مَخافةَ واشٍ اسبَلَت غاسقَ الشَعرِ

مَخافةَ واشٍ اسبَلَت غاسقَ الشَعرِ

غداةَ اللِقا وَاللَيل اكتمُ للسرِّ

غداةَ اللِقا وَاللَيل اكتمُ للسرِّ

Fearing a talebearer, she let down the darkness of her hair,

The fear of a lover spread the darkness of poetry

On the morning of our meeting—for night conceals secrets better.

The next morning after meeting, the night kept the secret

وَلكنها لما دنت فتبسمت

وَلكنها لما دنت فتبسمت

فَشا سرُّنا مِمّا تأَلق في الثَغرِ

فَشا سرُّنا مِمّا تأَلق في الثَغرِ

But when she drew near and smiled,

But when she came close, she smiled

Our secret spread from the gleam in her mouth.

And our secret spread from the radiance of her lips

بَكَت حين جدَّ البينُ دَمعاً سقت بِهِ

بَكَت حين جدَّ البينُ دَمعاً سقت بِهِ

شَقائقَ حُمراً فاِستَحالَت الى صُفرِ

شَقائقَ حُمراً فاِستَحالَت الى صُفرِ

When parting became real, she wept tears with which she watered

She wept when separation was certain, she shed tears

Red anemones, which then turned yellow.

With which she watered red anemones that turned yellow

وَلكنني لما بكيتُ على النوى

وَلكنني لما بكيتُ على النوى

تخضب خدي من مدامعيَ الحمرِ

تخضب خدي من مدامعيَ الحمرِ

But when I wept over separation,

But when I cried over the loss

My cheek was dyed by my crimson tears.

My cheeks were dyed red from my red tears

مورّدة الخدَّين من نار حسنها

مورّدة الخدَّين من نار حسنها

ومن عجبٍ ان ينضرَ الورد في الجمرِ

ومن عجبٍ ان ينضرَ الورد في الجمرِ

Her cheeks are rose-red from the fire of her beauty,

My cheeks became rosy from the fire of her beauty

And it is a wonder that the rose flourishes amid embers.

And it's amazing that the rose blossoms in embers

اذا شبَّ جمرُ الخد زاد نضارةً

اذا شبَّ جمرُ الخد زاد نضارةً

وَيذبلُ اذ يُسقى دموعاً لَها تَجري

وَيذبلُ اذ يُسقى دموعاً لَها تَجري

When the embers of her cheek flare, the rose grows fresher,

When the coals of my cheeks burned, they became more radiant

Yet withers when watered with her flowing tears.

But they wither when drenched with freely flowing tears

تَبارَكَ من صاغَ المحاسن إِنَّها

تَبارَكَ من صاغَ المحاسن إِنَّها

تخالفُ أَحكامَ الطَبيعة لَو تَدري

تخالفُ أَحكامَ الطَبيعة لَو تَدري

Blessed is the One who fashioned these beauties: they

Blessed is He who created beauty, it

Defy the laws of nature, if only you knew.

Defies the laws of nature, if you know

فاضعفُ ما في الحسن افتكهُ بنا

فاضعفُ ما في الحسن افتكهُ بنا

معاشرَ عُشّاق الوَرى في الهَوى العذري

معاشرَ عُشّاق الوَرى في الهَوى العذري

For beauty's frailest feature is the deadliest to us—

For the weakest aspect of beauty captured us

We, the world's bands of lovers, in chaste love:

Lovers of passion, blameless in love

مِراضُ جفونٍ غالِباتٌ لدى الوَغى

مِراضُ جفونٍ غالِباتٌ لدى الوَغى

اصحّاءَ اهل العشقِ بالقتل والاسرِ

اصحّاءَ اهل العشقِ بالقتل والاسرِ

Sickly eyelids conquer on the battlefield

Sick eyelids dominate during passion

The hale among love's devotees, by killing and capture.

Healing the lovesick with murder and captivity

وَتِلكَ العَبيد السود من كل مقلةٍ

وَتِلكَ العَبيد السود من كل مقلةٍ

قواتِلُ احرار الرجالَ بلا وزرِ

قواتِلُ احرار الرجالَ بلا وزرِ

And those black slaves from every eye

And those black slaves of all alluring eyes

Slay free men without guilt.

Killers of free men without blame

وَتِلكَ القدود الهيف يعطفها الهوا

وَتِلكَ القدود الهيف يعطفها الهوا

طواعن قلب الصبّ من داخل الصدرِ

طواعن قلب الصبّ من داخل الصدرِ

And those slender figures, bent by the breeze,

And those slender waists bent by love

Pierce the lovesick heart from within the breast.

Stab the heart of the lover from within the chest

وَماذا تُرى صبر المحبين عندها

وَماذا تُرى صبر المحبين عندها

وقد أَنشبت في الحب حرب بني بدر

وقد أَنشبت في الحب حرب بني بدر

What, do you think, is lovers' patience worth before her,

And what do you think is the patience of lovers with them

When she has kindled in love the war of Banu Badr?

When the war of Badr erupted in love

تَصولُ بنبلٍ من عيونٍ كما من ال

تَصولُ بنبلٍ من عيونٍ كما من ال

حواجب والاعطافِ بالبيض والسمرِ

حواجب والاعطافِ بالبيض والسمرِ

She charges with arrows from eyes, and likewise from the

They attack with arrows from eyes

Brows and supple forms, with white swords and brown spears.

Eyebrows and glances with white and brown

وَما الصَبرُ الّا في القلوب وقد رمت

وَما الصَبرُ الّا في القلوب وقد رمت

فاوَّل مرمي بها مهجةُ الصَبرِ

فاوَّل مرمي بها مهجةُ الصَبرِ

Patience dwells only in hearts, and she has loosed her arrows;

And patience exists only in hearts, so when

So their first target is patience's very heart.

The first one hit was the domain of patience

رأَيتُ الغَواني آمراتٍ نواهياً

رأَيتُ الغَواني آمراتٍ نواهياً

ولا كالامير المالك النهي والامرِ

ولا كالامير المالك النهي والامرِ

I have seen beautiful women commanding and forbidding,

I saw the coquettes commanding and forbidding

But none like the prince who holds prohibition and command.

Not like the prince's commands and prohibitions

فكُلُّ اميرٍ سادَ بالسيفِ وَالقَنا

فكُلُّ اميرٍ سادَ بالسيفِ وَالقَنا

فدىً لاميرٍ ساد بالمجد والفَخرِ

فدىً لاميرٍ ساد بالمجد والفَخرِ

For every prince who ruled by sword and spear

For every prince ruled by the sword and spear

Is ransom for a prince who ruled through glory and honor:

But praise the prince who ruled by glory and pride

لمالك اعناق الرجال بِلُطفِهِ

لمالك اعناق الرجال بِلُطفِهِ

عدا حقَّهُ الموروث من قِدَم الدَهرِ

عدا حقَّهُ الموروث من قِدَم الدَهرِ

For the master of men's necks through his kindness,

Who controls men's necks by his gentleness

Besides his right inherited from ages past.

Apart from his inherited right since ancient times

فَتى لا تَصبّاهُ الغَواني بحسنها

فَتى لا تَصبّاهُ الغَواني بحسنها

وقد يتَصبّاها اذا لاحَ كالبَدرِ

وقد يتَصبّاها اذا لاحَ كالبَدرِ

A youth whom beauties do not enthrall with their beauty,

A man whom the coquettes cannot entice with their beauty

Yet he may enthrall them when he appears like the full moon.

Though they may entice him when he shines like the full moon

لَها عن سواد العين منها بحبرهِ

لَها عن سواد العين منها بحبرهِ

وَبالطرس عن بيض التَرائب وَالنحرِ

وَبالطرس عن بيض التَرائب وَالنحرِ

His ink diverted him from the black of her eye,

With his ink, he was self-sufficient without the curl of hair

And the writing sheet from her white bosom and throat.

And content without the lips with prose and poetry

وَبالقَلم اِستَغنى عن العطف واكتفى

وَبالقَلم اِستَغنى عن العطف واكتفى

عن الثغرِ بالدر المنظمِ والنثرِ

عن الثغرِ بالدر المنظمِ والنثرِ

With his pen he dispensed with her supple form, content

Dark hair did not dye him, for he

With pearls strung in verse and scattered in prose instead of her mouth.

Became distracted from black hair with poetry

وَلَم تُصبه سودُ الشعور فانهُ

وَلَم تُصبه سودُ الشعور فانهُ

غدا لاهياً عن اسود الشعر بالشعرِ

غدا لاهياً عن اسود الشعر بالشعرِ

Nor did black locks captivate him, for he

He clarifies the subtle meaning with his delicate words

Became distracted from black hair by poetry.

Like pure wine clarifying wine

يشفّ عن المَعنى الدَقيق بلفظِه ال

يشفّ عن المَعنى الدَقيق بلفظِه ال

الرَقيق كصافي الكأس شفّ عن الخَمرِ

الرَقيق كصافي الكأس شفّ عن الخَمرِ

He reveals subtle meaning through his words—

And he creates meaning intoxicated while sober

Delicate, like a clear cup that lets the wine shine through.

And awakens by it from immersion in drunkenness

وَيبتدع المعنى فيسكر صاحياً

وَيبتدع المعنى فيسكر صاحياً

وَيَصحو بِهِ من غاص في لجَّة السكرِ

وَيَصحو بِهِ من غاص في لجَّة السكرِ

And he creates meaning, intoxicating the sober,

Oh distant one, there is no emigrant

And through it, one sunk in the deep sea of drunkenness grows sober.

And how excellent is the land after emigration

أَلا يا بَعيد الدار لَيسَ بهاجِرٍ

أَلا يا بَعيد الدار لَيسَ بهاجِرٍ

وَيا حبذا بعدُ الديار بِلا هَجرِ

وَيا حبذا بعدُ الديار بِلا هَجرِ

Ah, you whose home is far away, yet who do not forsake me,

I see you near, though you are far

How sweet the distance between homes without estrangement!

Your image passing by my eye whenever it desires

اراكَ عَلى قرب الديار وبعدها

اراكَ عَلى قرب الديار وبعدها

قَريباً الى عيني بطيفكَ اذ يسري

قَريباً الى عيني بطيفكَ اذ يسري

I see you, whether our homes are near or far,

I have compensated for what my ear missed of your talk

Close before my eye through your phantom's nightly passage.

By repeating it to myself constantly

وَما فاتَ اذني من حديثكَ لم ازل

وَما فاتَ اذني من حديثكَ لم ازل

أُعوِّضها عنهُ بلهجيَ بالذكرِ

أُعوِّضها عنهُ بلهجيَ بالذكرِ

And for what my ear has missed of your speech, I have never ceased

An era passed in which I did not waste

To make it up to my ear by constantly mentioning you.

Your company, for to me, that was the prime of life

مَضى زَمَنٌ لم اجنِ صحبتكم بِهِ

مَضى زَمَنٌ لم اجنِ صحبتكم بِهِ

ضياعاً فَعِندي أَن ذا اوَّلُ العمرِ

ضياعاً فَعِندي أَن ذا اوَّلُ العمرِ

A time when I had not enjoyed your company passed

By it I was an infant, satisfied by your union

In waste; for me, this is life's beginning.

And I was weaned from union, but in childhood

فَكُنتُ بِهِ طفلاً رَضيعَ وصالكم

فَكُنتُ بِهِ طفلاً رَضيعَ وصالكم

وَبتُّ فطيمَ الوصلِ لكن على صغرِ

وَبتُّ فطيمَ الوصلِ لكن على صغرِ

So then I was a child, suckling on union with you,

And I was weaned from union, though still so young.