شَوقٌ يَهيجُ وقلبٌ طالما خَفَقا

شَوقٌ يَهيجُ وقلبٌ طالما خَفَقا

ومُقلةٌ في الدُّجَى علَّمتُها الأرَقا

ومُقلةٌ في الدُّجَى علَّمتُها الأرَقا

A longing that surges, and a heart that has so often throbbed,

Longing stirs, and a heart that has throbbed before,

and an eye I have taught sleeplessness in the darkness;

And an eyelid in the gloom I've taught to be sleepless,

ومُهجةٌ في الهَوَى العُذْرِيِّ ذائبةٌ

ومُهجةٌ في الهَوَى العُذْرِيِّ ذائبةٌ

إذا جَرَى الدَّمعُ زادَتْ نارُها حَرَقا

إذا جَرَى الدَّمعُ زادَتْ نارُها حَرَقا

and a soul melting in chaste love—

And an eye socket burnt with chaste love,

whenever tears flow, its fire burns all the fiercer.

If a tear flows, its fire grows more scorching.

مَن مُنصفي يا لَقومي في المحَبَّةِ مِن

مَن مُنصفي يا لَقومي في المحَبَّةِ مِن

ظَبْيٍ أنا عَبدُهُ وَهْوَ الذي أبَقَا

ظَبْيٍ أنا عَبدُهُ وَهْوَ الذي أبَقَا

Who, O my people, will do me justice in love against

Who of my fair people can judge me justly in love?

a gazelle whose slave I am, though he is the one who ran away?

I'm his slave, and he is the one who gave me life.

لمَّا تَوارَى مُحيَّاهُ بَكيتُ دَماً

لمَّا تَوارَى مُحيَّاهُ بَكيتُ دَماً

كالشَّمسِ غابَتْ فأبْقَتْ بعدهَا شَفَقا

كالشَّمسِ غابَتْ فأبْقَتْ بعدهَا شَفَقا

When his face disappeared, I wept blood,

When his smile hid from me, I wept blood

like the sun that set and left a red afterglow behind.

Like the sun that disappears but leaves a sunset glow.

مُهَفهَفُ القَدِّ لَدْنُ العِطْفِ مُعتدِلٌ

مُهَفهَفُ القَدِّ لَدْنُ العِطْفِ مُعتدِلٌ

كالغُصنِ قد حَمَلَ الدِّيباجَ لا الوَرقا

كالغُصنِ قد حَمَلَ الدِّيباجَ لا الوَرقا

Slender of stature, supple of flank, well proportioned,

Slender of waist by the gentle curve, poised of stature

like a branch bearing brocade, not leaves.

Like a branch bearing damask, not mere leaves.

خَطَّتْ يدُ الحُسنِ في مَصقولِ جَبْهتهِ

خَطَّتْ يدُ الحُسنِ في مَصقولِ جَبْهتهِ

سَطراً مُلخَّصُهُ سُبحانَ مَنْ خَلَقا

سَطراً مُلخَّصُهُ سُبحانَ مَنْ خَلَقا

The hand of beauty wrote upon his polished brow

The hand of beauty wrote on his polished brow

a line whose gist was: Glory to Him who created!

A line whose essence is "Glory to Him who created!"

جَرَحتُ خَدَّيهِ بالألحاظِ عن خَطأٍ

جَرَحتُ خَدَّيهِ بالألحاظِ عن خَطأٍ

فاقتَصَّ من كَبِدي ظُلماً وما رَفَقا

فاقتَصَّ من كَبِدي ظُلماً وما رَفَقا

I wounded his cheeks with glances by mistake;

I scratched his cheek by accident with a glance

so he unjustly took revenge upon my liver, showing no mercy.

So he exacted from my liver injustice without mercy.

وطالما سَرَقَتْ عينايَ نَظرَتَهُ

وطالما سَرَقَتْ عينايَ نَظرَتَهُ

فقالَ لا بُدَّ لي من قَطعِ مَنْ سَرَقا

فقالَ لا بُدَّ لي من قَطعِ مَنْ سَرَقا

And how often my eyes stole a glance at him,

And for so long my eyes have stolen looks at him

so he said, 'I must cut off whoever stole.'

That he said, I must cut out those who steal.

لمَّا رأى سِحرَ عينيهِ العِذارُ طَوَى

لمَّا رأى سِحرَ عينيهِ العِذارُ طَوَى

كَشحاً وخَطَّ لهُ في عارِضيهِ رُقَى

كَشحاً وخَطَّ لهُ في عارِضيهِ رُقَى

When the cheek-down saw the magic of his eyes, it turned

When the flirt saw the magic of my eyes, he covered up

aside and inscribed protective spells for him on both cheeks.

Covetously, and traced spells on his temples.

تلك الأساطيرُ شاقتْني مَحاسِنُها

تلك الأساطيرُ شاقتْني مَحاسِنُها

حتى رأيتُ سُطوراً تَبْهَرُ الحَدَقا

حتى رأيتُ سُطوراً تَبْهَرُ الحَدَقا

The beauties of those writings stirred my longing,

Those legends wearied me, his beauties,

until I saw lines that dazzled the eyes.

Until I saw lines that dazzle the eyes.

قلائدٌ خِلْتُها حبراً على وَرَقٍ

قلائدٌ خِلْتُها حبراً على وَرَقٍ

فكانتِ الدُرَّ لا حِبراً ولا وَرَقا

فكانتِ الدُرَّ لا حِبراً ولا وَرَقا

Necklaces I thought were ink on paper,

Necklaces I strung with ink on paper

yet they were pearls, not ink and not paper.

Yet they were pearls, neither ink nor paper.

منظومةٌ بيدٍ كالبَحرِ زَاخرةٍ

منظومةٌ بيدٍ كالبَحرِ زَاخرةٍ

مَن خاضَ لُجَّتَها لا يأمَنُ الغَرَقا

مَن خاضَ لُجَّتَها لا يأمَنُ الغَرَقا

Strung by a hand overflowing like the sea,

A composition by a hand like a foaming sea,

whoever plunges into its depths is not safe from drowning.

He who plunges into its billows will not escape drowning.

بنفسي الفِداءُ لعبدِ اللهِ من رَجُلٍ

بنفسي الفِداءُ لعبدِ اللهِ من رَجُلٍ

كالغيثِ مُندَفِقاً والصُّبحِ مُنبَثِقا

كالغيثِ مُندَفِقاً والصُّبحِ مُنبَثِقا

I would ransom Abd Allah with my life—what a man,

I ransom my soul for the servant of God, a man

like rain pouring forth and dawn breaking!

Like pouring rain and the rising dawn.

أصَحُّ من خَطَّ قِرطاساً وأبلَغُ مَن

أصَحُّ من خَطَّ قِرطاساً وأبلَغُ مَن

أملَى وأفصَحُ مَنْ بالضَّادِ قد نَطقَا

أملَى وأفصَحُ مَنْ بالضَّادِ قد نَطقَا

The most accurate of those who have written on paper, and the most eloquent of those who

More correct than one who pens a parchment, more eloquent than one who dictates, more articulate than one who pronounces the emphatic d.

have dictated, and the most articulate of those who have spoken the tongue of ḍād.

He is the adept whose speech his tongue does not mar

هُوَ المُصِيبُ الذي لم يُخطِ مَنطِقُهُ

هُوَ المُصِيبُ الذي لم يُخطِ مَنطِقُهُ

إلاّ بمدحٍ أتاني منهُ مختَلَقا

إلاّ بمدحٍ أتاني منهُ مختَلَقا

He is the one who hits the mark, whose speech has never erred,

Except with praise that came to me unasked.

except in fabricated praise that came to me from him.

If I was robed in wonder at him,

لَئنْ تَسَربلتُ من عُجْبي بهِ حُللاً

لَئنْ تَسَربلتُ من عُجْبي بهِ حُللاً

فقد تَعلَّمتُ من ألطافِهِ خُلُقا

فقد تَعلَّمتُ من ألطافِهِ خُلُقا

If I have clad myself in robes of my admiration for him,

I learned refinement of character from his gentleness.

then I have learned good conduct from his kindnesses.

He watered the land of Zawra in Iraq

سَقى الحَيا أرضَ زَوارءِ العِراقِ كما

سَقى الحَيا أرضَ زَوارءِ العِراقِ كما

سَقَت رُبَى الشَّامِ منها وابلاً غَدَقا

سَقَت رُبَى الشَّامِ منها وابلاً غَدَقا

May the rain water the land of Zawra in Iraq, just as

As the downpour watered its pastureland.

she has watered the hills of al-Sham with her copious downpour.

I knew the breeze blew from his direction

عَلِمتُ أنَّ الصَّبا من نَحوِها خَطَرتْ

عَلِمتُ أنَّ الصَّبا من نَحوِها خَطَرتْ

لَمَّا رأيتُ شَذا أنفاسِها عَبِقا

لَمَّا رأيتُ شَذا أنفاسِها عَبِقا

I knew the east wind had wafted from her direction,

When I smelled the fragrance of his breath.

when I found its breaths fragrant with perfume.

My yearning for his blessed quarter, a bird

شَوقي إلى رَبعها الميمونِ طائرُهُ

شَوقي إلى رَبعها الميمونِ طائرُهُ

شوقُ العَليلِ إلى ما يُمسِكُ الرَّمَقَا

شوقُ العَليلِ إلى ما يُمسِكُ الرَّمَقَا

My longing for her abode, whose omen is blessed,

Is the invalid's yearning for what will prolong his life.

is the sick man's longing for what sustains his last breath.

A quarter that is the highest sphere - the stars rose in it

رَبعٌ هو الفَلَكُ الأعلَى فقد طَلَعتْ

رَبعٌ هو الفَلَكُ الأعلَى فقد طَلَعتْ

فيهِ النُجومُ اللواتي تَصدَعُ الغَسقَا

فيهِ النُجومُ اللواتي تَصدَعُ الغَسقَا

An abode that is the highest sphere—for there have risen

That rend the darkness.

within it stars that cleave the darkness.

Would that a meadow could quench my love-blight

يا حَبَّذا نَهلةٌ تُرِوي الحُشاشةَ مِن

يا حَبَّذا نَهلةٌ تُرِوي الحُشاشةَ مِن

نهر السَّلامِ الذي قَلبي بهِ عَلِقا

نهر السَّلامِ الذي قَلبي بهِ عَلِقا

Oh, how welcome a draught to refresh life's last remnant, from

From the river of peace, for my heart clings to it!

the River of Peace, to which my heart has clung.

If I do not get a draft of it, oh my thirst!

إن لم أنَل جُرْعةً منهُ فوا ظَمئي

إن لم أنَل جُرْعةً منهُ فوا ظَمئي

ولو سَقاني هَتُونُ الغَيثِ مُندفِقا

ولو سَقاني هَتُونُ الغَيثِ مُندفِقا

If I obtain no sip from it, alas for my thirst,

As if the pouring rain could water me.

even if torrential rain pours down to give me drink.