قد صحَّ عزمي على المسير فلا

قد صحَّ عزمي على المسير فلا

أَبغي مقامي والقلبُ قد رحلا

أَبغي مقامي والقلبُ قد رحلا

My resolve to journey is firm, so I do not

My resolve to travel is firm, so I no longer desire to stay, and my heart has departed.

Wish to remain: my heart has already departed.

I will go to a tavern where I can drink wine and honey from its lips.

أمضي إلى دُميةٍ مُقَّبلُها

أمضي إلى دُميةٍ مُقَّبلُها

أَرشفُ منه المدامَ والعَسَلا

أَرشفُ منه المدامَ والعَسَلا

I go to a doll-like beauty whose kissable lips

A wonder it is, sculpted yet spherical.

I sip wine and honey from.

You see flickering flames in it though it is lifeless.

مصوَّرٌ بل مدورٌ عجبٌ

مصوَّرٌ بل مدورٌ عجبٌ

ترى به وهو جامدٌ شُعَلا

ترى به وهو جامدٌ شُعَلا

A sculpted form—rather, a wondrous sphere—

In the hearts of trees are logs from it, and on the backs of branches are chips from it.

In which you see flames, though it is solid.

Its exterior is washed with the water of vitality, while inside its enclosure is the fire of thirst.

ففي قلوبِ الأشجارِ منه جُذاً

ففي قلوبِ الأشجارِ منه جُذاً

وفي ظهور الغضون منه كُلَى

وفي ظهور الغضون منه كُلَى

For in the hearts of trees are firebrands of it,

It hides when it appears before your eyes. In you and in it, there is desire when you are united.

And on the backs of the [branches], kidneys of it.

Jewelry of pure gold upon brides complaining of its absence before.

طلَوا بماءِ النّضارِ ظاهرَهُ

طلَوا بماءِ النّضارِ ظاهرَهُ

لباطنٍ في حشاهُ نارُ طلا

لباطنٍ في حشاهُ نارُ طلا

They coated its outside with liquid gold,

Red, beautiful faced, wearing from its green leaves garments for them.

For an interior whose depths hold the fire of wine.

Brides whose cheeks shone through, you would think its trees braided crowns for them.

تخفى إذا ما بدا لعينكَ في

تخفى إذا ما بدا لعينكَ في

فيكَ وفيه النَّوى إذا وصلا

فيكَ وفيه النَّوى إذا وصلا

Hidden, when it comes into your sight, in

A sweetness whose taster never tires, though sweets bring boredom.

Your mouth and in it are the stones, when the two meet.

A flower like the stars of the sky, assaulting the demons who pick it with palms.

حُليُّ تبرٍ على عرائسَ أَغ

حُليُّ تبرٍ على عرائسَ أَغ

صانٍ تشكت من قبلها عَطَلا

صانٍ تشكت من قبلها عَطَلا

Gold ornaments upon the brides of bran-

Its sleepy eyes await us longingly, staring, having revealed to us blades.

ches, which had complained of being unadorned before them.

Why the delay and hesitation? Bring forward our travel hastily.

حمرٌ حسانُ الوجوهِ قد لبستْ

حمرٌ حسانُ الوجوهِ قد لبستْ

من خضرِ أوراقها لها حُلّلا

من خضرِ أوراقها لها حُلّلا

Red and fair of face, they have donned

Set out briskly to its seasons, with my arrows and companions.

Robes made for them from their green leaves.

We have waited for what we are given from the treasury, so insist on its stingy deputies.

عرائسٌ من خدورِها برزتْ

عرائسٌ من خدورِها برزتْ

تحسبُ أَشجارَها لها كِلَلا

تحسبُ أَشجارَها لها كِلَلا

Brides emerging from their secluded chambers;

If we lack gold from them, we have not lacked a substitute for it.

You would think their trees were canopies for them.

And we are all pastured in the domains of al-Malik al-Nasir, and tread its paths.

حلاوةٌ لا يملُّ آكلُها

حلاوةٌ لا يملُّ آكلُها

إذا الحلاواتُ أَحدثتْ ملَلاَ

إذا الحلاواتُ أَحدثتْ ملَلاَ

A sweetness its eater never tires of,

When sweets have brought on weariness.

زهرٌ كشُهبِ السّماءِ راجمةٌ

زهرٌ كشُهبِ السّماءِ راجمةٌ

جِنَّ جُناةٍ بقطفها كفلا

جِنَّ جُناةٍ بقطفها كفلا

Radiant ones, like heaven's meteors, pelting

Gatherer-jinn pledged to pluck them.

عيونُها الرُّمدُ في ترقبنا

عيونُها الرُّمدُ في ترقبنا

جاحظةٌ أَبرزتْ لنا مُقلا

جاحظةٌ أَبرزتْ لنا مُقلا

Their sore eyes, as they watch for us,

Are bulging, showing us their eyeballs.

ماذا التّواني وذا التأخر وال

ماذا التّواني وذا التأخر وال

إبطاء قَدِّمْ مسيرنا عجلا

إبطاء قَدِّمْ مسيرنا عجلا

Why this dawdling, this tardiness, and the

Slowness? Bring our departure forward—quickly!

تغدو خِفاقاً إلى مواسِمها

تغدو خِفاقاً إلى مواسِمها

مِن قبل نبلي بصحبة النقلا

مِن قبل نبلي بصحبة النقلا

You set out swiftly for their harvest seasons,

Before we are tried by the company of [bores].

قد انتظرنا من الخزانةِ ما

قد انتظرنا من الخزانةِ ما

نُعْطَى فأكدي نوّابها البخلا

نُعْطَى فأكدي نوّابها البخلا

We have awaited from the treasury what

We would be given; but its miserly deputies gave nothing.

فإن عدمنا من عندهم ذهباً

فإن عدمنا من عندهم ذهباً

فما عدمنا عنه به بدلا

فما عدمنا عنه به بدلا

So if we have lacked gold from them,

We have not lacked a substitute for it in this.

وكلُّنا في عوارفِ الملكِ النّاصرِ

وكلُّنا في عوارفِ الملكِ النّاصرِ

نُرعى ونسلكُ السُّبلا

نُرعى ونسلكُ السُّبلا

And all of us, amid the favors of King al-Nasir,

Are tended, and tread the paths.