1. The excess of passion prevails over my patience
And I have no patience for the image of the sun and the full moon
١. يُغالِبُني فَرط الغَرامِ عَلى الصَبرِ
وَلا صَبرَ لي عَن صورَةِ الشَمسِ وَالبَدرِ
2. And he blames me in love for being alone, if only he knew
It would stop his blaming and shorten his rebuke
٢. وَيَعذُلني في الحُبِّ خِلوٌ وَلَو دَرى
بِهِ كَفَّ عَن عَذلي وَقَصَّر عَن زَجري
3. I was confused in my matter though I know
My matter, but I was overcome by my matter
٣. تَحَيَّرتُ في أَمري وَإِنّي لَعارِفٌ
بِأَمريَ لَكِنّي غُلِبتُ عَلى أَمري
4. And my heart and gaze became in love
Allies of the gazelle that hid in estrangement
٤. وَصارَ عَليَّ القَلب وَالطَرفُ في الهَوى
نصيرين لِلظَّبيِ الَّذي لَجَّ في الهَجرِ
5. O you who thirst, here is the water of my skin bag
And kindler of fires, here is the fire in my chest
٥. أَلا أَيُّها الظَمآنَ ها ماء مُقلَتي
وَيا قابِس النِيرانِ ها النار في صَدري
6. My eyelids refused to be satiated by seeing you
And for the heart to be devoid of anxiety and thought
٦. أَبى لِجُفوني فيك أَن تَطعم الكَرى
وَلِلقَلبِ أَن يَخلو مِنَ الهَمِّ وَالفِكرِ
7. And I wasted away so if you were poured in a cup of wine
The wine drinker would not have seized me in his cup
٧. وَذُبتُ فَلَو أَلقَيتَ في كأسِ خمرةٍ
لما اغتصَّ بي في كأسِها شارِب الخَمرِ
8. And how much pleasure I enjoyed with its fragrance
And there was no doubt between us
٨. وَكَم لَذَّةٍ لي قَد نعمت بِطيبِها
وَلَم تَكُ فيما بَينَنا ريبة تَجري
9. She came to us with drinks, captured
With an eyelid lined with magic
٩. تَطوفُ عَلَينا بِالمُدامِ سَبيَّةً
لَها جفن عَين قَد تَكَحَّل بِالسَحرِ
10. She appeared under the arches of darkness as if
The night of decree encountered me from her face
١٠. بدت تحت أَرواقِ الظَلامِ كَأَنَّما
يُواجِهُني مِن وَجهِها لَيلَةُ القَدرِ
11. And a night we crouched under it and blankets
Flew if the spotted camels lay down
١١. وَلَيلٍ جثمنا تَحتَهُ فَتَطايَرَت
لوقَعَ المَطايا جاثِمات القطا الكُدري
12. It takes us until when the side
Of the plain brought us close to the rugged side
١٢. تَسيرُ بِنا حَتّى إِذا عَزَّ جانِبٌ
مِنَ السَهلِ أَدَنتَنا إِلى جانِب الوَعرِ
13. Stars of a group among the stars of darkness
Go just as they go and run just as they run
١٣. كَواكِبُ رَكبٍ في كَواكِبِ ظُلمَةٍ
تَسيرُ كَما تَسري وَتَجري كَما تَجري
14. To a master who fulfilled and fulfilled me wishes
To glory that fulfilled at the prime of the full moon
١٤. إِلى سَيدٍ أَوفَت فأوفاني المُنى
إِلى عِزَّةٍ أَوفَت عَلى غُرَّة البَدرِ
15. To the esteemed and glorious master who
Contained glory walking with pride and esteem
١٥. إِلى السَيِّدِ المِفضالِ وَالماجِدِ الَّذي
حَوى المَجدَ قدماً بِالمَفاخِرِ وَالقَدرِ
16. And when the camels' saddles creaked, I spurred them
With my words, "Go to the essence of pride."
١٦. وَلَمّا ونت بُزل المَطايا حَثَثتُها
بِقَولي لَها سيري إِلى مَعدَنِ الفَخرِ
17. So when she felt that you were the aim, she hastened
Running and spared me the whip and scolding
١٧. فَلَمّا أَحَست أَنَّكَ القَصدُ أَسرعت
رواحاً وأغنتني عن السَوطِ والزَجرِ
18. So with good fortune, not ill-omen was her stopping
At the door of one whose hands were spared from rain
١٨. فَكانَ بِسَعدٍ لا بِنَجسٍ مَناخُها
عَلى بابِ مَن أَغنَت يَداهُ عَن القَطرِ
19. A generous man whom the most unjust of people compare
To rain, dripping and sea
١٩. كَريم لَه من أَظلم الناس شاعِرٌ
يُشبِّههُ بِالغَيثِ وَالقَطرِ وَالبَحرِ
20. And he still has flawless gold and thoughts
And mention and ideas that cannot be compared to any thought
٢٠. وَما زالَ ذا ذهب صَحيحٍ وَخاطِرٍ
وَذِكرٍ وَفِكرٍ لا يُقاسُ إِلى فِكرِ
21. And if adversity befell, repelling it would only be
With the determination of the lofty and sharp mountains
٢١. وَإِن نابَ خَطبٌ لَم يَكُن دَفعُهُ سِوى
صدور العَوالي وَالمُهَنَّدَةِ البَترِ
22. The page of nomads was struck by the arrow of its clouds' palm
In the page of time, so it shuddered
٢٢. رمت صفحة الأَعراب كَفُّ سَحابه
بِسَهمِ النَدى فاهتَزَّ في صَفَحةِ الدَهرِ
23. A literary, rational, glorious and generous man
Generous, good-natured, of fine origin and mention
٢٣. أَديبٌ لَبيبٌ ماجِدٌ متكِرِّمٌ
كَريمٌ المحيّا طَيِّبُ الأصلِ وَالذِكرِ
24. O you noble, generous, who reached with glory
And benevolence the peak of the eagle
٢٤. أَلا أَيُّها القيلُ الكَريمُ ومن سَما
بِمَجدٍ وَإِحسانٍ عَلى قِمَّةِ النَسرِ
25. A soul that fears vileness protects you
And loves you with the love of safety in the time of horror
٢٥. تَقيكَ الرَدى نَفسٌ عَلى كَريمة
تُحبُّكَ حُبَّ الأمن في زمن الذُعرِ
26. God has indeed raised your value in the world
As the night of decree was ennobled among the nights
٢٦. لَقَد رفع الرَحمَنُ قَدرُكَ في الوَرى
كَما في اللَيالي شُرِّفت ليلة القَدرِ
27. So if you attained the prime of probity
Musk has a scattering not found in perfume
٢٧. فَإِن كنت في جنس البَرايا وفقتهم
فَلِلمِسكِ نَشرٌ لَيسَ يوجد في العِطرِ
28. As a bride in verses I presented her to you
To you, so receive, O most eloquent in gratitude
٢٨. إِلَيكَ عَروساً في قَريضٍ زَفَفتُها
إِلَيكَ فَخُذ يا أَبرَعَ الناسِ بِالشُكرِ
29. For man's glory is nothing but his speech
So you live in the best ongoing speech
٢٩. فَما عَزَّة الإِنسان إِلّا حَديثِهِ
فَعِش أَنتَ في خَيرِ الحَديثِ الَّذي يَجري
30. And live forever for as long as a bird
Flies in the air and leaves rustle on a fresh branch
٣٠. وَعِش أَبَداً ما لاح في الجَوِّ طائِرٌ
وَما هتفت وَرقاء في غُصُنِ نَضرِ