أما إنه لولا الدموع الهوامع

أما إنه لولا الدموع الهوامع

لما بان مني ما تجن الأضالع

لما بان مني ما تجن الأضالع

Indeed, were it not for the streaming tears,

Had it not been for the flowing tears

Truly, were it not for the flowing tears,

what my ribs conceal would never have been revealed.

My inner feelings would not have been revealed

What my ribs conceal would not have been revealed.

وكم هتكت ستر الهوا أعين المها

وكم هتكت ستر الهوا أعين المها

وهاجت لي الشوق الديار البلاقع

وهاجت لي الشوق الديار البلاقع

And how often oryx eyes have torn away love's veil,

And how many times did the eyes of love uncover

How often have eyes like the wild oryx torn the veil of love,

and desolate dwellings have stirred longing in me.

The veil of passion, arousing longing for the deserted dwellings

And desolate ruins stirred up longing within me.

خليلي ما لي كلما لاح بارقٌ

خليلي ما لي كلما لاح بارقٌ

تلظى الحشا وارفضَّ منّي المدامعُ

تلظى الحشا وارفضَّ منّي المدامعُ

My two friends, what ails me, that whenever lightning flashes,

My beloved, why is it that whenever a lightning flashes

O friends, why is it that whenever lightning flashes,

my breast blazes and tears gush from me?

The darkness disperses and tears flow from me

My insides burn and tears pour forth from me?

هل الأفق في جنبيَّ بالبرق لامعٌ

هل الأفق في جنبيَّ بالبرق لامعٌ

أم المزن في جفنيَّ بالودق هامعُ

أم المزن في جفنيَّ بالودق هامعُ

Is the horizon flashing with lightning between my sides,

Is it the horizon flashing with lightning beside me

Does the horizon shine with lightning within my ribs,

or are rainclouds within my eyelids pouring rain?

Or is it my eyelids flickering with tenderness?

Or are rain clouds pouring down within my eyelids?

ففي القلب من نار الشجون مصايفٌ

ففي القلب من نار الشجون مصايفٌ

وفي الخد من ماء الشؤون مرابعُ

وفي الخد من ماء الشؤون مرابعُ

For sorrow's fire makes summer quarters in the heart,

So in my heart are ponds of passion’s fire

For in my heart are scorching summers born of the fire of grief,

and the tear ducts' water makes spring pastures on the cheek.

And on my cheek are springs of affection's water

And upon my cheek are spring meadows fed by the water of weeping.

وما هاج هذا الشوق إلا مهفهَفٌ

وما هاج هذا الشوق إلا مهفهَفٌ

هو البدرُ أو بدر الدجى منه طالع

هو البدرُ أو بدر الدجى منه طالع

And none but a slender one stirred this longing:

This longing was stirred only by the one

Nothing stirred this longing but a slender-waisted one;

he is the full moon—or night's full moon rises from him.

Who is the full moon or the rising moon in the darkness

He is the full moon, or the moon of the night rises from him.

إذا غاب يوماً فالقلوب مغاربٌ

إذا غاب يوماً فالقلوب مغاربٌ

وإن لاح يوماً فالجيوب مطالعُ

وإن لاح يوماً فالجيوب مطالعُ

If he is absent one day, hearts are places of setting;

When he is absent one day, the hearts become setting places

If he is absent a day, hearts become the setting suns,

and if he appears one day, bosoms are places of rising.

And when he appears one day, the bosoms become rising places

And if he appears a day, bosoms become the horizons of rising.

يضرج خديه الحياء كأنما

يضرج خديه الحياء كأنما

بخدَّيه من فتك الجفون وقائع

بخدَّيه من فتك الجفون وقائع

Modesty dyes his cheeks red, as though

His shyness tinges his cheeks as if

Modesty flushes his cheeks crimson, as if

upon his cheeks were battles wrought by the eyelids' slaughter.

The blows of eyelids on his cheeks were events

Upon his cheeks lie the battlefields of slaying glances.

رماني عن قوس المحاجر لحظه

رماني عن قوس المحاجر لحظه

بسهمٍ غدا من مهجتي وهو وادعُ

بسهمٍ غدا من مهجتي وهو وادعُ

His glance shot me from the bow of his eye sockets,

He shot me from the bow of his eyebrows with a glance

His glance shot me from the bow of his eye-sockets

with an arrow that became part of my heart's blood, lying at ease.

That tomorrow became a wound from my innermost being, while he was bidding farewell

With an arrow that pierced my soul while he remained serene.

وما زلتُ من ألحاظه متوقيا

وما زلتُ من ألحاظه متوقيا

ولكنه ما حُمَّ لابد واقع

ولكنه ما حُمَّ لابد واقع

And I have always been wary of his glances,

And I did not cease to guard myself from his glances

I remained ever wary of his gazing eyes,

but what is decreed must inevitably happen.

But what is destined will inevitably happen

But what is destined is inevitably bound to occur.

يرق فتور اللحظ منه كأنه

يرق فتور اللحظ منه كأنه

إلى قلبه من قسوة الهجر شافعُ

إلى قلبه من قسوة الهجر شافعُ

The languor of his glance is tender, as though it were

The languor of his glance is soft as if

The languor of his glance softens, as if

an intercessor with his heart against estrangement's cruelty,

It could gently persuade his heart of the harshness of separation

It pleads to his heart against the cruelty of abandonment.

كما رق بالآداب طبع محمدٍ

كما رق بالآداب طبع محمدٍ

فحاكت لمى الأحباب منه الطبائعُ

فحاكت لمى الأحباب منه الطبائعُ

just as Muhammad's nature grew gentle through refinement,

Just as the nature of Muhammad was gently disposed

Just as Muhammad's nature became gentle through refinement,

so that his dispositions resembled the dusky tint of beloveds' lips.

So the touches of loved ones emulated his character

So his character mirrored the dark-red lips of beloveds.

رخيم حواشي الطرف حلوٌ كأنما

رخيم حواشي الطرف حلوٌ كأنما

سجاياه أيام السرور الرواجعُ

سجاياه أيام السرور الرواجعُ

Gentle at the edges of his gaze, sweet, as though

The margins of his eyes are gently alluring as if

Mellow in the corners of his gaze, sweet as if

his qualities were returning days of joy.

Their features were the happy memories returning

His attributes are the returning days of joy.

أبا بكر استوفيت زهر محاسن

أبا بكر استوفيت زهر محاسن

تنافسها زهرُ النجوم الطوالعُ

تنافسها زهرُ النجوم الطوالعُ

O Abu Bakr, you have gathered all the blossoms of virtue,

Abu Bakr, you have fulfilled the peak of beauty

O Abu Bakr, you have fully possessed the blossoms of virtue,

with which the radiant rising stars vie.

Vying with the rising of the stars

Which the blossoms of the rising stars strive to rival.

قدحتُ زناداً من ذكائك لم يزل

قدحتُ زناداً من ذكائك لم يزل

ينير فتعشى البارقات اللوامعُ

ينير فتعشى البارقات اللوامعُ

I struck a flint from your brilliance; it has never ceased

I ignited from your intelligence a flame

I struck a spark from your wit that ceases not

to shine, so that the gleaming flashes are dazzled.

That illuminates while the brilliant flashes shine

To shine, blinding the brilliant lightning flashes.

وما ذاك عن نيلٍ لديك رجوته

وما ذاك عن نيلٍ لديك رجوته

فيصدُقَ ظنٌّ أو يكذبَ طامعُ

فيصدُقَ ظنٌّ أو يكذبَ طامعُ

And that was not for a reward I hoped for from you,

And this is not because I hoped to attain any bounty from you

This is not for a bounty I hoped to receive from you,

so that an expectation might prove true, or a hopeful seeker be disappointed.

So that some wishful thinking would prove true or false

Such that a surmise be verified or a covetous one proved false.

ولا أنا ممن يرتضي الشعر خلطةً

ولا أنا ممن يرتضي الشعر خلطةً

فتجذبه نحو الملوك المطامعُ

فتجذبه نحو الملوك المطامعُ

Nor am I one who chooses poetry as a means of association,

Nor am I one who would accept poetry as mere poetry

Nor am I one who is content to use poetry as a trade,

so that greedy hopes draw him toward kings.

So that it would pull me greedily towards kings

Such that greed drags him toward kings.

ولكنَّ قلباً بين جنبي قد غدا

ولكنَّ قلباً بين جنبي قد غدا

يجاذبني فيك الهوى وينازعُ

يجاذبني فيك الهوى وينازعُ

But a heart between my sides has come

But a heart within my ribs has come

But a heart between my sides has come to

to wrestle and contend with me over love for you.

To wrestle me with passion towards you

Pull me towards you in love and contend within me.

طوى لك من محض الوداد كمائناً

طوى لك من محض الوداد كمائناً

تبدَّت لها فةوق اللسان طلائعُ

تبدَّت لها فةوق اللسان طلائعُ

It has concealed ambushes of pure affection for you,

It has secretly harbored for you such affection

It concealed for you secrets of pure affection,

whose vanguards have appeared upon the tongue.

That its vanguards surpassed the tongue

The vanguards of which have now appeared upon my tongue.

أأزعُم في نظم البديع ولم يزل

أأزعُم في نظم البديع ولم يزل

لك السبق فيه والورى لك تابعُ

لك السبق فيه والورى لك تابعُ

Shall I boast of composing wondrous verse, while still

Shall I claim mastery in rhetorical composition while

Do I claim mastery in composing wondrous verse, while still

the lead in it is yours, and all mankind follows you?

You were foremost in it and people follow you?

Precedence remains yours and all people follow you?

وأيُّ مقالٍ لي وقولُك سائرٌ

وأيُّ مقالٍ لي وقولُك سائرٌ

وأيُّ بديعٍ لي ومنك البدائعُ

وأيُّ بديعٍ لي ومنك البدائعُ

And what utterance is mine, when your speech is widespread?

What can my words do while yours flow smoothly

What speech can I offer when your words are renowned,

And what marvel is mine, when marvels come from you?

What beauty can I create while the beautiful things come from you?

And what novelty is mine when all marvels originate from you?