جارَ الحبيب على الكئيب ببُعده

جارَ الحبيب على الكئيب ببُعده

فغَدا حليفَ صبابةٍ من بَعْده

فغَدا حليفَ صبابةٍ من بَعْده

The beloved wronged the grieving one by staying far away;

so he became a sworn companion of longing after his departure.

وغدا يعذَّبُ قلبه وفؤادُه

وغدا يعذَّبُ قلبه وفؤادُه

بغرامهِ وبهجره وبصدِّه

بغرامهِ وبهجره وبصدِّه

And his heart and inmost heart came to be tormented

by passion for him, his desertion, and his rejection.

فالجسم منه في تهامةَ نازلٌ

فالجسم منه في تهامةَ نازلٌ

والقلبُ منه غائبٌ في نجده

والقلبُ منه غائبٌ في نجده

So his body dwells in Tihamah,

while his heart is far away in his Najd.

نُورٌ إذا رأتِ الغزالةِ وجهه

نُورٌ إذا رأتِ الغزالةِ وجهه

ترتدُّ منه مثلَ فاحِم جَعْده

ترتدُّ منه مثلَ فاحِم جَعْده

A radiance—when the sun beholds his face,

it turns back from him, dark as his jet-black curls.

ظبْيٌ مراعيه الحشا عجباً له

ظبْيٌ مراعيه الحشا عجباً له

ردَّ الشموس بنوره وبِسَعده

ردَّ الشموس بنوره وبِسَعده

A gazelle whose pastures are the heart's depths—how wondrous he is!

He turned back the suns with his light and his good fortune.

هذا الذي يَسْبِى العقولَ بلفظه

هذا الذي يَسْبِى العقولَ بلفظه

وبلحظِه وبدرِّه وبوَرْدهِ

وبلحظِه وبدرِّه وبوَرْدهِ

This is he who captivates minds with his speech,

and with his glance, his pearls, and his roses,

وبخَصْره وبنحرِه وبثغرِه

وبخَصْره وبنحرِه وبثغرِه

وبهجرِه وببُعدِه وبقدِه

وبهجرِه وببُعدِه وبقدِه

and with his waist, his bosom, and his mouth,

and with his desertion, his distance, and his stature,

وبدلِّه ودلاله وجماله

وبدلِّه ودلاله وجماله

ومَلالِه وكماله وبِنَهدِه

ومَلالِه وكماله وبِنَهدِه

and with his coquetry, his coyness, and his beauty,

and with his weariness, his perfection, and his breast,

وبنُبله وبمَطْله وبعَدله

وبنُبله وبمَطْله وبعَدله

وبجوره وبنور جَوهر عِقْده

وبجوره وبنور جَوهر عِقْده

and with his nobility, his delays, and his justice,

and with his injustice and the light of his necklace's gems,

وبجيدِه وبحُسْنه وبطرْفه

وبجيدِه وبحُسْنه وبطرْفه

وبخاله وبفَوْدِه وبجُنده

وبخاله وبفَوْدِه وبجُنده

and with his neck, his loveliness, and his eye,

and with his beauty mark, his sidelock, and his army.

عجباً لطرفٍ يَكْلُم الأحشاءَ

عجباً لطرفٍ يَكْلُم الأحشاءَ

والأكبادَ وهْو مزمَّلٌ في غِمْده

والأكبادَ وهْو مزمَّلٌ في غِمْده

How wondrous an eye that wounds the entrails

and the livers, though wrapped within its sheath!

يُصْمِى قلوب العاشقين إذا بدا

يُصْمِى قلوب العاشقين إذا بدا

أو إن نثنَّي في غلائل بُرْدِه

أو إن نثنَّي في غلائل بُرْدِه

He strikes lovers' hearts dead whenever he appears,

or if [he sways] in the gauzy layers of his cloak.

حازَ المحاسنَ كلَّها في وصفِه

حازَ المحاسنَ كلَّها في وصفِه

وأنا أهيمُ بحبِّه وبوجدِه

وأنا أهيمُ بحبِّه وبوجدِه

He possesses every beauty in his attributes,

and I wander, lost in love and longing for him.

لا زالَ يمنحنى البعادَ ولم يَجُدْ

لا زالَ يمنحنى البعادَ ولم يَجُدْ

للصبِّ من هزلِ الكلام وجدِّه

للصبِّ من هزلِ الكلام وجدِّه

He has not ceased granting me estrangement, yet has not bestowed

on the lovesick one any words, whether in jest or earnest.