ما لِي إذا هبَّ عَليلُ الرّياحْ

ما لِي إذا هبَّ عَليلُ الرّياحْ

يَرْوي أحاديثَ غَرامي صِحاحْ

يَرْوي أحاديثَ غَرامي صِحاحْ

What ails me when the gentle breath of the winds blows,

What is wrong if the morning breeze relates the tales of my passion so very clearly,

recounting true tales of my passion?

And why should my tears conceal my love when they speak so openly of the secrets of my passion.

وما لدَمْعي إذ كتَمتُ الهَوى

وما لدَمْعي إذ كتَمتُ الهَوى

باحَ بأسْرارِ غَرامي صُراحْ

باحَ بأسْرارِ غَرامي صُراحْ

And why did my tears, when I concealed my love,

My eyelids were sleepless the night I intended,

openly divulge the secrets of my passion?

A shining lantern with inflammation kept me awake.

وأرّقَ الأجْفانَ يوْمَ النّوى

وأرّقَ الأجْفانَ يوْمَ النّوى

سَنا وميضٍ بالحِمى قدْ ألاحْ

سَنا وميضٍ بالحِمى قدْ ألاحْ

And on the day of parting, my eyelids were kept awake

And my tears revealed the secret of passion,

by the glow of lightning that had flashed over the sanctuary.

So that the more I try to hide it, the more clearly it shows.

وصرّحَ الدمْعُ بسرِّ الهَوى

وصرّحَ الدمْعُ بسرِّ الهَوى

فكلّما أُخْفيهِ زادَ اتّضاحْ

فكلّما أُخْفيهِ زادَ اتّضاحْ

And tears laid bare the secret of love;

Thus, the tears in my eyes never ceased to pour down

so whenever I hide it, it grows more plain.

And the agony of my passion cannot be extinguished or calmed.

فدمْعُ جفْنِي لمْ يزَلْ صَيّباً

فدمْعُ جفْنِي لمْ يزَلْ صَيّباً

وزَنْدُ شوْقي ليسَ يُلْفَى شَحاحْ

وزَنْدُ شوْقي ليسَ يُلْفَى شَحاحْ

So my eyelid's tears have never ceased to pour,

Can I now conceal my love when the secret of my passion has become exposed?

and my longing's firestick is never sparing of fire.

I am infatuated with a gazelle whose eyes have always been sick, causing distress to the healthy.

أأسْتَطيعُ الآن كتْمَ الهَوى

أأسْتَطيعُ الآن كتْمَ الهَوى

وقدْ غَدا سِرُّ غَرامي مُباحْ

وقدْ غَدا سِرُّ غَرامي مُباحْ

Can I now conceal my love,

With his height and glances he continues to destroy both the dark-skinned and the fair complexioned.

when the secret of my passion has become public?

His glances dishonor the eggs of the grouse and his height belittles the spears of warriors.

هِمْتُ بظَبْيٍ لمْ يزَلْ جَفْنُهُ

هِمْتُ بظَبْيٍ لمْ يزَلْ جَفْنُهُ

ذا مَرَضٍ يُمْرِضُ منّا الصّحاحْ

ذا مَرَضٍ يُمْرِضُ منّا الصّحاحْ

I am smitten with a gazelle whose eyelid has always been

He smiles with dimpled cheeks like the buds blossoming in a meadow.

languid, making the healthy among us ill.

And his moles have become as fragrant as the blossoms when they bloom.

من قدّه ولحْظِهِ لم يزَلْ

من قدّه ولحْظِهِ لم يزَلْ

يَفْتُكُ بالسُّمْرِ وبيضِ الصِّفاحْ

يَفْتُكُ بالسُّمْرِ وبيضِ الصِّفاحْ

Through his stature and his glance, he never ceases

I have shed my chastity in love, so would there be any sin in doing so?

to wreak havoc on dusky spears and bright sword-blades.

The ardent lover cannot be blamed in his love, for youth pays no heed to censure.

فلحْظُهُ يُزْري ببيضِ الظُّبا

فلحْظُهُ يُزْري ببيضِ الظُّبا

وقدُّهُ يُزْري بسُمْرِ الرّماحْ

وقدُّهُ يُزْري بسُمْرِ الرّماحْ

For his glance puts white sword-edges to shame,

O the one whom God rebuke for estrangement when rejection has become unjust and false!

and his stature puts dusky spears to shame.

How can I endure patience from his love when most of my patience is already shattered?

يبْسِمُ عن ثغْرٍ شَنيبٍ كَما

يبْسِمُ عن ثغْرٍ شَنيبٍ كَما

تَبسِمُ في الرّوْضِ ثُغورُ الأقاحْ

تَبسِمُ في الرّوْضِ ثُغورُ الأقاحْ

He smiles, revealing a mouth of pearly teeth, as

There is no sin upon the lover if he lowers his wings in love toward the beloved.

the mouths of daisies smile in the garden.

I made him the judge, so his judgment, if sound to me, is good.

وقدْ غَدا لناشِقٍ عَرْفُهُ

وقدْ غَدا لناشِقٍ عَرْفُهُ

يحْكي شَذا الزَّهْرِ إذا الزَّهْرُ فاحْ

يحْكي شَذا الزَّهْرِ إذا الزَّهْرُ فاحْ

And to one who breathes it in, his fragrance has come

A gazelle, when I remember him, I bend with comfort like a branch.

to resemble flowers' perfume when their scent wafts.

His glance among lovers has the impact of an Indian sword on the day of battle.

خلَعْتُ في الحُبِّ عِذاري فهلْ

خلَعْتُ في الحُبِّ عِذاري فهلْ

عليَّ في خَلْعِ عِذاري جُناحْ

عليَّ في خَلْعِ عِذاري جُناحْ

I have cast off my bridle in love; is there, then,

He rivals a slender branch when it is bent, and outshines the full moon when it shines.

any blame on me for casting off my bridle?

Union with him is my heart's content, separation from him is accessible bathhouse.

لا يُعْذَلُ المُشْتاقُ في حُبِّه

لا يُعْذَلُ المُشْتاقُ في حُبِّه

فالصّبُّ لا يُصْغي إلى قوْلِ لاحْ

فالصّبُّ لا يُصْغي إلى قوْلِ لاحْ

The yearning lover is not to be blamed for his love,

I will seek his proximity after intention, for the difficult terrain may soften after rigidness.

for the lovesick lover heeds no reprover's words.

I crafted my verses in his description as the immaculate gardens crafted their blossoms.

يا قاتَلَ اللهُ عَذولاً جَفا

يا قاتَلَ اللهُ عَذولاً جَفا

لمّا غَدا في العذْلِ ظُلماً وراحْ

لمّا غَدا في العذْلِ ظُلماً وراحْ

Ah, may God smite the reprover who was harsh,

Maybe it will extinguish the fire of passion with its cool, delicate, and soothing radiance.

as he unjustly reproached me morning and evening!

For the heart inclines toward him whenever the morning breezes blow.

كيفَ أطيقُ الصّبْرَ عنْ حُبِّهِ

كيفَ أطيقُ الصّبْرَ عنْ حُبِّهِ

وربْعُ صبْري قدْ غَدا مُسْتَباحْ

وربْعُ صبْري قدْ غَدا مُسْتَباحْ

How can I bear to forgo his love,

when the dwelling of my patience has been overrun?

ليسَ على الصّبِّ جُناحٌ إذا

ليسَ على الصّبِّ جُناحٌ إذا

يَخفِضُ في الحُبِّ إليْهِ الجَناحْ

يَخفِضُ في الحُبِّ إليْهِ الجَناحْ

No blame rests upon the lovesick lover when

he lowers his wing to him in love.

حكَّمتُهُ يقضي بما يرْتَضي

حكَّمتُهُ يقضي بما يرْتَضي

فحُكْمُهُ إنْ جارَ عِندي صَلاحْ

فحُكْمُهُ إنْ جارَ عِندي صَلاحْ

I have made him judge, to rule as he pleases;

so his judgment, even if unjust, is right in my eyes.

ظَبْيٌ إذا ما عادَني ذِكْرُهُ

ظَبْيٌ إذا ما عادَني ذِكْرُهُ

أميلُ كالغُصْنِ إليْهِ ارْتِياحْ

أميلُ كالغُصْنِ إليْهِ ارْتِياحْ

A gazelle—whenever the thought of him revisits me,

I sway toward him like a branch, in delight.

يفعَلُ في أهلِ الهَوى لحْظُهُ

يفعَلُ في أهلِ الهَوى لحْظُهُ

فِعْلَ الحُسامِ الصّلْتِ يومَ الكِفاحْ

فِعْلَ الحُسامِ الصّلْتِ يومَ الكِفاحْ

His glance does to the people of love

what a keen, unsheathed sword does on the day of combat.

يحْكي قضيبَ البانِ مهْما انثَنى

يحْكي قضيبَ البانِ مهْما انثَنى

ويُخْجِلُ البَدْرَ إذا البدْرُ لاحْ

ويُخْجِلُ البَدْرَ إذا البدْرُ لاحْ

He resembles a bān-tree branch whenever he sways,

and shames the full moon when the full moon shines.

فالوَصْلُ لي منهُ بُلوغُ المُنى

فالوَصْلُ لي منهُ بُلوغُ المُنى

والهَجْرُ لي منْهُ حِمامٌ مُتاحْ

والهَجْرُ لي منْهُ حِمامٌ مُتاحْ

For union with him is, to me, the fulfillment of desire,

and separation from him is a death ordained for me.

سأرْتَجي بعْدَ النّوى قُرْبَه

سأرْتَجي بعْدَ النّوى قُرْبَه

فقدْ يَلينُ الصّعْبُ بعْدَ الجِماحْ

فقدْ يَلينُ الصّعْبُ بعْدَ الجِماحْ

I shall hope for his nearness after parting,

for the unruly may grow gentle after defiance.

جَلَوْتُ أبْياتيَ في وصْفِهِ

جَلَوْتُ أبْياتيَ في وصْفِهِ

كما جلَتْ زهْرَ الرِّياضِ البِطاحْ

كما جلَتْ زهْرَ الرِّياضِ البِطاحْ

I have unveiled my verses in describing him,

as the plains unveil the blossoms of the gardens.

لعلّهُ يُطْفِئُ نارَ الجَوى

لعلّهُ يُطْفِئُ نارَ الجَوى

بريقِه العَذْبِ البَرودِ القَراحْ

بريقِه العَذْبِ البَرودِ القَراحْ

Perhaps he will quench the fire of lovesickness

with his sweet, cooling, pure saliva.

فالقَلْبُ يَصبو نحْوَهُ كلّما

فالقَلْبُ يَصبو نحْوَهُ كلّما

هبّتْ نُسَيماتُ الصَّبا بالصَّباحْ

هبّتْ نُسَيماتُ الصَّبا بالصَّباحْ

For my heart yearns toward him whenever

the gentle breezes of the east wind blow in the morning.