1. ضَعي اللِثام اُسبلي الأزار وَاستَتِري

    وَحجبي مُدهِشات السَمعِ وَالبَصَرِ

    Put on the face veil, let down the wrap, and conceal yourself.

    And veil the marvels that dazzle hearing and sight.

  2. إِن تَحجِبي الوَجه لَم تَحجب أَشعَّتُهُ

    وَالعَينُ تَعرف حَسَن العَين بِالأَثَرِ

    If you veil your face, its rays remain unveiled,

    And the eye knows an eye's beauty by its trace.

  3. هَيا أَشرِدي وَأِهرُبي مني عَلى عَجَلٍ

    وَإِلَهي أذانكِ عَن ذِكري وَعَن خَبَري

    Come, flee and escape from me in haste,

    And turn your ears from mention of me and news of me.

  4. غِضي لَحاظَكِ عَني وَاِعرِضي أَنفاً

    مني وَلا تَرحَمي دَمعي وَلا سَهَري

    Lower your glances from me and turn away in disdain

    From me; pity neither my tears nor my sleeplessness.

  5. لا تَسأَلي عَن رَشادي وَهُوُ مُنسَلِبٌ

    وَلا تَفكي قِيادي مِن عَنا الأَسرِ

    Do not ask about my reason, for it has been stolen away,

    Nor loosen my bonds to spare me captivity's torment.

  6. وَأَنسي وَدِادي وَلا تَرثي لمسكنَتي

    وَلا تُبالي بِتَعذيبي وَلا سَهَري

    Forget my affection, and do not pity my wretchedness,

    And care neither for my torment nor my sleeplessness.

  7. وَمَزِقي أَن تَشي قَلبي فَلا أَسَفاً

    عَلَيهِ يا مَنيَتي يا مُنتَهى وَطَري

    Tear my heart apart, if you wish; no regret

    For it, O my heart's wish, O utmost goal of my desire.

  8. وَكَيفَ كُنتِ فَإِني ثابِتٌ أَبَداً

    عَلى غَرامَكِ لا أَلوي عَلى بَشَرِ

    Whatever you may be, I remain forever steadfast

    In loving you; I turn toward no other mortal.

  9. أَقفوكِ في القفر في الوديان مُنسَلِباً

    في البر في البَحر في الأَسفار في الحَضَرِ

    I follow you through wilderness and valleys, beside myself,

    On land, at sea, in travel, and in settled life.

  10. أَسري وَلَو كُنتُ مَحمولاً عَلى لَحجٍ

    أَغدو وَلو كُنتُ مَقذوفاً إِلى شَرَرِ

    I journey by night, even if carried upon a rocky ledge;

    I go forth at dawn, even if hurled into sparks.

  11. حَتّى تَضجّ أَقاصي الأَرض مُعلنَةً

    وَجدي التياعي وَجودي في يَدِ الخَطَرِ

    Until the earth's farthest reaches clamor, proclaiming

    My ardor, my anguish, and my life in danger's hand.

  12. وَيَصبح الكَون يَروي مِن غَرائِبِهِ

    حَديث حُبك بِالأَسفار وَالسَيرِ

    And the universe comes to recount, among its wonders,

    The tale of loving you in books and chronicles.

  13. فَتَعلَمينَ بِأَني عاشِقٌ وَلِهٌ

    يَحقُّ لي بَعد جَدي في الهَوى ظَفري

    Then you will know that I am a lover distraught,

    Entitled to triumph after my earnest striving in love.

  14. وَعِندَ ذَلِكَ لا يَعفيكِ سَيدَتي

    حُب السِيادة مِن أَن تَقتَفي أَثَري

    And then, my lady, you will not be excused

    By love of mastery from following my footsteps.

  15. مالِلمَليحَة مِن حال الثَباتِ سَوى

    ما لِلسَفينة في الأَهواءِ وَالغَمرِ

    A beautiful woman has no more constancy than

    A ship amid winds and deep waters.

  16. فَسَوف يَمضي قُطوب الوَجه مُنجَلِياً

    وَسَوفَ يُسفِر هَذا اللَيل عَن سحرِ

    So the face's frown will pass, clearing away,

    And this night will give way to dawn.

  17. وَتَعرِفينَ بِأَني في الهَوى بَطَلٌ

    أَكاد أَخطف نَصري مِن يَد القَدَرِ

    And you will know that I am a champion in love,

    Almost snatching my victory from fate's hand.

  18. وَإِنَّ حُبي حُبٌّ لا شَبيهَ لَهُ

    إِلا العِبادَة عِندَ الخالِص الطَهرِ

    And my love is a love with no equal

    Except worship in one sincerely pure.

  19. أَنا الَّذي شَهِدتُ أَهلَ الغَرامِ لَهُ

    بِأَنَّهُ أَوحَد العُشاق في العَصُرِ

    I am the one for whom the devotees of passion have testified

    That he is peerless among the lovers of this age.

  20. وَقائِعي في مَيادين الهَوى اِشتَهَرت

    مثل اللَهيب بِجنحِ اللَيل لِلنَظَرِ

    My exploits in the arenas of love are renowned,

    Like flame visible in the darkness of night.

  21. أَغشى وَغى الحُب لا أَخشى طَوارِقُهُ

    أَواه لَو كُنت فيهِ غَير مُنكَسِرِ

    I enter love's battle and fear none of its onslaughts;

    Alas, if only I were not defeated in it!

  22. يا أَيُّها الفتئة العُشاق ما لَكُمُ

    طَيشاً تَداوَلتُم ما بَينَكُم سيري

    O young men in love, what ails you,

    Recklessly passing my exploits among yourselves?

  23. جَهلاً قَصَدتُم لَحاقي وَهُوَ يَعجزكم

    هَذا غُباري رِفاقي فَأَلحَقوا أَثَري

    In ignorance you sought to catch me, though it is beyond your power;

    Here is my dust, companions: follow my tracks!

  24. قِفوا قِفوا لَستُم مِمَن يَحمّلهُ

    فَرط الغَرام عَلى الإِفراط بِالخَطَرِ

    Stop, stop! You are not among those driven

    By excessive passion to extremes of peril.

  25. بَحرٌ عَميقٌ غَرقتم فيهِ وَيلَكُم

    قَبلَ النُزول إِلى شاطيهِ بِالسَفَرِ

    A deep sea—you have drowned in it, woe to you,

    Before journeying down to its shore.

  26. فنُّ الغَرام طَويلٌ لَيسَ يتقنهُ

    إِلا المجرد لِلتَعذيب وَالسَهَرِ

    The art of passion is long; no one masters it

    Except one wholly given over to torment and sleeplessness.

  27. ما بِالزُهور وَتَصفيف الشُعور لَدى

    تِلكَ القُصور اِجتِذابُ الحور لِلوَطَرِ

    Not through flowers and arranging hair beside

    Those palaces are wide-eyed beauties drawn to fulfill desire.

  28. بَل بِالشَقاق وَاقتِحام المَوت قَد طَلَبت

    كَراهَةَ الروح حَتماً رَغبة الصورِ

    Rather, through strife and braving death, there has been sought

    The soul's displeasure, inevitably, by desire for outward forms.

  29. ما بِالتَخطُرِ في الأَرجاءِ مِن شُركٍ

    يُقيّد الظَبي لِلصَياد وَالوَتَرِ

    There is no snare in swaggering about

    To bind the gazelle for the hunter and the bowstring.

  30. ما أَنتُم غَيرَ عُشاق الهَواءِ سُدىً

    ما لِلهَوى فيكُمُ يا قَوم مِن أَثَرِ

    You are only lovers of thin air, in vain;

    Love has left no trace in you, O people.

  31. فَاحدقوا بي إِذا شئتُم لاذهلكم

    بِشَرح حال غَرامي وَاِسمَعوا سمري

    So gather around me, if you wish, that I may astonish you

    By explaining my passion's state; listen to my evening tale.

  32. عَشِقتُ وَالعِشقُ داءٌ لا دَواءَ لَهُ

    إِلا التَصَبُر وَيَحي ضاعَ مُصطَبِري

    I fell in love; love is a disease with no remedy

    Except patient endurance—woe is me, my endurance is lost!

  33. رَضعتهُ بِالعَنا طفلاً فَلا عَجَباً

    إِن شبتُ مِنهُ وَلَم أَبلغ إِلى كُبرى

    I suckled it with suffering as a child; no wonder

    If it turned me gray before I reached old age.

  34. هُوَ العَدو الَّذي نَهوى وَكَم فَتَكت

    بِمَن أَحِبَّ يَداهُ غَير مُعتَذِرِ

    It is the enemy we love; how often it has struck down

    Those who loved, with its hands, offering no apology.

  35. يُهاجم الكَون لا سُوراً يُمانِعهُ

    إِلا التَحَصُنُ في الأَجداثِ وَالحُفَرِ

    It attacks the universe; no wall holds it back,

    Except taking refuge in tombs and pits.

  36. أَضحت لَدَيهِ عِباد اللَهِ مَلعَبَةً

    دَوماً تَقلب بَينَ الصَفوِ وَالكَدَرِ

    God's servants have become its playthings,

    Forever tossed between serenity and distress.

  37. يَوماً يَطيرُ بِنا نَحوَ السَماء عَلى

    وَهمٍ وَيَوماً بِنا يَهوي إِلى صَقرِ

    One day it flies with us toward the sky upon

    An illusion; another, it plunges us into scorching heat.

  38. مُهَندِسٌ قامَ مَجنوناً عَلى عَجَلٍ

    يَبني وَيَهدم بَينَ اللَيل وَالسحرِ

    An architect, risen in madness and haste,

    Building and demolishing between night and dawn.

  39. يَفوتُ مِنهُ الَّذي قَد كانَ مُنتَظِراً

    يَوماً ويَأتي بِشَيءٍ غَير مُنتَظرِ

    What had been expected of it fails to come

    One day, while something unexpected arrives.

  40. غَرَستُ في رَوضِهِ الآمال مُبتَهِجاً

    فَضاعَ عُمري وَلَم أَحصَل عَلى الثَمَرِ

    I planted hopes in its garden, rejoicing;

    My lifetime was lost, and I obtained no fruit.

  41. أَذابَني كَلفاً في حُبِ غانِيَةٍ

    هَتَفَت لَما بَدَت ما ذاكَ مِن بَشَرِ

    It melted me with infatuation in love for a beauty;

    When she appeared, I cried: 'That is no mortal!'

  42. مشن عالم الغَيب قَد جاءَت مَحجَّبةً

    لا بِالضَبابَةِ بَل بِالنور وَالشَرَرِ

    From the realm of the unseen she came veiled,

    Not in mist, but in light and sparks.

  43. مِن المَلائك لَكن لا جَناحَ لَها

    غَير الغَلائِلِ وَالأَثوابِ وَالحبرِ

    She is of the angels, yet has no wings

    Except gauzy gowns, robes, and striped fabrics.

  44. لَم أَنسَ يَومَ اِلتَقَينا في مَرابِعِها

    وَالقَلبُ يَرقُص بَينَ العودِ وَالوَتَرِ

    I have not forgotten the day we met in her haunts,

    While my heart danced between the lute and its strings.

  45. وَضَمنا شَملَنا تَحتَ السَماءِ عَلى

    رَوض المَسَرة بَينَ الزَهر وَالشَجَرِ

    Our company drew us together beneath the sky, upon

    A garden of delight, amid flowers and trees,

  46. في مَجلس جَمع الغاداتِ خاضِعَةً

    لَحُسنِها وَهُوَ يَجلو رايَة الظفرِ

    At a gathering that assembled maidens, bowing

    Before her beauty, as it unfurled the banner of victory.

  47. فَكدتُ لَو لَو تَثر نَكباءُ عاصِفَةٍ

    مِنها أَنالُ عَلى رَغم العِدا وَطَري

    I almost—had no storm's crosswind arisen [wording unclear]—

    Attained my desire from her, despite my enemies.

  48. يَومٌ بِهِ دارَتِ الأَقداحُ لاعِبَةً

    فَوقَ الصَبابَة بِالأَرواح وَالصُوَرِ

    A day when the cups went round, playing

    With souls and bodies beyond what ardent longing could.

  49. لَكِنَّها نَفرت مني وَقَد نَظَرت

    سكري وَما قَبلت عُذري وَكُنتُ بري

    But she recoiled from me, having seen

    My drunkenness; she refused my excuse, though I was innocent.

  50. راحَت عَلى الراح غَضَبي حَيث شَبهَّهُ

    نَديمُها بِلماها المُنعِشِ العَطِرِ

    She turned angrily upon the wine, since it had been likened

    By her drinking companion to her refreshing, fragrant dark lips.

  51. داسَت بِأَقدامِها كاساتِهِ حَنقاً

    كَالبَدر داسَ جَبين الأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ

    She trampled his cups with her feet in fury,

    Like the full moon trampling the brows of bright stars.

  52. فَخِلتُ شَمس الضُحى بِالنجم قَد عثرت

    حَتّى ظَنَنتُ نِظامَ الكَونِ في خَطَرِ

    I thought the morning sun had stumbled upon a star,

    Until I thought the universe's order was in danger.

  53. وَاِستَنهَضَت كَغَزال القَفر شارِدَةً

    عَني وَقَد أَنكَرتَ نَحوَ السِوى نَظَري

    She sprang up, fleeing like a wilderness gazelle,

    Away from me, having resented my glance toward another.

  54. وَهَبَّت الغيرة العَمياء في كَبدٍ

    مِن الحَديد عَلى قَلبٍ مِن الحَجَرِ

    And blind jealousy surged within a liver

    Of iron, against a heart of stone.

  55. وَفارَقَتني صَريعاً في مَحبتها

    أَبكي وَأَشكو وَأمري غَير مُستترِ

    And she left me stricken by my love for her,

    Weeping and complaining, my plight unconcealed.