زمانُ وِصالِه هَلّا يَعودُ

زمانُ وِصالِه هَلّا يَعودُ

وكيفَ وطَيْفُهُ ما إنْ يَعودُ

وكيفَ وطَيْفُهُ ما إنْ يَعودُ

Will the time of union with him not return?

When will the time of his union return,

And how could it, when not even his dream-phantom returns?

And how, when his phantom does not come back?

هو الظّبيُ الذي أمْسَتْ جُفوني

هو الظّبيُ الذي أمْسَتْ جُفوني

تُسَهِّدُها لواحظُهُ الرّقودُ

تُسَهِّدُها لواحظُهُ الرّقودُ

He is the gazelle for whom my eyelids spend the night

He is the gazelle whose eyelids yesterday

kept sleepless by his drowsy glances.

Evening lulled to sleep.

ألا بأبي عُهودٌ قد تقضّتْ

ألا بأبي عُهودٌ قد تقضّتْ

فهلْ دهْرٌ بعَوْدَتِها يَجودُ

فهلْ دهْرٌ بعَوْدَتِها يَجودُ

Ah, may my father be ransom for times now gone!

Alas, covenants that have expired!

Will time, then, generously grant their return?

So does time generously renew them?

سَقى عهدَ الأحبّةِ عهدُ دمْعٍ

سَقى عهدَ الأحبّةِ عهدُ دمْعٍ

إذا ما الغيثُ أخْلَفَهُ يَجودُ

إذا ما الغيثُ أخْلَفَهُ يَجودُ

May a shower of tears water the days of loved ones,

The covenant of lovers was watered with tears.

pouring whenever the rain fails them.

If rain fails, can tears flow?

ففي تلْكَ المعاهِدِ سانِحاتٌ

ففي تلْكَ المعاهِدِ سانِحاتٌ

ظِباءٌ تُرْهِبُ الآسادَ غيدُ

ظِباءٌ تُرْهِبُ الآسادَ غيدُ

For in those haunts are auspicious passers-by:

In those covenants wereDoes scowling,

lithe gazelles that terrify lions.

Frightening the lions in their lairs.

ومن تلكَ البُدورِ بها وُجوهٌ

ومن تلكَ البُدورِ بها وُجوهٌ

ومن تلكَ الغُصونِ بها قُدودُ

ومن تلكَ الغُصونِ بها قُدودُ

And faces there are fashioned from those full moons,

In those tents were faces,

and figures there from those boughs.

In those branches, singing birds.

ورُبّ عقيلةٍ ملَكَتْ فؤادي

ورُبّ عقيلةٍ ملَكَتْ فؤادي

لها في حُسْنِها شأوٌ بَعيدُ

لها في حُسْنِها شأوٌ بَعيدُ

And many a precious beauty has possessed my heart;

Many a beautiful woman has captivated my heart;

far is her reach in beauty.

In her beauty she is matchless.

لقدْ عذُبَتْ مواردُها وساغَتْ

لقدْ عذُبَتْ مواردُها وساغَتْ

فأضحَى للظِّماءِ بها وُرودُ

فأضحَى للظِّماءِ بها وُرودُ

Indeed, her springs grew sweet and pleasant to drink,

Her pastures were lush; her water was sweet,

so the thirsty now come to her for water.

Quenching the thirsty throngs.

لقد نَقعَتْ غَليلَ الشّوقِ لمّا

لقد نَقعَتْ غَليلَ الشّوقِ لمّا

غَدا بينَ الضّلوعِ لهُ وقودُ

غَدا بينَ الضّلوعِ لهُ وقودُ

Indeed, she quenched longing's burning thirst when

When love’s fire burned within my ribs,

it had found fuel between my ribs.

Her beauty was the fuel that fed the flames.

على حُكْمِ الوِدادِ بها حَباني

على حُكْمِ الوِدادِ بها حَباني

صديقٌ في فضائِلهِ وَحيدُ

صديقٌ في فضائِلهِ وَحيدُ

By friendship's decree, I was favored with her

By the law of love she showed me favor,

by a friend unrivalled in his virtues.

My faithful friend, unique in virtue.

أقرَّ لهُ العِدى بالفضْلِ طُرّاً

أقرَّ لهُ العِدى بالفضْلِ طُرّاً

وهلْ للشّمْسِ إن لاحَتْ جُحودُ

وهلْ للشّمْسِ إن لاحَتْ جُحودُ

His enemies, one and all, acknowledged his excellence.

I conceded her superiority graciously,

And can the sun be denied when it appears?

Does the sun hide when it rises?

لقدْ زانَ النّظامَ ولم يزِنْهُ

لقدْ زانَ النّظامَ ولم يزِنْهُ

وربَّتَما يزينُ السّلْكَ جيدُ

وربَّتَما يزينُ السّلْكَ جيدُ

He indeed adorned the verse; it did not adorn him,

She adorned regulartiy but was not constrained by it,

and sometimes a neck adorns the necklace.

Just as fine manners may enhance proper conduct.

فدامَ مَدى اللّيالي في سُعودٍ

فدامَ مَدى اللّيالي في سُعودٍ

على رغمِ الحواسِدِ لا تَبيدُ

على رغمِ الحواسِدِ لا تَبيدُ

So may he remain, as long as nights endure, in good fortune

As long as the nights continue in joy,

that never fades, despite the envious.

Despite the jealous, she will not fade.