يا محلَّ الروحِ من جَسَدي

يا محلَّ الروحِ من جَسَدي

وحُسامي في العِدَا ويَدِي

وحُسامي في العِدَا ويَدِي

O dwelling of the soul within my body,

O you who hold the soul's place in my body,

my sword against foes, and my sustaining hand;

And my sword against foes, and my hand,

يا أبا إسحاقَ دعوة من

يا أبا إسحاقَ دعوة من

لم يَرَ الشكوى إلى أحد

لم يَرَ الشكوى إلى أحد

O Abu Ishaq, heed the plea of one

O Abu Ishaq—a plea from one

who never thought to complain to anyone.

Who has never seen fit to complain to anyone.

خذ حديثي فهْو أطيبُ من

خذ حديثي فهْو أطيبُ من

نغمات المُسْمِع الغَرِد

نغمات المُسْمِع الغَرِد

Hear my tale, for it is sweeter than

Take my tale, for it is sweeter than

the melodies of the tuneful songstress.

The strains of a melodious singer.

يغتدى في أُذْن سامعِه

يغتدى في أُذْن سامعِه

كزُلالٍ في لَهاةِ صَد

كزُلالٍ في لَهاةِ صَد

It enters its hearer’s ear

It becomes, in the ear of its listener,

like clear water into a parched man’s throat.

Like clear water on a thirsty man's palate.

ليَ مولىً لو طلبتَ له

ليَ مولىً لو طلبتَ له

مُشْبِهاً في الخَلْقِ لم تجد

مُشْبِهاً في الخَلْقِ لم تجد

So smooth is its entrance that, if you sought

I have a master; were you to seek for him

its like in all creation, you would find none.

An equal among creation, you would find none.

فهْو فردٌ في الملاحةِ إذ

فهْو فردٌ في الملاحةِ إذ

حاز منها كلَّ منفردِ

حاز منها كلَّ منفردِ

It is peerless in beauty, for

For he is peerless in beauty, since

it has gathered every singular grace:

He has gathered every rare grace it holds.

قَمرٌ شمسٌ نَقاً غُصُنٌ

قَمرٌ شمسٌ نَقاً غُصُنٌ

شادِنٌ يَفْترُّ عن بَرَدِ

شادِنٌ يَفْترُّ عن بَرَدِ

a moon, a sun, a white dune, branches—

A moon, a sun, a sand dune, a bough,

a young gazelle whose smile reveals hailstones.

A young gazelle whose smile reveals hailstones.

رُمتُ وَصْلا منه يُخمِد ما

رُمتُ وَصْلا منه يُخمِد ما

أَضْرمتْ عيناهُ في كبدي

أَضْرمتْ عيناهُ في كبدي

I sought union from him, to quench

I sought union with him to quench what

what his eyes had kindled in my heart.

His eyes had set ablaze in my liver.

فابتدَى بالمطل يُسعِفُني

فابتدَى بالمطل يُسعِفُني

في غدٍ آتِي وبعدَ غد

في غدٍ آتِي وبعدَ غد

But he began putting me off, promising to oblige me:

So he began to stall, promising to oblige me

“Tomorrow I shall come—and the day after tomorrow.”

On the coming morrow and the day after.

ففَنِي صبِري لموعده

ففَنِي صبِري لموعده

وانقضَى في خُلْفِه جَلَدي

وانقضَى في خُلْفِه جَلَدي

My patience was exhausted awaiting his appointed time,

So my patience wore out awaiting his promised time,

and his broken promise wore out my endurance.

And my endurance ran out through his broken promises.

وأخٍ لي وهْو أَرأَفُ بي

وأخٍ لي وهْو أَرأَفُ بي

من أبٍ بَرٍّ على وَلد

من أبٍ بَرٍّ على وَلد

A brother of mine, who knows me better

And a brother of mine, who is kinder to me

than my father, was born devoted to me.

Than a devoted father to his child,

قال لما أنْ شكوتُ له

قال لما أنْ شكوتُ له

ما أُقاسيه من الكَمَد

ما أُقاسيه من الكَمَد

He said, when I complained to him

Said, when I complained to him

of the heartsick anguish I suffer:

Of the anguish I was suffering,

ما الذي تختار قلت له

ما الذي تختار قلت له

ائِتِه في زيِّ مُفتِقد

ائِتِه في زيِّ مُفتِقد

“What do you desire?” I told him:

“What do you choose?” I said to him:

“Go to him disguised as one making inquiries.

“Go to him in the guise of a visitor,

وتَحدثْ في سِوَى خَبَري

وتَحدثْ في سِوَى خَبَري

بالذي يُرْضيه واقتصِد

بالذي يُرْضيه واقتصِد

Speak of something other than my affair—

And speak of things other than my affairs,

whatever pleases him—and be discreet.

Of what pleases him, and be restrained.

ثم عَرِّض بي كأنك في

ثم عَرِّض بي كأنك في

ذكرِ حالي غيرُ مُقْتصِد

ذكرِ حالي غيرُ مُقْتصِد

Then allude to me, as though, in

Then allude to me, as though in

mentioning my plight, you had no design.

Mentioning my state you were unrestrained.

فإذا أصغَى إليك فقُل

فإذا أصغَى إليك فقُل

قد جَرى منكم إلى أمد

قد جَرى منكم إلى أمد

If he listens attentively, say:

Then, if he listens to you, say:

‘This conduct of yours toward me has dragged on for ages;

‘He has gone a certain distance from you;

ثم أَدَّاه رجاؤكمُ

ثم أَدَّاه رجاؤكمُ

لقياسٍ غير مُطَّردِ

لقياسٍ غير مُطَّردِ

hope placed in you made that term seem near,

Then his hope in you led him

through reasoning that has proved unsound.’”

To an analogy that did not hold true.

فغَدا مستبدلا فرأى

فغَدا مستبدلا فرأى

ما يؤاتيه فلم يَعُدِ

ما يؤاتيه فلم يَعُدِ

So he went seeking a substitute, and found

So he went seeking another, and found

what suited him—then never returned.

What suited him, and did not return.’”

فمَضَى فيما شَرَعتُ له

فمَضَى فيما شَرَعتُ له

مستحِثا غيرَ مُتَّئِدِ

مستحِثا غيرَ مُتَّئِدِ

He proceeded with what I had prescribed for him,

So he followed what I had laid out for him,

hurrying without delay,

Hurrying, not taking his time.

وقضى ما قد حددتُ له

وقضى ما قد حددتُ له

ثم لم ينقص ولم يَزد

ثم لم ينقص ولم يَزد

and carried out exactly what I had specified,

And carried out what I had specified for him;

neither taking away nor adding.

Then he omitted nothing and added nothing.

فلَها عنه مغالطةً

فلَها عنه مغالطةً

وحَشاهُ في لَظَى الحَرَد

وحَشاهُ في لَظَى الحَرَد

My sophistry distracted him from it,

So he turned away from him, feigning indifference,

though his innermost parts burned in anger’s blaze.

While his innards burned in anger's blaze.

فأتى في إثْرِ ساعته

فأتى في إثْرِ ساعته

قِلقا كالشادِن الشرِد

قِلقا كالشادِن الشرِد

Then he came at once,

So he came immediately afterward,

restless as a startled gazelle.

Restless as a skittish young gazelle.

غَرَضي لو كنتَ حاضرَ ما

غَرَضي لو كنتَ حاضرَ ما

مرَّ من لومٍ ومن فَنَد

مرَّ من لومٍ ومن فَنَد

Would that you had been there to witness

My wish—if only you had been there for what

what passed between us of reproach and censure!

Passed in reproach and censure,

وعتابٍ كنتُ أحسَبُه

وعتابٍ كنتُ أحسَبُه

نَفَثاتِ السحرِ في العُقَدِ

نَفَثاتِ السحرِ في العُقَدِ

My reproach—I had imagined it

And chiding that I imagined to be

like sorcery’s breath blown upon knots;

Breaths of sorcery blown into knots;

ومَقامٍ لو تُشاهده

ومَقامٍ لو تُشاهده

ظامئاتُ الخْمِس لم تَرِدِ

ظامئاتُ الخْمِس لم تَرِدِ

and my stance—had you seen it—

And a scene that, had they witnessed it,

five thirsty fingers that never reached the water:

Camels thirsty on their fifth day would not have sought water:

أسدٌ في راحَتْي رَشَأً

أسدٌ في راحَتْي رَشَأً

كرَشاً في راحَتْي أسد

كرَشاً في راحَتْي أسد

a lion holding a fawn in his two palms,

A lion in a fawn's two palms,

like a fawn holding a lion in mine.

Like a fawn in a lion's two palms.

لَلَثمتُ الورد ملتزِما

لَلَثمتُ الورد ملتزِما

وتَرشَّفتُ الأَقاحَ نَدِ

وتَرشَّفتُ الأَقاحَ نَدِ

I would have kissed the roses while embracing him

Indeed, I kissed the roses, embracing him,

and drunk the dew-fresh daisies.

And sipped the dewy daisies.

فرَشادِي في الهوى سَفَهٌ

فرَشادِي في الهوى سَفَهٌ

وسَفاهِي في الهوى رَشدي

وسَفاهِي في الهوى رَشدي

Thus my right judgment in love is folly,

So my good sense in love is folly,

and my folly in love is my right guidance.

And my folly in love is my good sense.