أَجِدَّكِ إِنَّ لَمّاتِ الخَيالِ

أَجِدَّكِ إِنَّ لَمّاتِ الخَيالِ

لَمُذكِرَتي بِساعاتِ الوِصالِ

لَمُذكِرَتي بِساعاتِ الوِصالِ

Truly, I tell you, the phantom's visits

I find you, though imaginations' glances

surely remind me of the hours of union.

Remind me of the hours of union's trances,

تُؤَرِّقُني إِذا الرُقَباءُ ناموا

تُؤَرِّقُني إِذا الرُقَباءُ ناموا

أَناةُ الخَطوِ فاتِنَةُ الدَلالِ

أَناةُ الخَطوِ فاتِنَةُ الدَلالِ

She keeps me sleepless when the watchers sleep,

Disquiet me when the spyings have slept,

unhurried in her step, bewitching in her coquetry.

Grace of gait, seducing in her beauty,

لَها جيدُ الغَزالِ وَمُقلَتاهُ

لَها جيدُ الغَزالِ وَمُقلَتاهُ

وَلَم تُلمِم بِشِبهِ شَوى الغَزالِ

وَلَم تُلمِم بِشِبهِ شَوى الغَزالِ

She has the gazelle's neck and its two eyes,

She has the roebuck's neck, his languid eyes;

yet her limbs bear no resemblance to the gazelle's.

Nor has she stained herself with roeblood dyes.

غَدَت أَترابُها يَنهَضنَ هَوناً

غَدَت أَترابُها يَنهَضنَ هَوناً

بِثِقلٍ مِن رَوادِفِها الثِقالِ

بِثِقلٍ مِن رَوادِفِها الثِقالِ

Her companions rise slowly,

Her anklets tinkle rising but to show

under the weight of their heavy haunches.

A weight of heavy leg-rings that weigh low.

مَشَينَ ضُحىً بِأَقدامٍ لِطافٍ

مَشَينَ ضُحىً بِأَقدامٍ لِطافٍ

وَسوقٍ في خَلاخِلِها خِدالِ

وَسوقٍ في خَلاخِلِها خِدالِ

They walked at midmorning on dainty feet,

She steps at peep of day with smooth-shod feet

and calves plump within their anklets.

And throbs between the anklet-rings retreat.

إِذا اِجتَبنَ الحُلِيَّ رَأَيتَ بيضاً

إِذا اِجتَبنَ الحُلِيَّ رَأَيتَ بيضاً

أَوانِسَ كَاللَآلي في اللَآلي

أَوانِسَ كَاللَآلي في اللَآلي

When they don their jewels, you see fair-skinned

When she unveils and eggs to break are seen

gracious maidens, like pearls among pearls.

White-sugared thighs and legs of alabaster sheen,

أُمَيِّلُ في هَواكَ وَقَد بَدا لي

أُمَيِّلُ في هَواكَ وَقَد بَدا لي

مِنَ اِستِحكامِ بُخلِكِ ما بَدا لي

مِنَ اِستِحكامِ بُخلِكِ ما بَدا لي

I sway in my love for you, though I have seen

I lean to loving thee till I divined

what I have seen of your firmly entrenched withholding.

From the close lock of thy unkind unkindness what I opined.

صَبابَةُ مُغرَمٍ لَو راعَ قَلبي

صَبابَةُ مُغرَمٍ لَو راعَ قَلبي

لَقَد أَتبَعتُها بِنُزوعِ سالِ

لَقَد أَتبَعتُها بِنُزوعِ سالِ

Such is a lovesick man's yearning; had it alarmed my heart,

A lover's madness if my heart divined,

I would surely have followed it with the retreat of one no longer in love.

It ne'er thy reins would seek to loose and unbind."

لَعَمرُكَ ما أَبو الجَيشِ المُرَجّى

لَعَمرُكَ ما أَبو الجَيشِ المُرَجّى

بِمَغلوبِ اليَدَينِ عَلى الفَعالِ

بِمَغلوبِ اليَدَينِ عَلى الفَعالِ

By your life, the hoped-for Abu al-Jaysh is not

By thy life I swear, my wish fulfill

one whose hands are powerless for noble deeds,

And be thou not of men intent on ill,

وَلا بِمُؤَخَّرٍ يُدعى أَخيراً

وَلا بِمُؤَخَّرٍ يُدعى أَخيراً

إِذا نُدِبَ الرِجالُ إِلى المَعالي

إِذا نُدِبَ الرِجالُ إِلى المَعالي

nor one held back, to be summoned last,

But rather be of gentle mould, inclined

when men are called to lofty achievements.

To mercy and full oft to lavish kindness;

لَهُ يَومُ الثَنِيَّةِ حينَ يَثني

لَهُ يَومُ الثَنِيَّةِ حينَ يَثني

بِكَرَّتِهِ مُسَدَّدَةَ العَوالي

بِكَرَّتِهِ مُسَدَّدَةَ العَوالي

His was the day of al-Thaniyya, when he drove back

For day he only gains his wish and will

with his charge the well-aimed spearpoints.

Who passes through the session without chill.

أَراكَ تَزيدُ في عَيني وَقَلبي

أَراكَ تَزيدُ في عَيني وَقَلبي

إِذا نَقَصَت مَوازينُ الرِجالِ

إِذا نَقَصَت مَوازينُ الرِجالِ

I see you rise in my eyes and my heart

In mine eyes and heart thou gain'st passing gain

when the scales of men fall short.

When men's scales turn in latter days insanely vain.

وَلي بِكَ حُرمَةٌ دَرَجَت عَلَيها

وَلي بِكَ حُرمَةٌ دَرَجَت عَلَيها

صُروفُ البُعدِ وَالحِجَجُ الخَوالي

صُروفُ البُعدِ وَالحِجَجُ الخَوالي

And I have with you a claim to protection, over which have passed

To me thou hast a reverence subjugate,

the vicissitudes of distance and the years gone by.

Have trodden it though farness, time and fate:

فَما أَزرى بِها طولُ التَنائي

فَما أَزرى بِها طولُ التَنائي

وَلا أَنساكَها قِدَمُ اللَيالي

وَلا أَنساكَها قِدَمُ اللَيالي

Thus prolonged separation has not diminished it,

Thus long-drawn severance taketh no avail,

nor has the long passage of nights made you forget it.

Nor distance draws thee from my memory pale:

غَدَت لي جُنَّةً مِن كُلِّ خَطبٍ

غَدَت لي جُنَّةً مِن كُلِّ خَطبٍ

عَرا وَعَدَدتُها جاهي وَمالي

عَرا وَعَدَدتُها جاهي وَمالي

It became for me a shield against every calamity

But thou art garden of delight for me,

that befell me, and I reckoned it my standing and my wealth.

My sprite, my comrade, wealth and family."

نَضَوتَ الصَومَ وَاِستَبدَلتَ مِنهُ

نَضَوتَ الصَومَ وَاِستَبدَلتَ مِنهُ

هِلالَ الفِطرِ بورِكَ مِن هِلالِ

هِلالَ الفِطرِ بورِكَ مِن هِلالِ

You have shed fasting and exchanged it for

Thou keptest fast while men kept fast that day;

the crescent of fast-breaking—blessed be that crescent!

And changedst night of Fast to Eid's display

فَلا زالَت لَكَ الأَعيادُ تَجري

فَلا زالَت لَكَ الأَعيادُ تَجري

بِحالٍ في السَعادَةِ بَعدَ حالِ

بِحالٍ في السَعادَةِ بَعدَ حالِ

So may the festivals never cease to flow for you,

While to thee festivals are ever cleaving

in one state of happiness after another.

In life succeeding life without deceiving.