مَا بَالُهُ مَا أَصَابَهُ

مَا بَالُهُ مَا أَصَابَهُ

مَا سُؤْلُهُ فِي الغَابَهْ

مَا سُؤْلُهُ فِي الغَابَهْ

What ails him—what has befallen him?

What ails him? What has befallen him?

What does he seek in the forest?

What does he seek in the forest?

هَبَّ الغَدَاةَ وَاوَلَى

هَبَّ الغَدَاةَ وَاوَلَى

إِلَى الزَّوَالِ اضْطِرَابَهْ

إِلَى الزَّوَالِ اضْطِرَابَهْ

He sprang up at dawn and went on,

He rose in the morning and kept up

restless until the sun’s decline.

his restless wandering until noon.

تَهْفُو الغُصُونُ إِلَيْهِ

تَهْفُو الغُصُونُ إِلَيْهِ

أَوْ تَنْثَنِي تَوَّابَهْ

أَوْ تَنْثَنِي تَوَّابَهْ

The branches yearn toward him,

The branches flutter toward him,

or bend back, ever returning.

or bend back, repentant.

آناً يَبِينُ وَآناً

آناً يَبِينُ وَآناً

يَخْفَى وَرَاءَ غَيَابَهْ

يَخْفَى وَرَاءَ غَيَابَهْ

Now he appears, and now

At times he appears, and at times

he hides behind his absence.

he vanishes behind a thicket.

أَنَّى تَنَقَّلَ يَمْشِي

أَنَّى تَنَقَّلَ يَمْشِي

فِي زِينَةٍ وَغَرَابَهْ

فِي زِينَةٍ وَغَرَابَهْ

Wherever he wanders, he walks

Wherever he wanders, he walks

in splendor and strangeness,

in splendor and strangeness,

مُوَشَّحاً بِشُعَاع

مُوَشَّحاً بِشُعَاع

أَوْ مُسْتَقِلاًّ سَحَابَهْ

أَوْ مُسْتَقِلاًّ سَحَابَهْ

mantled in a ray,

draped in a ray of light,

or riding alone upon a cloud;

or riding a cloud,

أَوْ خَائِضاً بَحْرَ فَيْءٍ

أَوْ خَائِضاً بَحْرَ فَيْءٍ

يَشُقُّ شَقّاً عُبَابَهْ

يَشُقُّ شَقّاً عُبَابَهْ

or wading through a sea of shade,

or wading through a sea of shade,

cleaving its swelling flood apart.

cleaving its surging waves.

تَفِرُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

تَفِرُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

أَهِلَّةٌ لَعَّابَهْ

أَهِلَّةٌ لَعَّابَهْ

Before his hands there flee

Before him flee

crescents of his foam;

playful crescents;

أَوْ عَابِراً بِخُطَاهُ

أَوْ عَابِراً بِخُطَاهُ

مَجَرَّةً مُنْسَابَهْ

مَجَرَّةً مُنْسَابَهْ

or with his steps he crosses

or crossing with his steps

a flowing galaxy

a streaming Milky Way

مِنَ الوُرَيْقَاتِ تَجْرِي

مِنَ الوُرَيْقَاتِ تَجْرِي

بِهَا الصَّبَا الوَثَّابَهْ

بِهَا الصَّبَا الوَثَّابَهْ

of little leaves, swept along

of little leaves, borne along

by the leaping east wind.

by the leaping east wind.

حَتَّى إذَا الشَّمْسُ مَالَتْ

حَتَّى إذَا الشَّمْسُ مَالَتْ

بَيْنَ الأَسَى وَالدُّعَابَهْ

بَيْنَ الأَسَى وَالدُّعَابَهْ

Until, when the sun inclines,

Until, when the sun inclined,

poised between sorrow and play,

between sorrow and playfulness,

تلقِي وَدَاعاً بَهِيجاً

تلقِي وَدَاعاً بَهِيجاً

وَالظِّلُّ يُلْقِي كَابَهْ

وَالظِّلُّ يُلْقِي كَابَهْ

casting a radiant farewell,

bidding a radiant farewell,

while shadow casts its gloom,

while shadow cast gloom,

أَجْرَتْ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْه

أَجْرَتْ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْه

حُلَى نُضَارٍ مُذَابَهْ

حُلَى نُضَارٍ مُذَابَهْ

it pours over his shoulders

she poured over his shoulders

sweet molten gold.

ornaments of molten gold.

فَلاحَ كَالطَّيْفِ لَوْلا

فَلاحَ كَالطَّيْفِ لَوْلا

هَزُّ النَّسِيمِ ثِيَابَهْ

هَزُّ النَّسِيمِ ثِيَابَهْ

Then he gleams like a phantom—were it not

Then he seemed a phantom, but for

that the breeze stirs his clothes.

the breeze stirring his clothes.

مَاذَا تَوَخَّيْتَ يَا مَنْ

مَاذَا تَوَخَّيْتَ يَا مَنْ

أَضْوَى العَنَاءُ إِهَابَهْ

أَضْوَى العَنَاءُ إِهَابَهْ

What did you seek, O you

What did you seek, O you

whose very frame toil has wasted,

whose body toil has wasted,

مِنْ كُلِّ ذَاتِ غِرَاسٍ

مِنْ كُلِّ ذَاتِ غِرَاسٍ

وَكُلِّ ذَاتِ عِشَابَهْ

وَكُلِّ ذَاتِ عِشَابَهْ

from every planted thing

in every planted plot

and every garlanded bloom?

and every grassy place,

فَكَانَ مَا رُمْتَ سُؤْلاً

فَكَانَ مَا رُمْتَ سُؤْلاً

عَزَّتْ إِلَيْهِ الإِجَابَهْ

عَزَّتْ إِلَيْهِ الإِجَابَهْ

What I sought was a wish

that your desire became a plea

whose fulfillment proved elusive:

whose answer proved elusive?

أَرَدْتَ فِي الزَّهْرِ بِكْراً

أَرَدْتَ فِي الزَّهْرِ بِكْراً

فَتَّانَةً خَلاَّبَهْ

فَتَّانَةً خَلاَّبَهْ

among the flowers I sought a virgin,

You sought among the flowers a maiden,

enchanting and beguiling,

bewitching and enchanting,

عَنْ كُلِّ بِنْتٍ رَبِيعٍ

عَنْ كُلِّ بِنْتٍ رَبِيعٍ

بحُسْنِهَا تَنْتَابَهْ

بحُسْنِهَا تَنْتَابَهْ

who would stand for every daughter of spring

distinct from every daughter of spring

and visit him with her beauty—

that visits it in her beauty,

بَرَّاقَةٍ عَن ذَكَاءٍ

بَرَّاقَةٍ عَن ذَكَاءٍ

ضَحَّاكَةٍ عَنْ نَجَابَهْ

ضَحَّاكَةٍ عَنْ نَجَابَهْ

gleaming with intelligence,

radiant with intelligence,

smiling from innate nobility,

ever smiling with nobility,

فَوَّاحَةٍ عَنْ خِلالٍ

فَوَّاحَةٍ عَنْ خِلالٍ

ذَكِيَّةٍ مُسْتَطَابَهْ

ذَكِيَّةٍ مُسْتَطَابَهْ

fragrant with qualities

fragrant with virtues

pure and delightful,

sweet-scented and pleasing,

نَقِيَّةٍ لَمْ تُطَالَعْ

نَقِيَّةٍ لَمْ تُطَالَعْ

بِأُعْيُن مُرْتَابَهْ

بِأُعْيُن مُرْتَابَهْ

untainted, never gazed upon

pure, never beheld

by suspicious eyes.

by suspicious eyes.

لِلمُجْتَلِي هِيَ رَوْضٌ

لِلمُجْتَلِي هِيَ رَوْضٌ

وَلِلشَّجِيِّ صَحَابَهْ

وَلِلشَّجِيِّ صَحَابَهْ

To one who beholds her, she is a garden;

To the beholder she is a garden,

to the sorrowing, a companion.

and to the sorrowful, companionship.

أُنِيبُهَا فِي وَفَاءٍ

أُنِيبُهَا فِي وَفَاءٍ

عَنِّي أَعَزَّ إِنَابَهْ

عَنِّي أَعَزَّ إِنَابَهْ

In faithfulness I appoint her

I would appoint her, in gratitude,

as my own dearest envoy

to represent me most honorably,

لَدَى أَمِيرَةِ فَضْلٍ

لَدَى أَمِيرَةِ فَضْلٍ

مَصُونَةٍ وَهَّابَهْ

مَصُونَةٍ وَهَّابَهْ

to a princess of virtue,

before a princess of virtue,

chaste and generous,

held in honor and bountiful.

بِهَا جَمَالُ وَنُبْلٌ

بِهَا جَمَالُ وَنُبْلٌ

إِلَى عُلًى وَمَهَابَهْ

إِلَى عُلًى وَمَهَابَهْ

graced with beauty and nobility,

In her are beauty and nobility,

with majesty added to her loftiness.

with eminence and majesty.

مَقَامُهَا لا يُسَامَى

مَقَامُهَا لا يُسَامَى

كَرَامَةً وَحَسَابَهْ

كَرَامَةً وَحَسَابَهْ

Her station cannot be rivaled

Her station cannot be rivaled

in dignity or esteem.

in dignity and noble lineage.

أَسْدَتْ إِليَّ جَمِيلاً

أَسْدَتْ إِليَّ جَمِيلاً

وَمَا قَضَيْتُ نِصَابَهْ

وَمَا قَضَيْتُ نِصَابَهْ

She bestowed a kindness upon me,

She bestowed a kindness upon me,

and I have not repaid its due.

and I have not repaid its full due.

فَظَلْت فِي الزَّهْرِ أَبْغِي

فَظَلْت فِي الزَّهْرِ أَبْغِي

تِلْكَ الَّتِي لا تُشَابَهْ

تِلْكَ الَّتِي لا تُشَابَهْ

So among the flowers I went on seeking

So I kept seeking among flowers

that incomparable one,

that one beyond compare,

حَتَّى إذَا طَالَ كَدِّي

حَتَّى إذَا طَالَ كَدِّي

وَلَمْ أَفُزْ بِالطِّلابَهْ

وَلَمْ أَفُزْ بِالطِّلابَهْ

until, when my toil grew long

until, when my toil grew long

and I failed to attain my quest,

and I failed to gain what I sought,

نَظَمْتُهَا مِنْ خَيَالٍ

نَظَمْتُهَا مِنْ خَيَالٍ

وَصُغْتُهَا بالكِتَابَهْ

وَصُغْتُهَا بالكِتَابَهْ

I composed her from my imagination

I composed her from imagination

and fashioned her in writing,

and fashioned her in writing,

عَلَّ الهَدِيَّةِ رَسْماً

عَلَّ الهَدِيَّةِ رَسْماً

تُثِيبُ بَعْضَ الإِثَابَهْ

تُثِيبُ بَعْضَ الإِثَابَهْ

that perhaps the gift, though but a portrait,

hoping the gift, though only an image,

might repay some part of the kindness.

might offer some recompense.