كَفَى بِالضَّنَى عَنْ سَوْرَةِ الْعَذْلِ نَاهِيَا

فَأَهْوَنُ مَا أَلْقَاهُ يُرْضِي الأَعَادِيَا

Enough of blaming love for my decline,

Even as blame itself brings some relief.

بَلَوْتُ الْهَوَى حَتَّى بَلِيتُ وَطَالَ بِي

مَرِيرُ النَّوَى حَتَّى نَسِيتُ التَّلاقِيَا

I have drunk deep of passion till I drowned,

So bitter was that draught I forgot all sweetness.

وَمَا كُنْتُ ذَا غَيٍّ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا الْهَوَى

أَصَابَ حَلِيمَ الْقَوْمِ أَصْبَحَ غَاوِيَا

I was no wanton, yet passion when it strikes

The sober man makes him act wildly.

إِلَى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو نَظْرَةً مَا تَجَاوَزَتْ

حِمَىالْعَيْنِ حَتَّى أَوْرَدَتْنِي الْمَهَاوِيَا

I complain to God of a glance that went

Beyond all modest bounds, till it cast me down.

رَمَيْتُ بِهَا عَنْ غَيْرِ عَمْدٍ فَلَمْ تَعُدْ

عَلَى النَّفْسِ إِلَّا بِالَّذِي كَانَ قَاضِيَا

Blameless, it shot me through the heart, and still

Brings only what my fate had decreed.

هَجَرْتُ لَهَا أَهْلِي وَفَارَقْتُ جِيرَتِي

وَغَاضَبْتُ فِي الخُلَّانِ مَنْ كَانَ رَاضِيَا

I deserted kith and kin, shunned old friends

And in my madness angrily rebuffed would-be comforters,

وَأَصْبَحْتُ مَسْلُوبَ الْجَنَانِ كَأَنَّنِي

شَرِبْتُ بِكَأْسٍ تَتْرُكُ الْعَقْلَ سَاهِيَا

Till I became like one who had drunk a draft

That stole his wits and left his reason behind.

أَدُورُ وَلا أَدْرِي وَإِنْ كُنْتُ حَازِماً

يَمِينِيَ أَدْنَى لِلْهُدَى مِنْ شِمَالِيَا

Thoughtless I wander not knowing where I go;

My right hand has less truth in its lines than my left.

صَرِيعُ هَوَىً لا أَذْكُرُ اليَوْمَ بِاسْمِهِ

وَلا أَعْرِفُ الأَشْخَاصَ إِلَّا تَمَادِيَا

Love's captive, I no longer recall the days

Or recognize faces save those showing disdain.

فَيَا عَيْنُ لا زَالَتْ يَدُ السُّهْدِ تَمْتَرِي

أَسَاكِيبَ دَمْعٍ مِنْكِ تُرْوِي الْمَآقِيَا

So, eyes that down your cheeks rain tears,

Let up awhile from watering barren sands.

فَأَنْتِ الَّتِي أَوْرَدْتِ قَلْبِي مِنَ الْهَوَى

مَوَارِدَ لَمْ تَتْرُكْ مِنَ الصَّبْرِ بَاقِيَا

'Twas you that led my heart to taste of love,

Till not a drop of patience now remains.

أَطَعْتُكِ فَاسْتَسْلَمْتُ بَعْدَ شَكِيمَةٍ

أَعَضَّتْ بِأَطْرَافِ الشَّكِيمِ الْمَذَاكِيَا

Obedient to you, after long restraint,

I let resolve be broken past repair.

فَإِنْ أَنَا سَالَمْتُ الْهَوَى بَعْدَ هَذِهِ

فَلَسْتُ ابْنَ أُمِّ الْمَجْدِ إِنْ عُدْتُ ثَانِيَا

So if after this bout I make peace with passion,

I am no true son of glory if I relapse.

يَلُومُونَ أَشْوَاقِي كَأَنِّي ابْتَدَعْتُها

وَلَوْ عَلِمُوا لامُوا الظِّبَاءَ الْجَوَارِيَا

They blame my ecstasies, as if I had initiated them.

Would they but blame the gazelles, those wild deer!

وَمَا لِيَ ذَنْبٌ عِنْدَهُمْ غَيْرَ أَنَّنِي

شَدَوْتُ فَعَلَّمْتُ الْحَمَامَ الأَغَانِيَا

I am charged with no crime before them save that

I let slip the bird of song; and taught a dove to sing.

وَهَلْ يَكْتُمُ الْمَرْءُ الْهَوَى وَهْوَ شَاعِرٌ

وَيَثْنِي عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِنَّ الْقَوَافِيَا

Can a man hide passion when he is a poet

And even as he walks, his meters whisper within?

فَيَا نَسَمَاتِ الْفَجْرِ مَا لَكِ كُلَّمَا

تَنَسَّمْتِ أَضْرَمْتِ الْهَوَى فِي فُؤَادِيَا

So gentle dawn-winds why do you always revive,

When you blow, the smoldering fires in my heart?

وَيَا سَجَعَاتِ الأَيكِ رِفْقَاً بِمُهْجَةٍ

~

And you, O mourning dove, tread gently o'er my heart.

And O lightnings of the dark! Inform whomever I love

وَيَا لَمَحَاتِ الْبَرْقِ بِاللَّهِ خَبِّرِي

أَخِلَّايَ بِالْمِقْيَاسِ عَنِّي سَلامِيَا

To drink his fill, yet keep his distance from me.

And you, dews of the vine, if you are indeed inclined

وَيَا عَذَبَاتِ الْبَانِ إِنْ كُنْتَ إِنَّمَا

تَمِيلُ مَعِي شَوْقاً فَلُقِّيتَ دَاوِيَا

To be as lovesick as I am, you will find a cure.

Old passion all my present torments has begot.

عَوَائِدُ شَوْقٍ أَلْهَبَتْ لاعِجَ الأَسَى

وَرَدَّتْ أَمَانِيَّ الْضَّمِيرِ هَوَافِيَا

And sent my spirit wandering finding no rest.

No! I left not my tribe, nor have I parted

لَعَمْرُكَ مَا فَارَقْتُ رَبْعِيَ عَنْ قِلَىً

وَلا أَنَا وَدَّعْتُ الأَحِبَّةَ سَالِيَا

From friends, but longing returns again and again.

Times have changed. Remembrance visits me no more

وَلَكِنْ عَدَتْنِي عَنْ بِلادِي وَجِيرَتِي

عَوَادٍ أَبَتْ فِي الْبُعْدِ إِلَّا تَمَادِيَا

With kindness, bringing traits to gentle my despair.

So Miqyas garden may your stream give ease -

زَمَانٌ تَوَلَّى غَيْرَ أَعْقَابِ ذُكْرَةٍ

تَسُوقُ إِلَى الْمَرْءِ الْحَلِيمِ التَّصَابِيَا

Its chains invite those longing for the waterside.

Still does the morning breeze kiss you and stir

فَيَا رَوْضَةَ الْمِقْيَاسِ جَادَكِ سَلْسَلٌ

مِنَ النِّيلِ يَدْعُو لِلْحَنِينِ السَّوَاقِيَا

The sleeping light, till full awake the east turns golden.

Land in whose peace and plenty I've found delight

وَلا بَرِحَتْ تَغْشَاكِ لِلْفَجْرِ نَسْمَةٌ

تَرُدُّ جَبِينَ النَّوْرِ أَزْهَرَ ضَاحِيَا

And let caprice hold the reins to roam it wide.

Sweet the ways I knew there, friends and fortune shared;

بِلادٌ صَحِبْتُ الْعَيْشَ فِيهَا مُنَعَّمَاً

وَأَجْرَيْتُ أَفْرَاسَ الْبَطَالَةِ لاهِيَا

Goodly the customs I abandoned heedlessly.

There lies the homeland where the soul finds comfort,

فَكَمْ لَذَّةٍ أَدْرَكْتُ فِيهَا وَنِعْمَةٍ

أَصَبْتُ وَآدَابٍ تَرَكْتُ وَرَائِيَا

Which, though far away, is nearest to the soul.

How excellent this world when we depart

هِيَ الْوَطَنُ الْمَأْلُوفُ وَالنَّفْسُ صَبَّةٌ

بِمَنْزِلِهَا الأَدْنَى وَإِنْ كَانَ نَائِيَا

And even when we come, how excellent the welcome!

I craved reunion but was first among a band

فَلا حَبَّذَا الدُّنْيَا إِذَا هِيَ أَدْبَرَتْ

وَإِنْ أَقْبَلَتْ يَوْماً فَيا حَبَّذَا هِيَا

Of comrades seeking eminence through high endeavor;

Should they gain a portion I expect no less,

نَشَدْتُ الْمُنَى عَوْدَاً وَقَدْ كُنْتُ بَدْأَةً

مَطَافَ أُنَاسٍ يَنْشُدُونَ الأَمَانِيَا

For renouncing some ambitions brings relief.

What use that virtues I possess are gifts

فَإِنْ لَمْ أَنَلْ مِنْهَا نَصِيباً فَإِنَّنِي

أَرَى الْيَأْسَ عَنْ بَعْضِ الْمَطَالِبِ كَافِيَا

My enemy with equal gifts is graced.

The green herb grows not from the dust if drought persists,

وَمَاذَا الَّذِي تُجْدِي عَلَيَّ فَضَائِلِي

إِذَا كُنَّ فِي عَيْنِ الْعَدُوِّ مَسَاوِيَا

Nor will the rain replenish streams if none should seek the clouds.

فَلا اخْضَرَّ سَاقُ الْبَقْلِ إِنْ بِتُّ طَاوِيَاً

وَلا انْهَلَّ مَاءُ الْمُزْنِ إِنْ مِتُّ صَادِيَا