أَقريبٌ من دَنفٍ غَدهُ

أَقريبٌ من دَنفٍ غَدهُ

فَاللَيلُ تَمرَّدَ أَسودُهُ

فَاللَيلُ تَمرَّدَ أَسودُهُ

Is a lovesick man's morrow near?

Near a valley is tomorrow's eve

For the night's blackness has rebelled,

As the night dons its blackest weave

وَالتَفَّت تحت عجاجَتهِ

وَالتَفَّت تحت عجاجَتهِ

بيضٌ في الحيِّ تُؤَيِّدهُ

بيضٌ في الحيِّ تُؤَيِّدهُ

and beneath its dust-cloud have rallied

And beneath its shutter blinks

white ones in the encampment, lending it strength.

In life's surge whiteness it confirms

حربٌ عندي لمُسَعِّرِها

حربٌ عندي لمُسَعِّرِها

شوقٌ ما زِلتُ أُرَدِّدهُ

شوقٌ ما زِلتُ أُرَدِّدهُ

There is war within me; for its kindler

A war I have for its ignitor

I have a longing I never cease to voice.

A longing I repeat and roar

هل من راقٍ لصريفِ هوىً

هل من راقٍ لصريفِ هوىً

هل من آسٍ يَتَعَهَّدهُ

هل من آسٍ يَتَعَهَّدهُ

Is there one to charm away love's grinding cry?

Is there one to tend my passion's course

Is there a healer to tend him?

One to mend it and endorse

حَتّامَ يُساوِرهُ كمدٌ

حَتّامَ يُساوِرهُ كمدٌ

يُبلى الأَحشاءِ تجدُّدُه

يُبلى الأَحشاءِ تجدُّدُه

How long will sorrow assail him,

Yearning wears him down piecemeal

its renewal wearing away his entrails?

Its insides churning unrest healed

والامَ يُصارِعُه أَلمٌ

والامَ يُصارِعُه أَلمٌ

إن همَّ يُقيمُ وَيُقعِدهُ

إن همَّ يُقيمُ وَيُقعِدهُ

And how long will pain wrestle with him,

Pain wrestles him, should sorrow lour

making him rise and sit whenever it wills?

Grief will seat him and empower

في القَصرِ غزالٌ تُكبِرهُ

في القَصرِ غزالٌ تُكبِرهُ

غِزلانُ الرَملِ وَتحسدُه

غِزلانُ الرَملِ وَتحسدُه

In the palace is a gazelle, held in awe

In this palace a gazelle it grows

by the gazelles of the sands, who envy him.

Down the sands other gazelles it glows

صَفِرَت كفّي منه وَمضى

صَفِرَت كفّي منه وَمضى

وقد امتلأَت منّي يَدُه

وقد امتلأَت منّي يَدُه

My palm was left empty of him, and he departed,

My palms it rendered yellow and left

though his hand was filled with what came from me.

Full of me were the hands it cleft

كم صُغتُ التَبرَ له شَركاً

كم صُغتُ التَبرَ له شَركاً

وَقَضَيتُ اللَيلَ أُنضِدهُ

وَقَضَيتُ اللَيلَ أُنضِدهُ

How often I fashioned gold into a snare for him,

How cups with it I sipped and sipped

and spent the night arranging it.

The night with it I spent and tipped

وَأُشاوِرُ شَوقي بل أدبي

وَأُشاوِرُ شَوقي بل أدبي

هل أَقصِرُ أَم أَتَصَيَّده

هل أَقصِرُ أَم أَتَصَيَّده

And I consult my longing—rather, my propriety—

With my longing, my grace I parley

shall I desist, or hunt him down?

Do I shorten or lengthen my tally

مَولايَ أُعيذُكَ من ضَرمٍ

مَولايَ أُعيذُكَ من ضَرمٍ

لا يَرحمُ قلبا موقِدُه

لا يَرحمُ قلبا موقِدُه

My lord, I pray you be shielded from a blaze

My lord I seek your protection

whose kindler shows no mercy to any heart.

From a heart not fire's rejection

أَدرِك بحياتكَ من رَمقي

أَدرِك بحياتكَ من رَمقي

ما باتَ هواكَ يُهَدِّدُه

ما باتَ هواكَ يُهَدِّدُه

Save, by your life, the last spark of my life

Spare me what of me remains aware

that love for you has been threatening all night.

That longing for you threatens there

قد بان الحُبُّ لذي عَينَي

قد بان الحُبُّ لذي عَينَي

نِ وهذا الشَوقُ يُؤَكِّدُه

نِ وهذا الشَوقُ يُؤَكِّدُه

Love has become plain to anyone with two eyes,

Love lies bare in these eyes of mine

and this yearning confirms it.

And longing makes it shine and shine

شَوقي جَوِّد في الشِعرِ وَقُل

شَوقي جَوِّد في الشِعرِ وَقُل

آمَنتُ بِأَنَّكَ أوحَدُه

آمَنتُ بِأَنَّكَ أوحَدُه

Shawqi, excel in verse, and speak—

Longing be generous with my verse

I believe you are its peerless master.

I believe you are matchless and terse.