أَصُبَيْحٌ شِيمَ أَمْ بَرْقٌ بَدَا

أَصُبَيْحٌ شِيمَ أَمْ بَرْقٌ بَدَا

أَمْ سَنَا المَحبوبِ أَوْرَى أَزنُدَا

أَمْ سَنَا المَحبوبِ أَوْرَى أَزنُدَا

Was a little dawn glimpsed, or did lightning appear?

Is it the dawn whose splendor appears, or lightning that flashes?

Or did the beloved's radiance kindle fire-sticks?

Or did the radiance of my beloved arise and illuminate?

هَبَّ مِن مرْقدِهِ مُنْكَسِراً

هَبَّ مِن مرْقدِهِ مُنْكَسِراً

مُسْبِلاً للْكُمِّ مُرْخٍ للرِّدا

مُسْبِلاً للْكُمِّ مُرْخٍ للرِّدا

He rose from his bed, languid,

He rose from his bed distressed,

letting his sleeve trail and his cloak hang loose,

With disheveled locks and rumpled gown.

يمْسحُ النَّعْسةَ مِنْ عيْنَيْ رشا

يمْسحُ النَّعْسةَ مِنْ عيْنَيْ رشا

صائِدٍ في كُلِّ يوْمٍ أَسدا

صائِدٍ في كُلِّ يوْمٍ أَسدا

wiping sleep from the eyes of a young gazelle

He wipes the drowsiness from his sleepy eyes,

that hunts a lion every day.

A lion in pursuit of prey each day.

أَوْرَدتهُ لُطُفا آيتُهُ

أَوْرَدتهُ لُطُفا آيتُهُ

صفْوةَ العيْشِ وأَرْعتْهُ ددا

صفْوةَ العيْشِ وأَرْعتْهُ ددا

His wondrous beauty gently led him to drink

I cherished him with kindness, his beauty supreme,

life's purest joys, and gave him play for pasture.

The finest life, and I protected him.

فَهْوَ مِن دلٍّ عراهُ زُبْدةٌ

فَهْوَ مِن دلٍّ عراهُ زُبْدةٌ

مِن صريحٍ لم يُخَالِطْ زَبدا

مِن صريحٍ لم يُخَالِطْ زَبدا

He is, in the coyness that has come over him, the cream

He is sincere, not mixed with impurity,

of pure milk that has never mingled with froth.

Pure, unadulterated, without pretense.

قُلْتُ هَبْ لي يا حبِيبِي قُبْلَةً

قُلْتُ هَبْ لي يا حبِيبِي قُبْلَةً

تَشْفِ مِن غَمّك تَبريح الصَّدى

تَشْفِ مِن غَمّك تَبريح الصَّدى

I said, "Grant me, my beloved, a kiss

I said “Come, my darling, and give me a kiss

to heal thirst's torment, born of the grief you cause."

To relieve your worries and soothe your pain.”

فانثَنَى يَهْتَزُّ مِن مَنكِبِه

فانثَنَى يَهْتَزُّ مِن مَنكِبِه

قائِلاً لا ثُمَّ أَعْطَانِي اليدا

قائِلاً لا ثُمَّ أَعْطَانِي اليدا

Then he turned, swaying from his shoulder,

He turned aside, trembling at my plea,

saying "No," then gave me his hand.

Saying “No!” then held out his hand to me.

كُلَّما كَلَّمنِي قَبَّلْتُهُ

كُلَّما كَلَّمنِي قَبَّلْتُهُ

فَهْو إِمّا قال قَوْلاً ردَّدا

فَهْو إِمّا قال قَوْلاً ردَّدا

Whenever he spoke to me, I kissed him,

Whenever I spoke he kissed me,

so whenever he said a word, he repeated it.

If he said a word I echoed it back.

كاد أَنْ يرْجِع مِن لَثْمِي له

كاد أَنْ يرْجِع مِن لَثْمِي له

وارْتِشَافِي الثَّغْر منه أَدْرَدَا

وارْتِشَافِي الثَّغْر منه أَدْرَدَا

He nearly came away, from my kissing him

He almost swooned from my kisses,

and sipping at his lips, toothless.

My sipping his lips made him melt.

قال لي يلْعبُ صِدْ لي طائِراً

قال لي يلْعبُ صِدْ لي طائِراً

فترانِي الدَّهْر أَجْرِي بالكُدَى

فترانِي الدَّهْر أَجْرِي بالكُدَى

He said to me playfully, "Catch me a bird,"

He said “Beguile me, make me your bird,

so you see me forever running over rocky knolls.

And you will see me racing with my troubles.”

وإِذا اسْتَنْجَزْتُ يَوْماً وَعْدَه

وإِذا اسْتَنْجَزْتُ يَوْماً وَعْدَه

قالَ لي يَمْطُلُ ذَكِّرْنِي غَدا

قالَ لي يَمْطُلُ ذَكِّرْنِي غَدا

And if one day I asked him to fulfill his promise,

If I ask him to fulfill a promise someday,

he would tell me, stalling, "Remind me tomorrow."

He says “Remind me again tomorrow.”

شَرِبَتْ أَعْطَافُهُ خَمْرَ الصِّبا

شَرِبَتْ أَعْطَافُهُ خَمْرَ الصِّبا

وسَقَاه الحُسْنُ حَتَّى عَرْبَدَا

وسَقَاه الحُسْنُ حَتَّى عَرْبَدَا

His body's curves drank the wine of youth,

He sipped the wine of youth till drunk,

and beauty gave him drink until he grew riotous.

Beauty quenched his thirst till overfull.

وإِذا بِتُّ به في رَوْضة

وإِذا بِتُّ به في رَوْضة

أَغْيَداً يَعْرُو نَباتاً أَغْيَدَا

أَغْيَداً يَعْرُو نَباتاً أَغْيَدَا

And when I spent the night with him in a garden,

If we spend the night in a garden,

a supple youth moving among supple plants,

Lush, with burgeoning plants,

قامَ في اللَّيْلِ بجيدٍ أَتْلَعٍ

قامَ في اللَّيْلِ بجيدٍ أَتْلَعٍ

يَنْفُضُ اللمّةَ مِن دَمْعِ النَّدَى

يَنْفُضُ اللمّةَ مِن دَمْعِ النَّدَى

he rose in the night, his long neck erect,

He arises at midnight troubled,

shaking his locks free of the tears of dew.

Shaking off drowsiness with his teardrops.

رَشَأٌ بَلْ غادةٌ مَمْكُورةٌ

رَشَأٌ بَلْ غادةٌ مَمْكُورةٌ

عُمِّمَتْ صُبْحاً بلَيْلٍ أَسْوَدَا

عُمِّمَتْ صُبْحاً بلَيْلٍ أَسْوَدَا

A young gazelle—rather, a shapely maiden,

No! He is a restless, sleepless gazelle

a dawn turbaned with a black night.

Who wakes at dawn after a dark night.

أَحَحَتْ مِن غَضَّتِي في نَهْدِها

أَحَحَتْ مِن غَضَّتِي في نَهْدِها

ثُمَّ عَضَّتْ حُرَّ وَجْهي عَمَدَا

ثُمَّ عَضَّتْ حُرَّ وَجْهي عَمَدَا

She cried "Ah!" at my bite upon her breast,

She moaned from the pain I caused,

then deliberately bit my bare cheek.

Then in anger she bit my face intentionally.

فَأنَا المجْرُوحُ مِن عَضَّتِهَا

فَأنَا المجْرُوحُ مِن عَضَّتِهَا

لا شَفانِي اللَّهُ منها أَبَدَا

لا شَفانِي اللَّهُ منها أَبَدَا

So I am wounded by her bite;

So I am the wounded one from her bite,

may God never heal me of it.

May God never cure me of it!

ومَكانٍ عازِبٍ مِن جِيرَةٍ

ومَكانٍ عازِبٍ مِن جِيرَةٍ

أَصْدِقَاءٍ وهُم عَيْنُ العِدَا

أَصْدِقَاءٍ وهُم عَيْنُ العِدَا

And in a place remote from neighbors—

In a lonely place, far from any neighbors,

friends, yet the very essence of foes—

Friends, the apple of my eye.

ذِي نباتٍ طَيِّبٍ أَعْرَافُهُ

ذِي نباتٍ طَيِّبٍ أَعْرَافُهُ

كَعِذَارِ الشَّعْر في الخَدِّ بَدَا

كَعِذَارِ الشَّعْر في الخَدِّ بَدَا

with vegetation sweet in fragrance,

It has good vegetation, its surroundings

like a line of hair showing on a cheek,

Like the down on a cheek when it first appears.

تَحْسَبُ الهَضْبَةَ منه جَبَلاً

تَحْسَبُ الهَضْبَةَ منه جَبَلاً

وحُدُورَ الماءِ منه أَبْردَا

وحُدُورَ الماءِ منه أَبْردَا

you would take its rocky hill for a mountain,

You’d think its hill a mountain,

and the water cascading from it for striped cloaks.

Its pond a cold, gushing spring.

قُلْتُ إِذ خَيَّمْتُ فيه قاطِناً

قُلْتُ إِذ خَيَّمْتُ فيه قاطِناً

وتَلاقَتْنِي الأَمَانِي سُجَّدَا

وتَلاقَتْنِي الأَمَانِي سُجَّدَا

I said, when I pitched my tent there to dwell,

When I stayed there, pitching my tent,

and my wishes met me in prostration,

My hopes prostrated themselves before me.

وَرَأَيْتُ الدَّهْرَ خَوْفِي ساكِناً

وَرَأَيْتُ الدَّهْرَ خَوْفِي ساكِناً

وبَنِي الأَحْرَارِ حَوْلِي أَعْبُدَا

وبَنِي الأَحْرَارِ حَوْلِي أَعْبُدَا

and I saw Time stilled for fear of me,

I saw fear itself living there,

and the sons of free men slaves about me:

And free men gathered around me.

جادَ مَن أَصْبَحْتُ في أَيَّامِه

جادَ مَن أَصْبَحْتُ في أَيَّامِه

والرَّدى يَحْذَرُ مِن خَوْفِي الردَى

والرَّدى يَحْذَرُ مِن خَوْفِي الردَى

"Generous is he in whose days I now live,

He whose days I spent flourished,

while Death fears death out of fear of me—

While doom itself feared me.

مَلِكٌ يُحْسَبُ عَدْلاً مَلَكاً

مَلِكٌ يُحْسَبُ عَدْلاً مَلَكاً

وإِمامٌ أَمَّ فينا فَهَدَى

وإِمامٌ أَمَّ فينا فَهَدَى

a king whose justice makes him seem an angel,

A king thought to be just in his rule,

and an imam who led us and guided us aright.

An imam who rightly guided us.

خِلْتُهُ والرُّمْحُ في راحَتِهِ

خِلْتُهُ والرُّمْحُ في راحَتِهِ

قَمَراً يَحْمِلُ منه فَرْقَدَا

قَمَراً يَحْمِلُ منه فَرْقَدَا

I imagined him, with the spear in his palm,

I pictured him with a spear in his hand

a moon bearing, in that spear, a Farqad star.

Like a moon carrying a shining sword.

نِعمَ ما اخْتَرْتُ لنَفْسِي فاعْلَمُوا

نِعمَ ما اخْتَرْتُ لنَفْسِي فاعْلَمُوا

إِنْ زَمَانٌ جارَ أَوْ صَرْفٌ عَدَا

إِنْ زَمَانٌ جارَ أَوْ صَرْفٌ عَدَا

Excellent is what I chose for myself—know this—

Know well the choice I made for myself,

if Time acts unjustly or a turn of fortune assails:

Whether time brought harm or destiny struck.

لَيْسَ من يَعْشُو إِلى نار القِرى

لَيْسَ من يَعْشُو إِلى نار القِرى

مِثْلَ مَن يَعْشُو إِلى نارِ الهُدَى

مِثْلَ مَن يَعْشُو إِلى نارِ الهُدَى

one who gropes toward hospitality's fire is not

Not like one who lives fearing villages aflame,

like one who gropes toward guidance's fire."

But one who lives fearing the fire of truth.