لَأَتبَعنَّ الهَوى
إِلى أَقاصيه
I will pursue desire
To its farthest reaches
حَتّى يَقولَ فَريقٌ
رَقَّت حَواشيه
Until a group says
Its edges have softened
ما عيلَ مصطَبري
لَولاكَ يا يَحيى
My resolve is not weakened, Yahya
By you. At times I die from looking
أَموتُ بِالنَظَر
وَتارَةً أَحيا
And at others, I live
I want no news
ما شِئتُ مِن خَبَر
يا بِدع في الأَشيا
O unique in things
A love that makes sorrow intimate
صَبٌّ يُقاسي النَوى
فيما يُقاسيه
With what makes it intimate
Wadi Al-Aqeeq overflows
يَفيضُ وادي العَقيق
عَلى مَآقيه
On its conduit
Who will show me a face that combines
مَن لي بِوَجهِ جَمعٍ
مَحاسِنَ الصُوَر
The beauties of forms
That would suffice instead of the rising
يُغني إِذا ما طَلَع
عَن مَطلَعِ القَمَر
Of the moon
A smile that has left
وَمَبسَمٍ لَم يَدَع
صَبراً لِمُصطَبِر
No patience for one showing patience
Like good rain that poured down
مِثل الأَقاحِ اِستَوى
فَباتَ يَسقيه
And stayed watering it
A mouth like spilled perfume
ريقٌ كَأَنَّ الرَحيقَ
مُشَعشَع فيه
Luminous in it
My tears flowed and spoke
دَمعي جَرى فَنَطَق
عَن بَعضِ ما أَجِد
Of some of what I feel
While people slept, wakeful was I
وَمسعِدي في الأَرَق
وَالناسُ قَد رَقَدوا
In insomnia, alone, a star
Weak, bewildered, isolated
نَجمٌ ضَعيفُ الرَمَق
حَيران مُنفَرِدُ
Displaying the weakness of strength
In its slowness
يَلوحُ ضعفَ القوى
عَلى تَوانيهِ
Like a drowning man seeking
What does not save him
مِثل اِلتِماسِ الغَريق
ما لَيسَ يُنجيهِ
A face like a crescent moon
Appearing on a branch
وَجهٌ كَمِثلِ الهِلالِ
يَبدو عَلى غُصنِ
Adorned with beauty
And the gift of charm
رَصعتهُ بِالجَمالِ
وَتُحفَةُ الحُسنِ
At that point say to him from me
We will not be satisfied with less
فَعِندَ ذلِكَ قالَ
قولوا لَهُ عَنّي
Than my description and likeness
He wants to be a friend to me
لَس نَرتَضي لَو سِوى
وَصفي وَتَشبيهي
Who patiently bears my wanderings
يُريدُ نَكون لي صَديق
يَصبرُ عَلى تيهي
