1. حَبيبٌ نَأى وَهوَ القَريبُ المُصاقِبُ

    وَشَحطُ نَوىً لَم تُنضَ فيهِ الرَكائِبُ

    A beloved has gone far away, though near and neighboring,

    and far separation, in which no riding camels have been worn out.

  2. وَإِنَّ قَريباً لا يُرَجّى لِقاؤُهُ

    بَعيدٌ تَناءَى وَالمَدى مُتَقارِبُ

    For a near one whose meeting cannot be hoped for

    is far away, withdrawn, though the distance is short.

  3. أَلينُ لِصَعبِ الخُلقِ قاسٍ فُؤادُهُ

    وَأُعتِبُهُ لَو يَرعَوي مَن يُعاتَبُ

    I am gentle with one harsh of temper and hard of heart,

    and I reproach him—if only the reproached would relent.

  4. مِنَ التُركِ مَيّاسُ القوامِ مُهَفهَفٌ

    لَهُ الدُرُّ ثَغرٌ وَالزُمُرُّدُ شارِبُ

    A Turk, swaying gracefully, slender of frame,

    his mouth is pearls, his mustache emerald.

  5. يُفَوّقُ سَهماً مِن كَحيلٍ مُضَيَّقٍ

    لَهُ الهُدبُ ريشٌ وَالقِسِيُّ الحَواجِبُ

    He nocks an arrow from a kohl-dark, narrowed eye;

    its feathers are his lashes, its bows his eyebrows.

  6. أَسالَ عِذاراً في أَسيلٍ كَأَنَّهُ

    عَبيرٌ عَلى كافورِ خَدَّيهِ ذائِبُ

    He let cheek-down flow across a smooth cheek, as though it were

    perfume melting upon the camphor of his cheeks.

  7. وَأَنبَتَ في حِقفِ النَقاخيرُ رانَةً

    تُقِلُّ هِلالاً أَطلَعَتهُ الذَوائِبُ

    And he grew [a bamboo cane] upon a curving sand dune,

    bearing a crescent his tresses have brought to light.

  8. سَعَت عَقرَبا صُدغيهِ في صَحنِ خَدِّهِ

    فَهُنَّ لِقَلبي سالِباتٌ لَواسِبُ

    The two scorpions of his temples crept across his cheek;

    so they plunder and sting my heart.

  9. عَجِبتُ لِجَفنَيهِ وَقَد لَجَّ سُقمُها

    فَصَحَّت وَجِسمي مِن أَذاهنَّ ذائِبُ

    I marveled at his eyelids, whose sickness persisted,

    yet they grew well, while my body melts from their harm.

  10. وَمِن خَصرِهِ كَيفَ اِستَقَلَّ وَقَد غَدَت

    تُجاذِبُهُ أَردافُهُ وَالمَناكِبُ

    And at his waist—how it holds him upright, while

    his buttocks and shoulders tug it in opposite directions.

  11. ضَنَيتُ بِهِ حتّى رَثَت لي عَواذِلي

    وَرَقَّ لِما أَلقى العَدوُّ المُناصِبُ

    I wasted away for him until my reproachers pitied me,

    and my avowed enemy softened at my suffering.

  12. وَما كُنتُ مِمَّن يَستَكينُ لِحادِثٍ

    وَلكِنَّ سُلطانَ الهَوى لا يُغالَبُ

    I was not one to submit to misfortune,

    but love's dominion cannot be overcome.

  13. سَحائِبُ أَجفانٍ سِوارٍ سَوارِبُ

    وَأَعباءُ أَشواقٍ رَواسٍ رَواسِبُ

    Clouds of eyelids, roaming by night, streaming,

    and burdens of longing, firmly lodged, sinking deep.

  14. فَهَل لِيَ مِن داءِ الصَبابَةِ مَخلصٌ

    لَعَمري لَقَد ضاقَت عَلَيَّ المَذاهِبُ

    Is there any escape for me from lovesickness?

    By my life, the paths have narrowed upon me.

  15. حَلَبتُ شُطورَ الدَهرِ يُسراً وَعُسرَةً

    وَجَرَّبتُ حَتّى حَنكَتني التَجارِبُ

    I have milked time's udders, ease and hardship,

    and tried much, until experience seasoned me.

  16. فَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد بتُ لا البَدرُ مُشرِقٌ

    يُضيءُ لِرائيهِ وَلا النَجمُ غارِبُ

    How many a night I spent, no full moon shining

    to light its watcher, and no star setting.

  17. شَقَقتُ دُجاها لا أَرى غَيرَ هِمَّتي

    أَنيساً وَلا لي غَيرُ عَزمِيَ صاحِبُ

    I cleaved its darkness, seeing nothing but my ambition

    for company, with no companion but my resolve,

  18. بِمَمغوطَةِ الأَنساعِ قَودٍ كَأَنَّها

    عَلى الرَملِ مِن إِثرِ الأَفاعي مَساحِبُ

    on long-necked camels with stretched-out girths, as though they were

    trails upon the sand left in the wake of vipers.

  19. وَبَحرٍ تَبَطَّنت الجَواري بِظَهرِهِ

    فَجُبنَ وَهُنَّ المُقرِباتُ المَناجِبُ

    And a sea on whose back I rode the ships:

    they cleft it, well-kept, nobly bred mounts,

  20. إِلى بَحرِ جودٍ يُخجلُ البَحرَ كَفُّهُ

    فَقُل عَن أَياديهِ فَهُنَّ العَجائِبُ

    toward an ocean of generosity whose palm shames the sea.

    Speak of his favors, for they are wonders.

  21. إِلى مَلكٍ ما جادَ إِلّا وَأَقلَعَت

    حَياءً وَخَوفاً مِن يَدَيهِ السَحائِبُ

    To a king who never gives without their ceasing to rain—

    the clouds, in shame and fear of his hands.

  22. إِلى أَبلَجٍ كَالبَدرِ يُشرِقُ وَجهُهُ

    سَناءً إِذا اِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ المَواكِبُ

    To a radiant one whose face shines like the full moon,

    in splendor, when processions gather around him.

  23. تَسَنَّمَ مِن أَعلى المَراتِبِ رُتبَةً

    تَقاصَرُ عَن أَدنى مَداها الكَواكِبُ

    He mounted to a station among the highest ranks,

    whose lowest reach even the stars fall short of.

  24. لَنا مِن نَداهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ رَغائِبٌ

    وَمِن فِعلِهِ في كُلِّ مَدحٍ غَرائِبُ

    Each day we have precious gifts from his bounty,

    and from his deeds, marvels for every song of praise.

  25. فَتىً حِصنُهُ ظَهرُ الحِصانِ وَنَثرَةٌ

    تَكلُّ لَدَيها المُرهَفاتُ القَواضِبُ

    A young man whose fortress is his horse's back and a coat of mail,

    against which keen, cleaving blades grow blunt.

  26. مُضاعَفَةٌ حَتّى كَأَنَّ قَتيرَها

    حُبابٌ حَبتهُ بِالعُيونِ الجَنادِبُ

    Doubled, so that its rivets seem

    bubbles the grasshoppers have endowed with eyes.

  27. يُريه دَقيقُ الفِكرِ في كُلِّ مُشكِلٍ

    مِنَ الأَمرِ ما تُفضي إِلَيهِ العَواقِبُ

    Subtle thought shows him, in every difficulty

    of affairs, where the consequences will lead.

  28. أَتَيتُ إِلَيهِ وَالزَمانُ عِنادُهُ

    عِنادي وَقَد سُدَّت عَلَيَّ المَذاهِبُ

    I came to him, while Time's hostility

    was against me, and every path was closed to me,

  29. لِيَرفَعَ مِن قَدري وَيَجزِمَ حاسِدي

    وَأُصبِحَ في خَفضٍ فَكَم أَنا ناصِبُ

    so he might raise my standing and silence my envier,

    and I might live at ease—how weary I have been!

  30. فَلَم أَرَ كَفاً عارِضاً غَيرَ كَفِّهِ

    بِوَجهٍ وَلَم يَزوَرَّ لِلسخطِ حاجِبُ

    I saw no hand that was a raincloud but his,

    in any regard, nor a brow twisted in displeasure.

  31. قَطَعنا نِياطَ العيسِ نَحوَ ابنِ حُرَّةٍ

    صَفَت عِندَهُ لِلمُعتَفينَ المَشارِبُ

    We severed the pale camels' heartstrings, bound for a freeborn woman's son,

    with whom the drinking-places run clear for seekers of bounty.

  32. إِلى طاهِرِ الأَنسابِ ما قَعَدَت بِهِ

    عَنِ المَجدِ مِن بَعضِ الجُدودِ المَناسِبُ

    To one of pure lineage, never held back

    from glory by kinship through any of his forefathers.

  33. دَعا كَوكَباناً وَالنُجومُ كَأَنَّها

    نِطاقٌ عَلَيهِ نَظَّمَتهُ الثَواقِبُ

    He summoned Kawkaban, while the stars seemed

    a belt around it, strung by the brilliant stars.

  34. فَرامَ اِمتِناعاً عَنهُ وَهوَ مُرادهُ

    كَما اِمتَنَعَت عَن خُلوَة البَعلِ كاعِبُ

    It sought to resist him, though it was his goal,

    as a budding maiden shuns being alone with her husband.

  35. وَلَيسَ بِراشٌ مِنهُ أَقوى قَواعِداً

    وَإِن غَرَّ مَن فيهِ الظُنونُ الكَواذِبُ

    And Birash has no stronger foundations than it,

    though false expectations have deceived those within.

  36. تَقِلُّ عَلى كُثرِ العَديدِ عُداتُهُ

    وَتَكثُرُ مِنهُم في النَوادي النَوادِبُ

    Despite their great numbers, his foes dwindle,

    and wailing women multiply among them in their assemblies.

  37. وَنُصحي لَهُم أَن يَهرُبوا مِن عِقابِهِ

    إِلَيهِ فَإِنَّ النُصحَ في الدينِ واجِبُ

    My counsel to them is to flee his punishment

    to him, for sincere counsel is a religious duty.

  38. بَقيتَ فَكَم شَرَّفتَ بِاِسمِكَ مِنبِراً

    وَكَم نالَ مِن فَخرٍ بِذِكرِكَ خاطِبُ

    May you live on! How many a pulpit you have ennobled with your name,

    and how much pride an orator has gained by mentioning you!