أَيصحو عاشقٌ أَم يستفيقُ

أَيصحو عاشقٌ أَم يستفيقُ

لأَصحوَ أم ترى يسلو مشوقُ

لأَصحوَ أم ترى يسلو مشوقُ

Will a lover recover, or ever come to his senses?

Does a lover sober up, or come to his senses,

I shall surely recover—or do you think one consumed by longing can forget?

that I should sober up? Or do you think a yearning lover can forget?

وَمَنْ يك مستهاماً بالغواني

وَمَنْ يك مستهاماً بالغواني

فذاك بأَنْ يَضُلَّ بها خليق

فذاك بأَنْ يَضُلَّ بها خليق

Whoever is passionately enthralled by beautiful women

Whoever is love-stricken by beautiful women

is naturally apt to be exposed through them.

is apt to lose his way through them.

وَمن يك هائماً في مثل حبي

وَمن يك هائماً في مثل حبي

فإِنَّ به التصبّر لا يليق

فإِنَّ به التصبّر لا يليق

And whoever wanders distraught in a love like mine—

But whoever is enamored with a love like mine,

patient endurance does not befit him.

for him, forcing patience is unbefitting.

أأَسلو أَمْ أُصَبِّرُ عنه نفسي

أأَسلو أَمْ أُصَبِّرُ عنه نفسي

وَعودُ صبابتي غضٌ وَريق

وَعودُ صبابتي غضٌ وَريق

Shall I forget, or force my soul to endure without her,

Should I forget, or teach my soul patience without him,

while the branch of my ardent longing is tender and green?

while the bough of my passion is tender and leafy?

فهطْلاً يا سماءَ الجفنِ هَطْلاً

فهطْلاً يا سماءَ الجفنِ هَطْلاً

فقد لمعتْ من الذكرى بروق

فقد لمعتْ من الذكرى بروق

Pour down, O sky of the eyelid, pour down;

Then pour, O sky of the eyelid, pour!

for lightning-flashes of memory have gleamed.

For lightning flashes have gleamed from memory.

وَيا عيني اسعدي أَنْ بتُّ شوقاً

وَيا عيني اسعدي أَنْ بتُّ شوقاً

أُريقُ من المدامعِ ما أُريق

أُريقُ من المدامعِ ما أُريق

O my eye, help me, if I pass the night in longing;

O my eye, join my weeping, for I spent the night yearning,

I shall pour forth whatever tears I pour.

pouring out the tears I pour.

وَيا قلبي الذي ما زال مضنى

وَيا قلبي الذي ما زال مضنى

ليزددْ فيك يا قلبي الخفوق

ليزددْ فيك يا قلبي الخفوق

O my heart, which has never ceased wasting away,

O my heart, which has remained afflicted,

let your throbbing, my heart, increase.

let the throbbing within you increase, my heart.

فَقَدْ أَصبحتُ لا أَخشى ملاماً

فَقَدْ أَصبحتُ لا أَخشى ملاماً

وَهل يخشى من البللِ الغريق

وَهل يخشى من البللِ الغريق

For now I no longer fear reproach—

For I have come to fear no reproach;

does a drowning man fear getting wet?

does a drowning man fear getting wet?

وَربَّ مليحةٍ كالبدرِ وَجهاً

وَربَّ مليحةٍ كالبدرِ وَجهاً

تَغَنَّتْ بالصبا فصبا العشيق

تَغَنَّتْ بالصبا فصبا العشيق

Many a beauty, moonlike in face,

Many a beauty, full-moonlike in face,

has sung of youth, making the enamored lover yearn.

sang in the Ṣabā mode, and her lover grew enamored.

يدبُّ غناؤها في كلِّ عضوٍ

يدبُّ غناؤها في كلِّ عضوٍ

وَأنملةٍ كما دبَّ الرحيق

وَأنملةٍ كما دبَّ الرحيق

Her singing steals through every limb,

Her singing steals through every limb

and through my fingertips, as pure wine courses.

and fingertip, as wine steals through.

ترانا من سُلافةِ صَوْتِها قَدْ

ترانا من سُلافةِ صَوْتِها قَدْ

ثملنا للتكلّمِ لا نطيق

ثملنا للتكلّمِ لا نطيق

You see us, from the pure vintage of her voice, already

You see us, from the pure wine of her voice, already

so drunk that we cannot speak—

drunk, unable to speak.

سكوتاً والهوى قد نابَ عَنّا

سكوتاً والهوى قد نابَ عَنّا

وَما غير الهوى فينا نطوق

وَما غير الهوى فينا نطوق

silent, while passion speaks in our stead;

Silent, while love has spoken in our stead,

and within us we can bear nothing but love.

and nothing speaks within us but love.

وإذْ رقصتْ فهزَّتْ غصنَ بانٍ

وإذْ رقصتْ فهزَّتْ غصنَ بانٍ

يأَوِّدُه الهوى وَبه يحيق

يأَوِّدُه الهوى وَبه يحيق

And when she danced, she swayed like a ben-tree bough,

And when she danced, swaying a bān-tree bough,

weighed down by passion, which encircled it.

which love bends and enfolds,

جَرَتْ من حبها في القلبِ مني

جَرَتْ من حبها في القلبِ مني

مياهٌ واستقتْ منها عروق

مياهٌ واستقتْ منها عروق

From love of her, through this heart of mine,

from love of her there flowed within my heart

waters flowed, and my veins drank from them.

waters, and veins drank from them.

كأني وَهي فاطمةُ (ابن حجر)

كأني وَهي فاطمةُ (ابن حجر)

(بدارة) إذْ يقلّهما الفنيق

(بدارة) إذْ يقلّهما الفنيق

As though I were Ibn Hujr and she were Fāṭimah,

As though I, with her as Fāṭimah, were Ibn Ḥujr,

at Dāra, when the boughs bore them both.

at Dārah, when the prized camel bore them both.

يجيشُ الشعرُ في صدري وَلكنْ

يجيشُ الشعرُ في صدري وَلكنْ

عَنْ أعرابِ الصبابةِ قد يضيق

عَنْ أعرابِ الصبابةِ قد يضيق

Poetry surges within my breast, yet

Poetry surges in my breast, yet

it may fall short of expressing ardent passion.

may fall short of expressing ardent love.

إليكَ إليكَ أشكو أَنَّ قلبي

إليكَ إليكَ أشكو أَنَّ قلبي

وَدمعي ذا أَسيرُ وَذا طليق

وَدمعي ذا أَسيرُ وَذا طليق

To you—to you—I complain that my heart

To you, to you I lament that my heart

and tears are thus: one captive, one set free.

and my tears—the one is captive, the other free.

وَإني مذْ نأيت أَخو اكتئابٍ

وَإني مذْ نأيت أَخو اكتئابٍ

قريحُ الجفْنِ في دمعي شريقُ

قريحُ الجفْنِ في دمعي شريقُ

Since you went far away, I have kept company with dejection,

Since you went far away, I have been grief's companion,

sore-eyed and choking in my tears.

with wounded eyelids, choking on my tears.

وإنَّ النَّومَ ينفرُ عن جفوني

وإنَّ النَّومَ ينفرُ عن جفوني

كما نفرتْ عن الصبِّ العَلوق

كما نفرتْ عن الصبِّ العَلوق

Sleep flees from my eyelids

And sleep shies away from my eyelids,

as a coy beloved flees her ardent lover.

as the unloving woman fled the lovesick man.

فَلَوْ تك ناظري والسقمُ منّي

فَلَوْ تك ناظري والسقمُ منّي

عَلَى قابٍ وإِبلالي سحيق

عَلَى قابٍ وإِبلالي سحيق

Though my gaze and the sickness issuing from me lie

If you could see me, with sickness

but a bowshot from you, my recovery is far away.

a mere span away and my recovery far off,

تقلِّبني يدُ الأدواءِ بطناً

تقلِّبني يدُ الأدواءِ بطناً

إلى ظهرٍ لتلقفي علوق

إلى ظهرٍ لتلقفي علوق

The hand of maladies tosses me onto my belly,

the hand of ailments turning me from belly

then onto my back, that a clinging sickness may devour me.

to back, for Death to snatch me up,

أَراعكَ منظري وشجاكَ حالي

أَراعكَ منظري وشجاكَ حالي

وسالَ بدمعِ ناظِرك العقيق

وسالَ بدمعِ ناظِرك العقيق

Has my appearance alarmed you, and my condition grieved you,

my appearance would alarm you and my plight grieve you,

so that carnelian-red tears streamed from your eyes?

and agate-red tears would flow from your eye.

ولكني أَراكَ نسيتَ خدناً

ولكني أَراكَ نسيتَ خدناً

عَلَى السرّاءِ والضرا صديق

عَلَى السرّاءِ والضرا صديق

Yet I see that you have forgotten an intimate companion,

But I see that you have forgotten a close companion,

whom prosperity and adversity alike found loyal.

a friend through prosperity and adversity.

إذا ذكرَ التئام الشملِ أَمسى

إذا ذكرَ التئام الشملِ أَمسى

يكاد تشوّقاً وجدي يسوق

يكاد تشوّقاً وجدي يسوق

Whenever reunion is mentioned, he spends the evening

Whenever reunion comes to mind, I find myself

with my ardor nearly driving him onward in yearning.

almost swept away by the urgency of my longing.

فإِنْ يكُ حبلُ ودِّك ذا انصرام

فإِنْ يكُ حبلُ ودِّك ذا انصرام

فإنَّ الحبلَ من ودّي وَثيقُ

فإنَّ الحبلَ من ودّي وَثيقُ

If your cord of affection has suffered such a severance,

If the cord of your affection is severed,

the cord of my affection remains firm.

the cord of my affection is firm.

وإِنْ أَضحى وما عهدي مشوباً

وإِنْ أَضحى وما عهدي مشوباً

فوُدّي لا مشوب ولا مذيق

فوُدّي لا مشوب ولا مذيق

I remain, and my covenant is unstained;

And if it has become tainted, unlike what I once knew,

my love is neither adulterated nor diluted.

my affection is neither tainted nor insincere.

أتنسى يوَمنا بالدَّيرِ صُبحاً

أتنسى يوَمنا بالدَّيرِ صُبحاً

وَهامُ الأُفْقِ كَلَّله الشُّروق

وَهامُ الأُفْقِ كَلَّله الشُّروق

Do you forget our morning at the monastery,

Do you forget our morning at the monastery,

when sunrise crowned the brow of the horizon?

when sunrise crowned the horizon's crest?

إِذِ النَاقوسُ يُقْرعُ والعذارى

إِذِ النَاقوسُ يُقْرعُ والعذارى

تُرَتِّلُ والنُّفوسُ لها تَتوق

تُرَتِّلُ والنُّفوسُ لها تَتوق

When the bell was ringing and the maidens

When the bell was rung and the maidens

were chanting, while souls yearned for them?

chanted, and souls yearned for them?

وَأيّاماً (بزَحلةَ) قد تَقَضّى

وَأيّاماً (بزَحلةَ) قد تَقَضّى

لنا عيشٌ بها غَضٌّ أَنيق

لنا عيشٌ بها غَضٌّ أَنيق

And days in Zahlé that have now passed,

And the days in Zahleh, where we passed

when ours there was a fresh and gracious life?

a life so fresh and graceful?

فقدْ قَسَّمْتَ قلباً في رُباها

فقدْ قَسَّمْتَ قلباً في رُباها

لقد كادتْ تغصُّ به الحلوق

لقد كادتْ تغصُّ به الحلوق

I divided a heart among its hills—

For you portioned out a heart amid its hills;

throats nearly choked upon it.

indeed, throats nearly choked on it.

فريقٌ منه عندك يا ابنَ وِدِّي

فريقٌ منه عندك يا ابنَ وِدِّي

وعند كعابِها منه فريق

وعند كعابِها منه فريق

One share of it is with you, dear son of my affection,

A share of it is with you, O son of my affection,

and another among its full-bosomed maidens.

and a share with its budding maidens.

وفي (دير النَّجاة) غداة كنّا

وفي (دير النَّجاة) غداة كنّا

تَكَبَّلَ بِالهوى السدمُ المشوق

تَكَبَّلَ بِالهوى السدمُ المشوق

And at Dayr al-Najāh, one morning, we

And at Deir al-Najāt, that morning we were there,

were fettered by love, bewildered and yearning.

the grief-stricken, yearning lover was fettered by love.

أَفول وقد بدتْ للعينِ عِينٌ

أَفول وقد بدتْ للعينِ عِينٌ

ووِلدانٌ لناظرها تروق

ووِلدانٌ لناظرها تروق

I said when my darling appeared before my eyes,

I say, as wide-eyed maidens came into view,

amid youths delightful to behold:

and youths who delight the beholder:

أهذي جنَّةُ الفرْدوس أَم ذي

أهذي جنَّةُ الفرْدوس أَم ذي

رُبى (البردون) لولا الجاثليق

رُبى (البردون) لولا الجاثليق

Is this the Garden of Paradise, or are these

Is this the garden of Paradise, or are these

the hills of al-Bardoun—were it not for the Catholicos?

the hills of Bardoun? But for the Catholicos, I could not tell.

فدعْ عنك الخيالَ وعدْ لعتْبٍ

فدعْ عنك الخيالَ وعدْ لعتْبٍ

عَلَى مَنْ لي بصحبته وثوق

عَلَى مَنْ لي بصحبته وثوق

Leave fantasy now, and return to my reproach

So set fancy aside, and return to reproach

of one whose companionship I trust.

of one in whose companionship I trust.

سأبقى عارضاً للعتْبِ رمحاً

سأبقى عارضاً للعتْبِ رمحاً

كماجا عارضاً رمحاً شقيق

كماجا عارضاً رمحاً شقيق

I shall keep brandishing a spear of reproach,

I shall keep brandishing a spear for reproach,

as Shaqīq once came brandishing a spear.

as Shaqīq came brandishing a spear.

أَنسيانٌ بربِّك أَم تَناسي

أَنسيانٌ بربِّك أَم تَناسي

سكوتُك ما عهدت كَذا الصَّديق

سكوتُك ما عهدت كَذا الصَّديق

Have you two forgotten me, by your Lord, or merely feigned forgetting?

By your Lord, is this forgetfulness, or feigned forgetting—

Your silence—I never knew a friend to act so.

this silence of yours? I never knew a friend like this.

تذكَّرْ بالحديقة منْ (دمشق)

تذكَّرْ بالحديقة منْ (دمشق)

عهوداً كاد يُغضبِها العُقوق

عهوداً كاد يُغضبِها العُقوق

Remember, in the garden of Damascus,

Remember, in the garden in Damascus,

the covenants that disloyalty nearly angered,

the bygone days that disloyalty has all but angered,

إذا بالقربِ منّا كلُّ خودٍ

إذا بالقربِ منّا كلُّ خودٍ

غنى منها عَن الصَّهْباءِ ريق

غنى منها عَن الصَّهْباءِ ريق

when every lovely maiden was close beside us,

when every young beauty was close to us,

and her saliva spared us any need of red wine.

her lips' moisture enough in place of red wine.

ولا تنْس المواثقَ إِذْ سرينا

ولا تنْس المواثقَ إِذْ سرينا

بليلٍ وَجهُه داجٍ غسوق

بليلٍ وَجهُه داجٍ غسوق

And do not forget the pledges when we journeyed by night

And do not forget the pledges when we journeyed by night

through a night whose face was dark and pitch-black,

through a night whose face was dark and pitch-black,

إلى نادٍ يضمُّ دمى وعينا

إلى نادٍ يضمُّ دمى وعينا

وإذْ أَنَّ السُّرى منّا عنيق

وإذْ أَنَّ السُّرى منّا عنيق

to a gathering hall of statuesque, dark-eyed beauties,

to a gathering of doll-like beauties and wide-eyed maidens,

while our night journey groaned, exhausted.

and when our night journey was swift.

سأثني من عنانِ العُتبِ آنا

سأثني من عنانِ العُتبِ آنا

عسى لك منْ شؤونك ما يعوق

عسى لك منْ شؤونك ما يعوق

I shall rein in my reproach for a while;

I shall draw back reproach's reins for a while;

perhaps some affair of yours detains you.

perhaps something among your affairs is holding you back.

وإلاّ فالقوافي طائعاتٌ

وإلاّ فالقوافي طائعاتٌ

وإنَّ جَوادَ أشعاري سَبوق

وإنَّ جَوادَ أشعاري سَبوق

Otherwise, my rhymes come obediently,

Otherwise, the rhymes are obedient,

and the steed of my poetry races ahead.

and the steed of my verses outstrips others.

أَنا اللَّسِنُ البليغُ ولا ادِّعاءٌ

أَنا اللَّسِنُ البليغُ ولا ادِّعاءٌ

أنا الزيرُ المشوق ولا فسوق

أنا الزيرُ المشوق ولا فسوق

I am eloquent of tongue, a masterly speaker, without false pretension;

I am fluent and eloquent—no mere pretension;

I am a gallant, untainted by debauchery.

I am a yearning ladies' man, not dissolute.

وها أنا ما قرضتُ الشعرَ كيما

وها أنا ما قرضتُ الشعرَ كيما

يُقالُ لشاعرٍ فطنٌ ذَليق

يُقالُ لشاعرٍ فطنٌ ذَليق

Here I am: I did not compose poetry merely so

And here I am: I did not compose poetry so that

it might be said, “A clever and fluent poet,”

a poet might be called keen-witted and fluent.

فإنَّ مقامِيَ السّامي مقامٌ

فإنَّ مقامِيَ السّامي مقامٌ

يخرُّ لعزِّه الطَّوْدُ الزليق

يخرُّ لعزِّه الطَّوْدُ الزليق

for my lofty station is a station

For my lofty station is a station

before whose might even the sheer mountain falls.

before whose might the sheer mountain falls prostrate.

ولكن في ودادكَ جاءَ عفواً

ولكن في ودادكَ جاءَ عفواً

كما تقضي الصَّداقةُ والحقوق

كما تقضي الصَّداقةُ والحقوق

Yet in your affection there is estrangement and harshness—

But it came spontaneously out of affection for you,

is this what friendship and its rights decree?

as friendship and obligations require.

كذلك فليكُنْ لفظٌ رَشيقٌ

كذلك فليكُنْ لفظٌ رَشيقٌ

وَمعنى رائقٌ بِكرٌ رقيق

وَمعنى رائقٌ بِكرٌ رقيق

Thus should elegant diction be,

So let there be graceful wording,

with limpid meaning, fresh and delicate.

and meaning clear, original, and delicate.

فإنْ أَحسنت فالإِحسانُ دأْبي

فإنْ أَحسنت فالإِحسانُ دأْبي

وهَل غيري به أَبداً حقيق

وهَل غيري به أَبداً حقيق

If I have excelled, excellence is my habit;

If I have done well, excellence is my habit;

and is anyone but I forever worthy of it?

and who but I is ever worthy of it?

وإِنْ يَكُ لا فعندي كلُّ همٍّ

وإِنْ يَكُ لا فعندي كلُّ همٍّ

يضيقُ ببعضه الفطن اللَّبيق

يضيقُ ببعضه الفطن اللَّبيق

And if not, I have such a host of cares

And if not, I bear cares of every kind,

that even part of them confounds the clever and discerning.

a fraction of which overwhelms the clever and deft.

أَلا قَدْ أَحْرَجَتْ صدري هُمومٌ

أَلا قَدْ أَحْرَجَتْ صدري هُمومٌ

أَرى صدر الفضاءِ بِها يضيق

أَرى صدر الفضاءِ بِها يضيق

Indeed, troubles have constricted my breast;

Indeed, cares have cramped my breast;

I see the very breast of space grow tight with them.

I see the breast of open space itself constricted by them.

وفي الختمِ السَّلامُ عليكَ مِمَّنْ

وفي الختمِ السَّلامُ عليكَ مِمَّنْ

يراك بأَنَّك الخِدْنُ الصَّديق

يراك بأَنَّك الخِدْنُ الصَّديق

And in closing, peace be upon you from me—

In closing, peace be upon you, from one

a greeting that knows you as the faithful companion.

who regards you as his intimate companion and friend.