إِنّي طَرِبتُ إِلى شَمسٍ إِذا طَلَعَت

إِنّي طَرِبتُ إِلى شَمسٍ إِذا طَلَعَت

كانَت مَشارِقُها جَوفَ المَقاصيرِ

كانَت مَشارِقُها جَوفَ المَقاصيرِ

I thrilled with longing for a sun that, when it rose,

I am enraptured by a sun when it rises

Had its rising places deep within secluded chambers.

Its dawns are within wine jugs

شَمسٌ مُمَثَّلَةٌ في خَلقِ جارِيَةٍ

شَمسٌ مُمَثَّلَةٌ في خَلقِ جارِيَةٍ

كَأَنَّما كَشحُها طَيُّ الطَواميرِ

كَأَنَّما كَشحُها طَيُّ الطَواميرِ

A sun embodied in the form of a maiden,

A sun personified in the form of a maiden

Her waist seems like a tightly rolled scroll.

As if her face veil were the robes of priests

لَيسَت مِنَ الإِنسِ إِلّا في مُناسَبَةٍ

لَيسَت مِنَ الإِنسِ إِلّا في مُناسَبَةٍ

وَلا مِنَ الجِنِّ إِلا في التَصاويرِ

وَلا مِنَ الجِنِّ إِلا في التَصاويرِ

She belongs to humankind only by kinship,

She is not of mankind except in proportion

And to the jinn only in pictured likeness.

Nor of jinn except in imagery

فالجِسمُ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ وَالشَعرُ مِن ظُلَمٍ

فالجِسمُ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ وَالشَعرُ مِن ظُلَمٍ

وَالنَشرُ مِن مِسكَةٍ وَالوَجهُ مِن نورِ

وَالنَشرُ مِن مِسكَةٍ وَالوَجهُ مِن نورِ

For her body is of pearl, and her hair of darkness,

For her body is of pearls and her hair of darkness

And her fragrance is of musk, and her face of light.

Her smile of musk and her face of light

إِنَّ الجَمالَ حَبا فَوزاً بِخِلعَتِهِ

إِنَّ الجَمالَ حَبا فَوزاً بِخِلعَتِهِ

حَذواً بِحَذوٍ وَأَصفاها بِتَحويرِ

حَذواً بِحَذوٍ وَأَصفاها بِتَحويرِ

Beauty has bestowed its robe of honor on Fawz,

Beauty has been granted the robe of splendor

Perfectly fitted, and favored her with a fair complexion.

Matching and surpassing in its weaving

كَأَنَّها حينَ تَمشي في وَصائِفِها

كَأَنَّها حينَ تَمشي في وَصائِفِها

تَخطو عَلى البَيضِ أَو خُضرِ القَواريرِ

تَخطو عَلى البَيضِ أَو خُضرِ القَواريرِ

As though, when she walks among her handmaids,

When she walks in her bracelets

She were treading on eggs or green glass flasks.

She strides upon eggs or green glass

أُنبِئتُها صَرَخَت لَمّا رَأَت أَسَداً

أُنبِئتُها صَرَخَت لَمّا رَأَت أَسَداً

في خاتَمٍ صَوَّروهُ أَيَّ تَصويرِ

في خاتَمٍ صَوَّروهُ أَيَّ تَصويرِ

I was told she screamed when she saw a lion

When I told her of a lion

On a ring—they had portrayed it so vividly!

Depicted in a ring, what an image!

يا صاحِبَيَّ إِلى رُؤيايَ فَاِستَمِعا

يا صاحِبَيَّ إِلى رُؤيايَ فَاِستَمِعا

إِنّي رَأَيتُ لَدى ضَوءِ التَباشيرِ

إِنّي رَأَيتُ لَدى ضَوءِ التَباشيرِ

O my two companions, listen to my dream:

My friend, listen to my dream

I saw, in the first light of dawn,

I saw near the light of lamps

كَأَنَّ فَوزاً تُعاطيني عَلى فَرَسٍ

كَأَنَّ فَوزاً تُعاطيني عَلى فَرَسٍ

إِكليلَ رَيحانِ فَغوٍ كَالدَنانيرِ

إِكليلَ رَيحانِ فَغوٍ كَالدَنانيرِ

As though Fawz, on a horse, were handing me

As if success offered me on a horse

A wreath of fragrant henna blossoms, like dinars.

A wreath of basil, fragrant as dinars

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ هَذا إِنَّها جَعَلَت

الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ هَذا إِنَّها جَعَلَت

في راحَتي أَمرَها يا حُسنَ تَعبيري

في راحَتي أَمرَها يا حُسنَ تَعبيري

Praise be to God for this! She has placed

Praise God! She has placed in my hand

Her fate in my palm—how fine my interpretation!

Her affair, O excellent expression!

إِنّي لَمُنتَظِرٌ رُؤيايَ ذا أَمَلٍ

إِنّي لَمُنتَظِرٌ رُؤيايَ ذا أَمَلٍ

وَالحُكمُ يَأتي بِتَقديمٍ وَتَأخيرِ

وَالحُكمُ يَأتي بِتَقديمٍ وَتَأخيرِ

I surely await my dream's fulfillment, full of hope,

I await the fulfillment of my dream

And the outcome comes, whether early or late.

Fate comes with advance and delay

طوبى لِعَينٍ رَأَت فَوزاً إِذا اِغتَمَضَت

طوبى لِعَينٍ رَأَت فَوزاً إِذا اِغتَمَضَت

وَقَرَّتِ العَينُ مِنها كُلَّ تَقريرِ

وَقَرَّتِ العَينُ مِنها كُلَّ تَقريرِ

Blessed is an eye that sees Fawz when it closes,

Happy the eye that saw success when shutting

And the eye is gladdened by her to the utmost.

And the eye was satisfied with her altogether

لا تَهجُريني عَلى مَا بي بِعَيشِكُمُ

لا تَهجُريني عَلى مَا بي بِعَيشِكُمُ

إِنّي لَتَرحَمُ نَفسي كُلَّ مَهجورِ

إِنّي لَتَرحَمُ نَفسي كُلَّ مَهجورِ

Do not forsake me in my suffering—by your lives!

Do not abandon me for what flaws are in me

For my soul truly pities everyone forsaken.

I pity myself when abandoned

إِنّي أَراني وَإِخواني قَدِ اِجتَمعوا

إِنّي أَراني وَإِخواني قَدِ اِجتَمعوا

في مَجلِسٍ بِأَعالي الكَرخِ مَحضورِ

في مَجلِسٍ بِأَعالي الكَرخِ مَحضورِ

I see myself and my companions assembled

I see myself and brothers gathered

At a well-attended gathering in upper Karkh.

In an assembly on the heights of Karkh

بَكَيتُ مِن طَرَبٍ عِندَ السَماعِ كَما

بَكَيتُ مِن طَرَبٍ عِندَ السَماعِ كَما

يَبكي أَخو غُصَصٍ مِن حُسنِ تَذكيرِ

يَبكي أَخو غُصَصٍ مِن حُسنِ تَذكيرِ

I wept in rapture at the music, just as

I wept from rapture upon hearing her voice

One choked with grief weeps at a beautiful reminder.

As a love-sick brother weeps from a sweet reminder

وَصاحِبُ العِشقِ يَبكي عِندَ سَكرَتِهِ

وَصاحِبُ العِشقِ يَبكي عِندَ سَكرَتِهِ

إِذا تَجاوَبَ صَوتُ البَمِّ وَالزيرِ

إِذا تَجاوَبَ صَوتُ البَمِّ وَالزيرِ

And the lover weeps in his intoxication,

The lover weeps in his drunkenness

When the sounds of bass and treble strings answer one another.

When the flute and pipe respond in turn

يا فَوزُ لَولاكِ لَم أَنفَكَّ مِن طَرَبٍ

يا فَوزُ لَولاكِ لَم أَنفَكَّ مِن طَرَبٍ

آوي إِلى آنِساتٍ كَالدُمى حورِ

آوي إِلى آنِساتٍ كَالدُمى حورِ

O Fawz, but for you I would never cease rejoicing,

O Success! were it not for you I'd know no rapture

Taking refuge with amiable, fair, dark-eyed maidens like statues.

I take refuge in girlfriends like statues

يا فَوزُ أَهلُكِ لاموني فَقُلتُ لَهُم

يا فَوزُ أَهلُكِ لاموني فَقُلتُ لَهُم

أَدّوا فُؤادي أَدَعكُم غَيرَ مَزجورِ

أَدّوا فُؤادي أَدَعكُم غَيرَ مَزجورِ

O Fawz, your people reproached me, so I told them:

O Success! Your people blame me, so I said:

'Return my heart, and I will leave you without being driven away.'

Return my heart and I'll leave you untroubled

اللَهُ يَعلَمُ أَنّي ناصِحٌ لَكُمُ

اللَهُ يَعلَمُ أَنّي ناصِحٌ لَكُمُ

جُهدي وَلكِنَّ سَعيي غَيرُ مَشكورِ

جُهدي وَلكِنَّ سَعيي غَيرُ مَشكورِ

God knows that I am sincere toward you,

God knows I wish you well

To my utmost, yet my striving goes unthanked.

My effort is made though unrewarded

لا يُبعِدِ اللَهُ غَيري حينَ قُدتُ لَكُم

لا يُبعِدِ اللَهُ غَيري حينَ قُدتُ لَكُم

نَفسي وَبِعتُكُمُ صَفوي بِتَكديري

نَفسي وَبِعتُكُمُ صَفوي بِتَكديري

May God banish none but me, since I led to you

May God not remove anyone else when I led

My soul, and sold you my serenity for my distress.

Myself to you and sold you my agony

يا أَهلَ فَوزٍ أَما لي عِندَكُم فَرَجٌ

يا أَهلَ فَوزٍ أَما لي عِندَكُم فَرَجٌ

وَيلي وَلا راحَةٌ مِن طولِ تَعزيري

وَيلي وَلا راحَةٌ مِن طولِ تَعزيري

O Fawz's people, is there no relief for me with you,

O people of Success! Is there no relief with you for me?

Alas for me, nor respite from my prolonged chastisement?

Woe is me! No comfort from the length of my torment

يا أَهلَ فَوزَ اِدفِنوني بَينَ دُورِكُمُ

يا أَهلَ فَوزَ اِدفِنوني بَينَ دُورِكُمُ

نَفسي الفِداءُ لِتِلكَ الدور مِن دورِ

نَفسي الفِداءُ لِتِلكَ الدور مِن دورِ

O Fawz's people, bury me among your houses;

O people of Success! Inter me among your abodes

My soul be a ransom for those houses, of all houses!

My soul is ransomed for those houses

ظَلّوا يَحُثّونَ نَفساً وَهيَ جامِحَةٌ

ظَلّوا يَحُثّونَ نَفساً وَهيَ جامِحَةٌ

حَتّى إِذا يَئِسوا قالوا لَها سيري

حَتّى إِذا يَئِسوا قالوا لَها سيري

They kept urging on a soul, unruly as it was,

They kept urging on a reluctant soul

Until, when they despaired, they told it, 'Go on.'

Until despairing they said to it: “Go!”