرَجاً أَرجوهُ فيهِ وَلا فَجرا

فَلا فَرَجاً أَرجوهُ فيهِ وَلا فَجرا

My night, my sleeplessness, and his estrangement grew long,

My night grew long with wakefulness and his estrangement

so I hope for neither relief in it nor dawn.

So I hope for no relief in it or dawn

كَأَنَّ جَبين الصُبح سِرّاً أَسرَّه

كَأَنَّ جَبين الصُبح سِرّاً أَسرَّه

ضَمير الدُجى ما إِن يُريد لَهُ نَشرا

ضَمير الدُجى ما إِن يُريد لَهُ نَشرا

As though dawn's brow were a secret concealed

As if the brow of dawn is a secret, held back

by the heart of darkness, which has no wish to reveal it.

By the conscience of nightfall, unwilling to unfurl it

لَقَد قَطَعت بِالشَوق قَلبي يَد الذِكرى

لَقَد قَطَعت بِالشَوق قَلبي يَد الذِكرى

فَواقَلبيَ البالي وَواكبدي الحَرا

فَواقَلبيَ البالي وَواكبدي الحَرا

Indeed, remembrance's hand has torn my heart with longing.

With yearning, memory has severed my heart

So, alas for my worn-out heart, and alas for my burning liver!

So my mind is distraught and my body wrecked

وَشَفتنيَ الأَسقام إِذ أَعوز اللقا

وَشَفتنيَ الأَسقام إِذ أَعوز اللقا

فَلَم تَبقَ لي إِلّا المَدامع وَالفِكرا

فَلَم تَبقَ لي إِلّا المَدامع وَالفِكرا

And illnesses wasted me when reunion was out of reach,

And sickness has wasted me, lacking union with him,

so they left me nothing but tears and thoughts.

Leaving me with nothing but tears and thoughts

أَقول لِطَير باتَ يَندُب أَلفَهُ

أَقول لِطَير باتَ يَندُب أَلفَهُ

إِذا حَنَّ مِما شَفَهُ مَلأ الصَدرا

إِذا حَنَّ مِما شَفَهُ مَلأ الصَدرا

I say to a bird that spent the night lamenting its companion,

I say to a bird who mourns his companion at night

when its longing cry, born of what has wasted it, fills the breast.

When he moans, overflowing with sorrow:

يَكادُ إِذا ما ناحَ حَرّ حَنينِهِ

يَكادُ إِذا ما ناحَ حَرّ حَنينِهِ

يُمزق مِنهُ الصَدر وَالطَوق وَالنَحرا

يُمزق مِنهُ الصَدر وَالطَوق وَالنَحرا

When it wails, the heat of its yearning almost

His burning lament almost

tears apart its breast, its collar, and its throat.

Tears open his breast, neck, and throat

إِذا رَنَّ مِن فَوق الأَراكة رَنة

إِذا رَنَّ مِن فَوق الأَراكة رَنة

تَنَفَسَت أَنفاساً لَها تَحرق الجَمرا

تَنَفَسَت أَنفاساً لَها تَحرق الجَمرا

When it cries out from atop the arak tree,

When he cries from atop the boughs with a cry

I breathe sighs in answer that burn the embers.

Whose breaths could ignite embers

كِلانا غَريب يَشتَكي حَرقة النَوى

كِلانا غَريب يَشتَكي حَرقة النَوى

كِلانا مُحبٌّ يَشتَكي الصَد وَالهَجرا

كِلانا مُحبٌّ يَشتَكي الصَد وَالهَجرا

We are both strangers, lamenting separation's burning pain;

We are both strangers, complaining of the heat of distance,

we are both lovers, lamenting rejection and abandonment.

Both lovers, complaining of coldness and estrangement,

كِلانا وَحيد فارَقَ الأَلف راغِماً

كِلانا وَحيد فارَقَ الأَلف راغِماً

وَصاحب فيها الهَمَّ وَالحُزنَ وَالضَرّا

وَصاحب فيها الهَمَّ وَالحُزنَ وَالضَرّا

We are both alone, parted from our companions against our will,

Both alone, separated from our companions against our will,

and in that state keep company with care, grief, and suffering.

Accompanied by worries, grief, and harm.

وَلَكن أَرى مِنكَ الدُموع بِخيلة

وَلَكن أَرى مِنكَ الدُموع بِخيلة

وَفَيض دُموعي يَغمُر البرَّ وَالبَحرا

وَفَيض دُموعي يَغمُر البرَّ وَالبَحرا

Yet I find your tears miserly,

Yet I see you are sparing of tears

while the flood of my tears submerges land and sea.

While my tears flood land and sea.

أَتذَكُرُني يا طَير مَن أَنا ذاكر

أَتذَكُرُني يا طَير مَن أَنا ذاكر

وَلَم أَنسَهُ يَوماً فَتَحَدث لي ذِكرا

وَلَم أَنسَهُ يَوماً فَتَحَدث لي ذِكرا

Do you remind me, O bird, of one I already remember,

Do you remember me, O bird, though I remember him

when I have never forgotten him a single day, for you to kindle remembrance in me?

And have never for a day forgotten to reminisce?

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل سَبيلٌ إِلى اللُقا

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل سَبيلٌ إِلى اللُقا

فَفي ساعة مِن قَربِهِ أَبذل العُمرا

فَفي ساعة مِن قَربِهِ أَبذل العُمرا

Ah, would that I knew: is there a way to reunion?

Oh, would that I knew if there is a way to union,

For one hour near him, I would give my lifetime.

For in one moment of nearness I would give my life.

لَقيت الرَدى قَبل اللُقا إِن نَسيتهُ

لَقيت الرَدى قَبل اللُقا إِن نَسيتهُ

وَإِن كانَ بَعد الأَلف وَرد الرَدى أَحرى

وَإِن كانَ بَعد الأَلف وَرد الرَدى أَحرى

May I meet death before reunion if I forget him,

I would meet rejection before meeting him if I forgot him,

though, after companionship, meeting death would be more fitting.

Though after intimacy, rejection is more fitting.