نَوَى أَجْرَتِ الأفلاكَ وَهْيَ النَّوَاعِجُ

نَوَى أَجْرَتِ الأفلاكَ وَهْيَ النَّوَاعِجُ

وأَطْلَعْتِ الأبراجَ وَهْيَ الهَوَادِجُ

وأَطْلَعْتِ الأبراجَ وَهْيَ الهَوَادِجُ

Separation set the heavenly spheres in motion—the swift she-camels—

The stars intended their orbits while they were languishing,

And made the constellations rise—the howdahs.

And the constellations appeared while they were lovesick.

طَوَاوِيْسُ حُسْنٍ رَوَّعَتْنِي بِبَيْنِها

طَوَاوِيْسُ حُسْنٍ رَوَّعَتْنِي بِبَيْنِها

غَرَابِيْبُ حُزْنٍ بالفِرَاقِ شَوَاحِجُ

غَرَابِيْبُ حُزْنٍ بالفِرَاقِ شَوَاحِجُ

Peacocks of beauty terrified me with their departure,

The locks of beauty alarmed me with their separation,

Jet-black ravens of sorrow, croaking at parting.

The curls of sorrow, with parting, were tearful.

مَوَائِسُ قُضْبٍ فوق كُثْبٍ كأنَّما

مَوَائِسُ قُضْبٍ فوق كُثْبٍ كأنَّما

تَحَمَّلَ نَعْمَانٌ بِهِنَّ وعَالِجُ

تَحَمَّلَ نَعْمَانٌ بِهِنَّ وعَالِجُ

Swaying boughs above dunes, as though

The intoxicated women above the dunes were as though

Naʿmān and ʿĀlij had departed with them.

Nu'man bore their wine and treated them.

وما حَزَنِي ألاَّ تَعُوْجَ حُدُوْجُهُمْ

وما حَزَنِي ألاَّ تَعُوْجَ حُدُوْجُهُمْ

لَوِ الهَوْدَجُ المَزْرُوْرُ منهنَّ عائِجُ

لَوِ الهَوْدَجُ المَزْرُوْرُ منهنَّ عائِجُ

And their howdahs' failure to turn aside would not grieve me,

My only sorrow is that their melodies do not quaver -

If the fastened-shut howdah among them turned aside.

If only the warbling, gentle, tender one among them were complainant.

مُضَرَّجُ بُرْدِ الوَجْنَتَيْنِ كأنَّما

مُضَرَّجُ بُرْدِ الوَجْنَتَيْنِ كأنَّما

له مِنْ ظُبَاتِ المُقْلَتَيْنِ ضَوارِجُ

له مِنْ ظُبَاتِ المُقْلَتَيْنِ ضَوارِجُ

Crimson-dyed is the mantle of his cheeks, as though

Speckled with the coolness of the cheeks, as though

He bore bleeding wounds from the sword-edges of his eyes.

For it among the gazelles of the eyes were wild cows.

وما الدَّهْرُ إلاَّ لَيْلَةٌ مُدْلَهِمَّةٌ

وما الدَّهْرُ إلاَّ لَيْلَةٌ مُدْلَهِمَّةٌ

وكَوْنُ ابنِ مَعْنٍ صُبْحُها المُتَبَالِجُ

وكَوْنُ ابنِ مَعْنٍ صُبْحُها المُتَبَالِجُ

And time is nothing but a pitch-dark night,

And nothing is time but a dark night,

And Ibn Maʿn's presence is its radiant dawn.

And the being of the son of Ma'n - its morning is continuous.

كأنَّكَ في الأَمْلاكِ نُقْطَةُ دائرٍ

كأنَّكَ في الأَمْلاكِ نُقْطَةُ دائرٍ

وأمْلاَكُها منها خطوطٌ خَوارِجُ

وأمْلاَكُها منها خطوطٌ خَوارِجُ

Among the realms, you are like the center-point of a circle,

It is as though you are in the spheres a circle's point

And their kings are lines radiating outward from it.

While its spheres from it are tangent lines.

سَمَاحٌ وإقدامٌ وحِلْمٌ وعِفَّةٌ

سَمَاحٌ وإقدامٌ وحِلْمٌ وعِفَّةٌ

مُزِجْنَ فأَبْدَى مُهْجَةَ الفَضْلِ مازِجُ

مُزِجْنَ فأَبْدَى مُهْجَةَ الفَضْلِ مازِجُ

Generosity, courage, forbearance, and chastity

Generosity, courage, forbearance, and chastity

Were mingled, and their mingler revealed the soul of excellence.

Were mingled, and so the essence of virtue appeared blended.

فقد صَاكَ مِنْ فَضْلِ العَوَالِمِ طِيبُهُ

فقد صَاكَ مِنْ فَضْلِ العَوَالِمِ طِيبُهُ

وهل يَكْتُمُ المِسْكَ الذَّكِيَّ نَوَافِجُ

وهل يَكْتُمُ المِسْكَ الذَّكِيَّ نَوَافِجُ

For its fragrance has wafted from the excellence of the worlds,

So it has gained from the virtue of the worlds its scent -

And can musk-pods conceal strong-scented musk?

And does musk conceal its fragrance, diffusing?

مَسَاعٍ أَحَلَّتْكَ العُلاَ فكأنَّها

مَسَاعٍ أَحَلَّتْكَ العُلاَ فكأنَّها

مَرَاقٍ إلى حَيْثُ السُّهَا ومَعَارِجُ

مَرَاقٍ إلى حَيْثُ السُّهَا ومَعَارِجُ

Endeavors have placed you on high, as though they were

Of happy augury - it has placed you in the heights, as though

Steps and ladders to where al-Suhā is.

Ladders to where the Pleiades and the rising places are.