1. أَيُّ وردٍ قد شممْناهُ ضُحًى

    عبِقَ الجَنْبَذُ منه بالحِمى

    What a rose we smelled at forenoon!

    Its bud filled the sanctuary with fragrance.

  2. كتبَ الحسنُ على طُرَّتِهِ

    بدمِ العُشَّاقِ ذا لونُ الدِّما

    Beauty wrote upon its border,

    with lovers' blood: “This is the color of blood.”

  3. فاحَ فينا عَبْهَرِيًّا نشرُهُ

    وبمِسْكِ الأَنِّ معنًى خُتِما

    Its narcissus-like fragrance spread among us,

    and, in meaning, was sealed with the musk of sighs.

  4. كم وكم آهٍ على أَوراقِهِ

    بين أَطباقِ الرُّقومِ انتَظَما

    How many, how many sighs upon its petals

    were arrayed between layers of inscriptions!

  5. قُبَّةُ الوردَةِ تحْكي حقَّةً

    ورَقيقُ العِرْقِ يحكي القَلَما

    The rose's dome resembles a small inkpot,

    and its slender stalk resembles a pen.

  6. فكأنَّ الوردَ إِنْ حقَّقتَهُ

    كاتِبٌ يكتُبُ ما قد عَلِما

    So the rose, if you examine it closely,

    is a scribe writing what it has learned.

  7. فضَحَ الأَسرارَ من عُشَّاقِهِ

    حينما الطَّلُّ عليه نَمْنَما

    It exposed the secrets of its lovers

    when the dew embroidered it.

  8. لونُهُ الأحمرُ يحكي دَمَهُمْ

    وسَمُوهُ للتَّخافي عَنْدَما

    Its red color resembles their blood;

    and, to conceal it, they called it ‘andam, a crimson dye.

  9. ورَشَاشُ الطَّلِّ عن أَدمعِهِمْ

    قد روَى من مُزْنِها ما انْسَجَما

    And the spray of dew, telling of their tears,

    recounted what streamed from their rainclouds.

  10. شابهَتْ أَلوانهُمْ أَصفرَهُ

    إِنَّما يفهَمُ ذا من فَهِما

    Their complexions resembled its yellow hue;

    only one who understands can understand this.

  11. وإذا جرِّدَ عنه ماؤُهُ

    وهو من بعدِ العَصيرِ انْعَدَما

    And when its water is stripped from it,

    and it vanishes after the juicing,

  12. شابَهُ الذَّائبُ من عشَّاقهِ

    وعَبيقُ العشقِ مثلْهُ بِما

    one wasting away among its lovers resembles it,

    and love's fragrance is like it, in that

  13. نفحَةُ الوردِ لها هَفْهَفَةٌ

    تَخطَفُ القلبَ لَعَمْري كلَّما

    the rose's breath has a gentle flutter

    that steals the heart, by my life, each time.

  14. وأَخو العشقِ له رائحةٌ

    قد زكَتْ شمًّا وطالَتْ شَمَما

    And love's companion has a fragrance

    that has grown pure in scent and risen loftily.

  15. هو باقٍ في مقامِ الوَصفِ لو

    صارَ من آهِ التَّنائي عَدَما

    He remains in the station of description, even if

    he becomes nothing through the sigh of separation.

  16. هي آفاتُ سُلَيْمى في الهَوَى

    أيُّ قلبٍ من سُلَيْمى سَلِما

    These are Sulayma's afflictions in love;

    what heart has escaped Sulayma unharmed?

  17. فارْحَمينا يا وُرَيْداتِ الرُّبا

    إِنَّما يَرحَمُ رَبِّي الرُّحَما

    So have mercy on us, little roses of the hills;

    my Lord has mercy only on the merciful.

  18. وحَياتِكُمْ وهو اليَمينُ الأَعظمُ

    أَنا ضمنَ نيرانِ الهوَى أَتَضرَّمُ

    And by your lives—the greatest oath—

    I burn amid the fires of love.

  19. ولِما جرى منكم جرَى من مقلَتي

    بحرٌ على الخدِّ القَريحِ مُطَمْطَمُ

    And because of what came from you, there flowed from my eye

    a vast, deep sea across my wounded cheek.

  20. نطقَتْ بكُمْ موجاتُهُ بسُكوتِها

    ومن العَجائبِ ساكِتٌ يتكلَّمُ

    Its waves spoke of you in their silence;

    and among wonders is a silent one who speaks.

  21. وإذا النَّسيمُ سرَى بطِيبِ ذِكرِكُمْ

    فأنا على نَسَقِ النَّسيمِ مُهَيَّمُ

    And when the breeze passes with sweet remembrance of you,

    I too, like the breeze, am bewildered with love.

  22. أَصبحْتُ في طورِ الغَرامِ مُطَلْسَماً

    حَجَراً وعنِّي ما أُكِنُّ يُتَرجَمُ

    On the mountain of passion I have become a talisman-inscribed

    stone, and what I conceal is interpreted on my behalf.

  23. سلَّمتكُمْ روحي نعم هي مِلكُكُمْ

    فبعلمِكُمْ طولَ الزَّمانِ تحَكَّموا

    I have surrendered my soul to you—yes, it is yours.

    So rule it, with your knowledge, for all time.

  24. لا تسأَلوني عن عَلائِقِ غيرِكُمْ

    أَنا غيرَكُمْ يا سادتي لا أَعلَمُ

    Do not ask me about attachments to anyone but you;

    I know none but you, my masters.

  25. طفَحَ الغَرامُ عليَّ حتَّى مِتُّ من

    شَوقي ولكنِّي الهوَى أتكَتَّمُ

    Love overflowed upon me, until I died of

    my longing; yet I keep my love concealed.

  26. لو أَنَّني فيكُمْ على جمرِ الغَضا

    قلَّبْتُ قلبي عمرَهُ لا أَسأَمُ

    Were I, for you, over embers of ghada wood

    to turn my heart all its life, I would never tire.

  27. وعجِبْتُ من قومٍ جُنونِيَ حَلَّلوا

    فيكُمْ وأَوصافَ الصَّبابَةِ حَرَّموا

    And I marveled at a people who deemed my madness lawful

    over you, yet forbade the signs of yearning.

  28. ذَهَبوا على عِلاَّتهِمْ بزعومِهِمْ

    وعليَّ ما دونَ البُكاءِ مُحَرَّمُ

    They went their way, with all their faults and claims;

    and for me, all but weeping is forbidden.

  29. ما قلتُ عن شكوَى وحَاشا أَنَّني

    من فعلِكُمْ يا سادَتي أتَظَلَّمُ

    I spoke not in complaint—far be it that I

    should protest your deeds, my masters.

  30. الدارُ تندُبُني ويبكيني الحِمى

    والرَّكْبُ لي يومَ المَسيرِ يُدَمْدِمُ

    The dwelling laments me, and the sanctuary weeps for me;

    and the caravan murmurs for me on the day of departure.

  31. يا من تَعالَيْتُمْ وعزَّ مَقامُكُمْ

    رُوحي إليكُمْ يا أحِبَّةُ سُلَّمُ

    O you who have risen high, whose station is exalted,

    my soul is a ladder to you, beloved ones.

  32. ما في الزَّمانِ لكُمْ كمِثْلي عاشِقٌ

    اللهُ يعلَمُ والبَرِيَّةُ تعلَمُ

    In all time you have no lover like me;

    God knows, and all creation knows.