هل لذا الجفا سببُ

هل لذا الجفا سببُ

أم صدودهِ لعبُ

أم صدودهِ لعبُ

Is there a reason for this estrangement?

Is this estrangement without cause

Or is his turning away mere play?

Or his being aloof just a game?

أم ذكاءُ ما برحتْ

أم ذكاءُ ما برحتْ

تجتلي وتحتجبُ

تجتلي وتحتجبُ

Or is he Dhukāʾ, the sun, forever

Or is it his cleverness, that still

appearing and veiling herself?

Appears and disappears like a flame?

أم غدا كمشبههِ

أم غدا كمشبههِ

البدرُ ليس يقتربُ

البدرُ ليس يقتربُ

Or has he become like his counterpart,

The full moon is now like him -

the full moon, which never draws near?

It approaches not, though it came.

شادنٌ لأعينهِ

شادنٌ لأعينهِ

أنفُسُ الورى سلبُ

أنفُسُ الورى سلبُ

A young gazelle, to whose eyes

Eyes delighted to gaze on his charm,

the souls of humankind are spoils.

He captivated all mortal fame.

إن يعد فليسَ يفي

إن يعد فليسَ يفي

والهوى لهُ أدبُ

والهوى لهُ أدبُ

If he promises, he does not keep his word;

If he promises, he does not fulfill,

and love has its own code of conduct.

For passion has its own law and aim.

يحكمُ الملاحُ على

يحكمُ الملاحُ على

الصدقِ أنهُ كذبُ

الصدقِ أنهُ كذبُ

The fair ones pass judgment on

The critic may call it untrue,

truth, declaring it a lie.

Yet to the lover it's all the same.

وانتمى الجمالُ لهُ

وانتمى الجمالُ لهُ

فهو للجمالِ أبُ

فهو للجمالِ أبُ

And beauty traces its lineage to him,

Beauty clings to him as a garment,

so he is beauty's father.

So he's the father of beauty and claim.

وهوَ من تدللهِ

وهوَ من تدللهِ

هاجرٌ ومصطحبُ

هاجرٌ ومصطحبُ

And he, in his coquettishness,

He's the one, whom if indulged,

shuns yet keeps company;

Becomes wayward, travels, and will not remain.

وهو من ملاحتهِ

وهو من ملاحتهِ

سافرٌ ومنتقبُ

سافرٌ ومنتقبُ

and he, in his beauty,

He's the one whose flirtatiousness

is unveiled and veiled.

Makes him wander veiled, not plain.

كلُّ أمرهِ عجبُ

كلُّ أمرهِ عجبُ

وكذا الهوى عجبُ

وكذا الهوى عجبُ

Everything about him is a marvel,

Everything about him is strange,

and love, likewise, is a marvel.

Just like passion itself, it's insane.

يا ليالياً سلفتْ

يا ليالياً سلفتْ

هل تعيدكِ الحقبُ

هل تعيدكِ الحقبُ

O nights that have passed,

Oh nights that are past,

will the ages bring you back?

Will you come back again?

والرياضُ حاليةً

والرياضُ حاليةً

للسماءِ تنتسبُ

للسماءِ تنتسبُ

And the gardens, adorned,

The gardens now empty for the sky,

claim kinship with the sky.

To which they are related in vain.

وهو بينَ أكوسها

وهو بينَ أكوسها

البدرُ حولهُ الشهبُ

البدرُ حولهُ الشهبُ

And he, among their goblets,

The full moon wanders among them

is the full moon, with stars around him.

With shooting stars in its train.

نجتليها عابسةً

نجتليها عابسةً

باسماً لنا الحببُ

باسماً لنا الحببُ

We behold it frowning,

It reveals them frowning,

its bubbles smiling at us.

With a name to us dear and humane.

كالعروسِ قد حجبتْ

كالعروسِ قد حجبتْ

وهو دونها حُجبُ

وهو دونها حُجبُ

Like a bride already veiled,

Like a bride who is veiled,

with the bubbles as veils before her.

While he, beyond her, is restrained.

أبطأوا بزفتها

أبطأوا بزفتها

والزفافُ مرتقبُ

والزفافُ مرتقبُ

They have delayed her bridal procession,

They delayed his wedding,

and the wedding is awaited.

Though the feast was ready and ordained.

أو كخدٍ أغيدَ لو

أو كخدٍ أغيدَ لو

لم يسلْ بها العنبُ

لم يسلْ بها العنبُ

Or like a graceful youth's cheek, if

Or like a cheek bitten, if not

grapes had not flowed within it;

Moistened by the lips, it's profaned.

أو كأنها شفة

أو كأنها شفة

عضها فتىً وصبُ

عضها فتىً وصبُ

or as though it were a lip

Or like lips, a youth did bite,

that a lovesick youth has bitten;

Then felt sorry, so tears he rained.

أو كدمعِ ذي كلف

أو كدمعِ ذي كلف

بالدماءِ ينسكبُ

بالدماءِ ينسكبُ

or like the tears of one consumed by love,

Or as tears with kohl mixed,

pouring forth with blood;

That blood, though false, they feigned.

أو كقلبِ ذي حسدٍ

أو كقلبِ ذي حسدٍ

مازالَ يلتهبُ

مازالَ يلتهبُ

or like an envious person's heart,

Or a heart that envies,

that never ceases burning.

And with jealousy ever inflamed.

إن لثمتها جذبتْ

إن لثمتها جذبتْ

معطفي فينجذبُ

معطفي فينجذبُ

If I kiss it, it draws

Were I to kiss this cheek, I'd pull

my body, and it yields.

Its cloak, so toward me it's strained.

ينبري لها رشأ

ينبري لها رشأ

هزَّ عطفه الطربُ

هزَّ عطفه الطربُ

A young gazelle steps forward for it;

It excites my soul to passion,

rapture has set his body swaying.

Hiding within hearts, not disdained.

في القلوبِ مختبئ

في القلوبِ مختبئ

للقلوبِ مختلبُ

للقلوبِ مختلبُ

Hidden in hearts,

With its blush like the wild plum

a bewitcher of hearts.

Colored red but not stained.

خدهُ بحمرتها

خدهُ بحمرتها

كالبنانِ مختضبُ

كالبنانِ مختضبُ

His cheek, with its redness,

Wine plays with it whenever

is dyed like fingertips.

It reddens, the cups it's drained.

تلعبُ المدامُ بهِ

تلعبُ المدامُ بهِ

كلما احتسى يثبُ

كلما احتسى يثبُ

The wine plays with him;

Laughing with it, crying for it,

whenever he drinks, he leaps.

Each one by the other arraigned.

وهو منها في ضحكٍ

وهو منها في ضحكٍ

وهي منهُ تنتحبُ

وهي منهُ تنتحبُ

And he laughs because of it,

Who's like me, if asked,

while it sobs because of him.

The most literate have proclaimed -

من كمثلي إن ذكروا

من كمثلي إن ذكروا

من سما بهِ الأدبُ

من سما بهِ الأدبُ

Who is like me, when they mention

A legacy of honor that surpassed

those whom literature has exalted?

All Arabs, and gold has disdained?

شيمةٌ مخلفةٌ

شيمةٌ مخلفةٌ

نافستْ بها العربُ

نافستْ بها العربُ

An inherited trait,

Oh my ribs! My heart still convulses

with which the Arabs vied.

Among you, restless and pained!

إنها المعادن لم

إنها المعادن لم

يصد مثلها الذهبُ

يصد مثلها الذهبُ

Such are the metals; never

Eyes have tempted it,

has gold been found to match them.

So between them it's robbed and gained.

يا ضلوعي ما برحَ

يا ضلوعي ما برحَ

القلبُ فيكِ يضطربُ

القلبُ فيكِ يضطربُ

O my ribs, still

Their glances shone for it,

the heart trembles within you.

As magic on it drizzled and rained.

دارتْ العيونُ بهِ

دارتْ العيونُ بهِ

فهو بينها نهبُ

فهو بينها نهبُ

Eyes have circled it,

Many lions succumbed to eyes

and among them it is plunder.

Whenever those eyes disdained.

وانجلتْ لواحظها

وانجلتْ لواحظها

فانجلى لهُ العطبُ

فانجلى لهُ العطبُ

And their glances shone forth,

In their lids are arrows -

and ruin lay bare before it.

No scripts have proclaimed or ordained.

أعينٌ يموجُ بها

أعينٌ يموجُ بها

سحرها فينسربُ

سحرها فينسربُ

Eyes within which surges

Woe to him whose love is not done,

their magic, then steals forth.

And for him life not waned!

كم صرعنَ من أسدٍ

كم صرعنَ من أسدٍ

حينَ غالبوا غلبوا

حينَ غالبوا غلبوا

How many a lion they have felled!

If rest gives him fatigue,

When they strove to conquer, they were conquered.

Then fatigue rest has profaned.

في جفونها رسلٌ

في جفونها رسلٌ

لم تجئ بها كتبُ

لم تجئ بها كتبُ

Within their eyelids are messengers

that no books have brought.

ويحَ من أحبَّ أما

ويحَ من أحبَّ أما

ينقضي لهُ أربُ

ينقضي لهُ أربُ

Alas for whoever loves! Will not

some desire of his be fulfilled?

إن أراحهُ تعبٌ

إن أراحهُ تعبٌ

شفَّ قلبهُ تعبُ

شفَّ قلبهُ تعبُ

If one weariness gives him rest,

another weariness wears his heart away.