يا رَاقِدَ الطَرْفِ ما لِلطَّرْفِ إغفاءُ

يا رَاقِدَ الطَرْفِ ما لِلطَّرْفِ إغفاءُ

حَدّثْ بِذاكَ فما في الحُبِّ إخْفاءُ

حَدّثْ بِذاكَ فما في الحُبِّ إخْفاءُ

O drowsy-eyed one, the eye has no slumber.

O you who sleeps with eyelids closed, why does the eye slumber?

Speak of that, for in love there is no concealment.

Speak of that, for in love there is no concealment,

إنَّ اللَّياليَ وَالأيَّامَ مِنْ غَزَلي

إنَّ اللَّياليَ وَالأيَّامَ مِنْ غَزَلي

في الحُسْنِ والحُبّ أَبْناءٌ وأَنباءُ

في الحُسْنِ والحُبّ أَبْناءٌ وأَنباءُ

Indeed, the nights and days spring from my love-poetry

Surely the nights and days of my love for you

On beauty and love, as offspring and tidings.

Have tales and news of beauty and passion.

إذْ كلّ نافرةٍ في الحُبّ آنِسةٌ

إذْ كلّ نافرةٍ في الحُبّ آنِسةٌ

وَكُلّ مَائِسَةٍ في الحَيِّ خَضْراءُ

وَكُلّ مَائِسَةٍ في الحَيِّ خَضْراءُ

For every skittish one is companionable in love,

Each companion in love becomes intimate,

And every swaying one in the encampment is verdant.

And each drinking partner becomes verdant in life.

وَصَفْوَةُ الدَّهْرِ بَحْرٌ والصّبا سُفُنٌ

وَصَفْوَةُ الدَّهْرِ بَحْرٌ والصّبا سُفُنٌ

وَللِخلاعَةِ إرْساءٌ وإسْراءُ

وَللِخلاعَةِ إرْساءٌ وإسْراءُ

And the choicest part of life is a sea, and youth is ships,

The elite of life is an ocean, youth are ships,

And revelry has anchoring and voyages by night.

And to revelry there are moorings and sailings.

يا ساكِني مِصْر شَمْلُ الشّوْقِ مُجْتَمِعٌ

يا ساكِني مِصْر شَمْلُ الشّوْقِ مُجْتَمِعٌ

بَعْدَ الفِراقِ وَشَمْلُ الوَصْلِ أَجْزاءُ

بَعْدَ الفِراقِ وَشَمْلُ الوَصْلِ أَجْزاءُ

O dwellers of Egypt, longing's company is gathered together

O dwellers of Egypt, yearning has brought us together

After separation, while reunion's company lies in fragments.

After separation, and being together is fragmentary.

كأنّ عَصْرَ الصِّبا مِنْ بَعْدِ فُرْقَتِكُمْ

كأنّ عَصْرَ الصِّبا مِنْ بَعْدِ فُرْقَتِكُمْ

عَصْرُ التّصابي بِهِ لِلّهْوِ إِبْطاءُ

عَصْرُ التّصابي بِهِ لِلّهْوِ إِبْطاءُ

As though the age of youth, after parting from you,

As if, after your absence, the era of youth

Were an age of feigned youthfulness, with pleasure slow to come.

Became, because of frivolity, an era of tardiness.

نارَ الهَوَى لَيْس يَخْشَى مِنْكِ قُلْبُ فَتىً

نارَ الهَوَى لَيْس يَخْشَى مِنْكِ قُلْبُ فَتىً

يكونُ فيهِ لإبراهيمَ أَرْجَاءُ

يكونُ فيهِ لإبراهيمَ أَرْجَاءُ

O fire of passion, a young man's heart does not fear you—

A valiant man's heart fears not love's fire,

A heart within which Ibrahim has ample room.

If in it lies solace for Abraham.

نَدْبٌ يَرَى جُودَهُ الرّاجي مُشافَهَةً

نَدْبٌ يَرَى جُودَهُ الرّاجي مُشافَهَةً

والجُودُ مِنْ غَيرِهِ رَمْزٌ وإِيْماءُ

والجُودُ مِنْ غَيرِهِ رَمْزٌ وإِيْماءُ

A gallant man whose generosity the hopeful seeker sees face to face;

A reproach is seen by the hopeful suitor directly,

While generosity from others is a hint and a gesture.

While generosity from another is merely a sign and wink.

ذُو هِمَّةٍ لو غَدتْ لِلأُفْقِ ما رَحَلَتْ

ذُو هِمَّةٍ لو غَدتْ لِلأُفْقِ ما رَحَلَتْ

لَه ثُريّا وَلا جَازَتْهُ جَوْزاءُ

لَه ثُريّا وَلا جَازَتْهُ جَوْزاءُ

A man of resolve—were the horizon endowed with it,

A man of ambition, if the horizons journeyed for him,

Its Pleiades would not depart, nor would Jawza pass beyond it.

Would have abundant wealth, untouched by measly gains.

لَوْلَا أخُوكَ ولا أَلْفى مَكارِمَهُ

لَوْلَا أخُوكَ ولا أَلْفى مَكارِمَهُ

لَمْ تَحْو غَيْرَ الَّذي تَحْوِيه بَطْحَاءُ

لَمْ تَحْو غَيْرَ الَّذي تَحْوِيه بَطْحَاءُ

Were it not for your brother, and had his noble deeds not been found,

Were it not for your brother and his noble deeds,

You would hold no more than a pebbly plain holds.

Naught would contain you but the wilderness.

لَكِنْ تَعَوَّضْتُ عَنْ سُحْبٍ بِمُشْبهِهِ

لَكِنْ تَعَوَّضْتُ عَنْ سُحْبٍ بِمُشْبهِهِ

إِذْ سُحْبُ هَذا وهَذا فِيهِما المَاءُ

إِذْ سُحْبُ هَذا وهَذا فِيهِما المَاءُ

But I have exchanged clouds for one resembling him,

Yet I replaced a cloud with its likeness,

For the clouds of this one and that one both hold water.

Since in both this and that lies the water.

وَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ ظِلٌّ بارِدٌ شَبِمٌ

وَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ ظِلٌّ بارِدٌ شَبِمٌ

وَعِنْدَ ذا مَنْهَلٌ صَافٍ وأَهْواءُ

وَعِنْدَ ذا مَنْهَلٌ صَافٍ وأَهْواءُ

And with that one there is cool, icy shade,

With that is refreshing shade and cool breezes,

And with this one, a clear watering place and passions.

And with this a clear spring and gusts of wind.

إِلَيْكَ أَرْسَلْتُ أبياتاً لِمَدْحِكُما

إِلَيْكَ أَرْسَلْتُ أبياتاً لِمَدْحِكُما

في سَاحَتَيْهِنّ إسْراء وإرْسَاءُ

في سَاحَتَيْهِنّ إسْراء وإرْسَاءُ

To you I have sent verses to praise you both;

To you both I sent verses in praise,

In their two courtyards are night travel and anchoring.

With open areas of sublimity and firmament.

لم يَقوَ مِنهنّ إقْواءٌ لِقَافِيَةٍ

لم يَقوَ مِنهنّ إقْواءٌ لِقَافِيَةٍ

وَلَمْ يَطأْهُنّ في التَّرْتيبِ إيْطاءُ

وَلَمْ يَطأْهُنّ في التَّرْتيبِ إيْطاءُ

No rhyme-vowel inconsistency has gained strength among them,

None were empowered by a rhyme,

Nor has rhyme-word repetition trodden on them in their arrangement.

Nor tread by sequencing and pacing.

فإنّ نَظْمِي أفرادٌ مُعدّدةٌ

فإنّ نَظْمِي أفرادٌ مُعدّدةٌ

وَنظْمُ غَيْري رُعاعاتٌ وغَوْغاءُ

وَنظْمُ غَيْري رُعاعاتٌ وغَوْغاءُ

For my verse consists of distinct, numbered pieces,

For my poetry is unique, individuated verses,

While others' verse is riffraff and rabble.

While others' is rabble and clamor.

فلا يُقاسُ بِدُرٍّ مِنْه مُخْشَلبٌ

فلا يُقاسُ بِدُرٍّ مِنْه مُخْشَلبٌ

هَذا دَواءٌ وَقَوْلُ الجاهِلِ الدّاءُ

هَذا دَواءٌ وَقَوْلُ الجاهِلِ الدّاءُ

So no glass bead can be compared with a pearl from it.

So an undistinguished piece of it cannot be compared

This is a remedy, while the ignorant man's speech is the disease.

To a pearl - this is a cure, and the ignorant's words are sickness.

عَلَيْكَ مِنّي سَلامٌ ما سَرَتْ سَحَراً

عَلَيْكَ مِنّي سَلامٌ ما سَرَتْ سَحَراً

نُسَيْمَةٌ عِطْرُها في الكَوْنِ دَرَّاءُ

نُسَيْمَةٌ عِطْرُها في الكَوْنِ دَرَّاءُ

Peace to you from me, as long as at dawn there drifts

From me to you, greetings that have continued since dawn,

A little breeze whose fragrance spreads through the universe.

Their fragrance diffusing perfume in the universe.