يَطيبُ لِقَلبي أَن يَطولَ غَرامُهُ

يَطيبُ لِقَلبي أَن يَطولَ غَرامُهُ

وَأَيسَرُ ما أَلقاهُ مِنهُ حِمامُهُ

وَأَيسَرُ ما أَلقاهُ مِنهُ حِمامُهُ

It pleases my heart that its passion should last long.

My heart delights that his love endures,

And the least I endure from it is the death it brings.

And the easiest thing I get from him is his pigeon.

وَأَعجَبُ مِنهُ كَيفَ يَقنَعُ بِالمُنى

وَأَعجَبُ مِنهُ كَيفَ يَقنَعُ بِالمُنى

وَيُرضيهِ مِن طَيفِ الحَبيبِ لِمامَهُ

وَيُرضيهِ مِن طَيفِ الحَبيبِ لِمامَهُ

And I marvel at it—how it is content with wishes,

More wondrous than it is how he contents himself with longing,

And how a fleeting visit from the beloved's phantom satisfies it.

And is pleased by a glimpse of his beloved's turban-end.

تَعَشَّقتُهُ حُلوَ الشَمائِلِ أَهيَفاً

تَعَشَّقتُهُ حُلوَ الشَمائِلِ أَهيَفاً

يُحَرِّكُ شَجوَ العاشِقينَ قَوامُهُ

يُحَرِّكُ شَجوَ العاشِقينَ قَوامُهُ

I loved him passionately, sweet of manner and slender-waisted;

I fell for him, gentle of traits, languidly moving,

His stature stirs the sorrow of lovers.

Stirring the passion of lovers, his figure.

وَهِمتُ بِطَرفٍ فاتِنٍ مِنهُ فاتِرٍ

وَهِمتُ بِطَرفٍ فاتِنٍ مِنهُ فاتِرٍ

لِبابِلَ مِنهُ سِحرُهُ وَمُدامُهُ

لِبابِلَ مِنهُ سِحرُهُ وَمُدامُهُ

And I was enraptured by his bewitching, languid gaze;

And I was fascinated by a charming, dreamy glance of his

Babylon draws its magic and its wine from it.

That would madden anyone, such is its sorcery and wine.

فَما الغُصنُ إِلّا ما حَوَتهُ بُرودُهُ

فَما الغُصنُ إِلّا ما حَوَتهُ بُرودُهُ

وَما البَدرُ إِلّا ما حَواهُ لِثامُهُ

وَما البَدرُ إِلّا ما حَواهُ لِثامُهُ

So the bough is nothing but what his striped cloaks enclose,

For the branch is only what its chill contains,

And the full moon is nothing but what his face-veil encloses.

And the moon only what its wrap holds.

أَغارُ إِذا ماراحَ رَيّانُ عاطِراً

أَغارُ إِذا ماراحَ رَيّانُ عاطِراً

أَراكُ الحِمى مِن ريقِهِ وَبَشامُهُ

أَراكُ الحِمى مِن ريقِهِ وَبَشامُهُ

I grow jealous whenever they become well-watered and fragrant—

I turn jealous when the fragrant, fresh north wind blows by,

The sanctuary's arak and balsam—from his saliva.

I see the heat of its breath and joy.

وَأَرتاعُ لِلبَرقِ الَّذي مِن دِيارِهِ

وَأَرتاعُ لِلبَرقِ الَّذي مِن دِيارِهِ

فَيَحسَبُ طَرفي أَنَّ ذاكَ اِبتِسامُهُ

فَيَحسَبُ طَرفي أَنَّ ذاكَ اِبتِسامُهُ

And I start at the lightning from his dwellings,

And I startle at the lightning that comes from his lands,

For my eye thinks it is his smile.

My eyes reckon that to be his smile.

وَأَستَنشِقُ الأَرواحَ مِن كُلِّ وُجهَةٍ

وَأَستَنشِقُ الأَرواحَ مِن كُلِّ وُجهَةٍ

فَأَعلَمُ في أَيِّ الجِهاتِ خِيامُهُ

فَأَعلَمُ في أَيِّ الجِهاتِ خِيامُهُ

And I breathe in the breezes from every direction,

And I scent spirits from every corner,

So I know in which direction his tents stand.

So I know in which places are his tents.

خُذوا لي مِنَ البَدرِ الذِمامَ فَإِنَّهُ

خُذوا لي مِنَ البَدرِ الذِمامَ فَإِنَّهُ

أَخوهُ لَعَلّي نافِعٌ لي ذِمامُهُ

أَخوهُ لَعَلّي نافِعٌ لي ذِمامُهُ

Secure for me the full moon's pledge of protection, for it

Take for me some moisture from the moon, for it

Is his brother; perhaps its pledge will avail me.

Is his brother; perhaps its dew will benefit me.

إِلى العادِلِ المَأمونِ لِلدَهرِ إِن سَطا

إِلى العادِلِ المَأمونِ لِلدَهرِ إِن سَطا

بِهِ يَتَجَلّى ظُلمُهُ وَظَلامُهُ

بِهِ يَتَجَلّى ظُلمُهُ وَظَلامُهُ

To al-Adil, trusted against Time should it strike;

To the just, protected king of time - unveiled before him

Through him, its injustice and darkness are dispelled.

Will be its darkness and gloom.

إِلى مَلِكٍ في العَينِ يَملَأُ سَرحَةً

إِلى مَلِكٍ في العَينِ يَملَأُ سَرحَةً

وَيَملَأُ آفاقَ البِلادِ اِهتِمامُهُ

وَيَملَأُ آفاقَ البِلادِ اِهتِمامُهُ

To a king who fills the eye's expanse,

To a king whose eye fills a pasture

And whose care fills the horizons of the land.

And whose care fills the land's horizons,

أَخو يَقَظاتٍ لَيسَ يَعرِفُ طَرفُهُ

أَخو يَقَظاتٍ لَيسَ يَعرِفُ طَرفُهُ

غِراراً سِوى ما يَحتَويهِ حُسامُهُ

غِراراً سِوى ما يَحتَويهِ حُسامُهُ

A man of vigils, whose eye knows

A brother to wakefulness, whose glance knows no

No brief slumber—only the keen edge his sword holds.

Distraction other than what his sword contains,

يُقَصِّرُ عَنهُ المَدحُ مِن كُلِّ مادِحٍ

يُقَصِّرُ عَنهُ المَدحُ مِن كُلِّ مادِحٍ

وَلو كانَ مِن زُهرِ النُجومِ نِظامُهُ

وَلو كانَ مِن زُهرِ النُجومِ نِظامُهُ

Praise from every praiser falls short of him,

Eulogies fall short of him, from every eulogizer,

Even if its verse were strung from radiant stars.

Even if its system were of celestial flowers.

فَيا مَلِكَ العَصرِ الَّذي لَيسَ غَيرُهُ

فَيا مَلِكَ العَصرِ الَّذي لَيسَ غَيرُهُ

يُرَجّى وَيُخشى عَفوُهُ وَاِنتِقامُهُ

يُرَجّى وَيُخشى عَفوُهُ وَاِنتِقامُهُ

So, O king of the age, no one else's

O king of the age, none but him

Pardon is hoped for, or vengeance feared.

Is hoped for, feared his pardon and vengeance.

تَقَدَّمَ ذِكرُ الجودِ قَبلَكَ في الوَرى

تَقَدَّمَ ذِكرُ الجودِ قَبلَكَ في الوَرى

وَأَصبَحَ مِن ذِكراكَ مِسكاً خِتامُهُ

وَأَصبَحَ مِن ذِكراكَ مِسكاً خِتامُهُ

Mention of generosity preceded you among mankind,

Talk of generosity came before you in the land,

And through mention of you, its seal has become musk.

But its seal came to be your mention.

أَمِنتُ بِلُقياكَ الزَمانَ صُروفَهُ

أَمِنتُ بِلُقياكَ الزَمانَ صُروفَهُ

فَغَيرِيَ مَن يُخشى عَلَيهِ اِهتِضامُهُ

فَغَيرِيَ مَن يُخشى عَلَيهِ اِهتِضامُهُ

Through meeting you, I became safe from Time's reversals;

Through meeting you I felt safe from time's vicissitudes,

So it is for others, not me, that its oppression is feared.

While others fear its aggressions upon them.

وَأَصبَحتُ مِن كُلِّ الخُطوبِ مُسَلَّماً

وَأَصبَحتُ مِن كُلِّ الخُطوبِ مُسَلَّماً

عَليكَ مِنَ اللَهِ الكَريمِ سَلامُهُ

عَليكَ مِنَ اللَهِ الكَريمِ سَلامُهُ

And I have become safe from every calamity;

Of all tribulations I have become carefree,

May the peace of God the Generous be upon you.

Upon you from the Bountiful Lord be His peace.