طَيفٌ بلُبنانَ من مِصرٍ إليَّ سَرَى

طَيفٌ بلُبنانَ من مِصرٍ إليَّ سَرَى

حتى إذا أنِسَت عيني به نَفرا

حتى إذا أنِسَت عيني به نَفرا

A phantom from Egypt came by night to me in Lebanon;

An apparition traveled by night from Egypt to me in Lebanon,

just when my eye had grown familiar with it, it fled.

Until my eye found comfort in it—then it took fright.

وَلّى يَشُقُّ أديمَ الليلِ معُتسفاً

وَلّى يَشُقُّ أديمَ الليلِ معُتسفاً

فما عَرَفتُ لهُ عيناً ولا أثَرا

فما عَرَفتُ لهُ عيناً ولا أثَرا

It turned away, cleaving the skin of night, blindly wandering;

It turned away, cleaving the skin of night on a pathless course,

I could discern neither its form nor any trace.

So I could discern neither its form nor its trace.

يا مُرسِلَ الطَّيفِ لو علَّمْتهُ كَرَماً

يا مُرسِلَ الطَّيفِ لو علَّمْتهُ كَرَماً

أُنْسَ اللقاءِ كما علَّمتَني السَهَرا

أُنْسَ اللقاءِ كما علَّمتَني السَهَرا

O sender of the phantom, if only, in kindness, you had taught it

O sender of the apparition, if only you had kindly taught it

the warmth of meeting, as you taught me wakeful nights.

The solace of meeting, as you taught me sleeplessness.

وكيفَ يأنَسُ ضَيفٌ حيثُ ليسَ لهُ

وكيفَ يأنَسُ ضَيفٌ حيثُ ليسَ لهُ

إلاّ سَخينةَ دمعٍ في الظَلامِ قِرَى

إلاّ سَخينةَ دمعٍ في الظَلامِ قِرَى

How can a guest feel at ease where he has

And how can a guest feel at ease where he has nothing

nothing but a hot tear, served as hospitality in the dark?

Except a warm serving of tears for his fare in the dark?

ما أنصَفَتْنا الليالي الغادراتُ بنا

ما أنصَفَتْنا الليالي الغادراتُ بنا

دَجَتْ علينا ولم تترُكْ لنا القَمَرا

دَجَتْ علينا ولم تترُكْ لنا القَمَرا

The treacherous nights have dealt unfairly with us:

The nights, treacherous toward us, have not treated us fairly;

they closed dark over us and left us no moon.

They darkened over us and did not leave us the moon.

داءٌ نُعالجُهُ بالصبرِ وَهْوَ لنا

داءٌ نُعالجُهُ بالصبرِ وَهْوَ لنا

داءٌ وكم عِلَلٍ قد أَبرأت أُخَرا

داءٌ وكم عِلَلٍ قد أَبرأت أُخَرا

An affliction we treat with patience—yet patience itself is for us

An ailment we treat with patience, though patience to us

an affliction; and how many an ailment has cured another!

Is an ailment too; how many ailments have cured others!

غاب الحبيبُ فغابَ الأُنسُ عن فِئةٍ

غاب الحبيبُ فغابَ الأُنسُ عن فِئةٍ

خَيالهُ في سُويداواتِها حَضَرا

خَيالهُ في سُويداواتِها حَضَرا

The beloved went away, and fellowship left a company

The beloved departed, and solace left a company

in whose hearts’ deepest chambers his image remains present.

In whose hearts' dark cores his image was present.

إن كانَ قد عَزَمَ الأسفارَ مُغترباً

إن كانَ قد عَزَمَ الأسفارَ مُغترباً

فإنَّ أشواقَنا لا تَعرِفُ السَّفَرا

فإنَّ أشواقَنا لا تَعرِفُ السَّفَرا

If he has resolved to journey abroad,

If he has resolved on journeys far from home,

then surely our longings know nothing of travel.

Then our longings know no departure.

غال النَّوى عهدَ من تجلو لطائِفُهُ

غال النَّوى عهدَ من تجلو لطائِفُهُ

سِحرَ البيانِ ويجلو وَجهُهُ السَحَرا

سِحرَ البيانِ ويجلو وَجهُهُ السَحَرا

Distance vanished in the days of one whose subtle graces

Separation has ravaged the bond with one whose graceful sayings reveal

reveal eloquence’s magic, and whose face lights the dawn.

The magic of eloquence, and whose face lights up the dawn.

عَرَفتُ فيهِ قُصوري واعتَرَفتُ بهِ

عَرَفتُ فيهِ قُصوري واعتَرَفتُ بهِ

فما أُبرِّئُ نفسي منهُ مُعتذِرا

فما أُبرِّئُ نفسي منهُ مُعتذِرا

In him I saw my own shortcomings and confessed them;

I recognized my shortcoming toward him and admitted it;

I will not acquit myself of them by pleading excuses.

So I do not absolve myself of it by pleading excuses.

يا أيُّها الحَسَنُ الميمونُ طالعُهُ

يا أيُّها الحَسَنُ الميمونُ طالعُهُ

أحسَنتَ حتى ملأتَ السَمْعَ والبَصَرا

أحسَنتَ حتى ملأتَ السَمْعَ والبَصَرا

O fair one, auspicious in your rising,

O al-Hasan, whose rising star is auspicious,

you have so excelled that you fill both hearing and sight.

You have excelled until you filled both ear and eye.

ما زلتَ تجلو علينا كُلَّ قافيةٍ

ما زلتَ تجلو علينا كُلَّ قافيةٍ

قد شبَّبَتْ بمعاني حُسنها الشُعَرا

قد شبَّبَتْ بمعاني حُسنها الشُعَرا

You never ceased unveiling for us every poem

You keep unveiling to us each rhyme

whose lovely meanings have moved poets to sing of love.

Whose lovely meanings poets have praised in love songs.

يَهُزُّكَ الشِّعرُ إنشاداً فنحنُ بهِ

يَهُزُّكَ الشِّعرُ إنشاداً فنحنُ بهِ

نَغُوصُ في البحر حتى نجتني الدُّرَرا

نَغُوصُ في البحر حتى نجتني الدُّرَرا

Poetry stirs you when it is recited; through it, we

Poetry stirs you in recitation, and through it we

dive into the sea until we gather pearls.

Dive into the sea until we gather pearls.

هذِهْ رسالةُ مشتاقٍ تذكِّرُكم

هذِهْ رسالةُ مشتاقٍ تذكِّرُكم

عهداً قديماً عساهُ قبلها ذُكِرا

عهداً قديماً عساهُ قبلها ذُكِرا

This is a letter from one who longs, recalling you—

This is a letter from one who longs for you, reminding you

an old bond, perhaps spoken of before this letter.

Of an old bond—may it have been remembered before this letter.

ظمآنُ يحلو إذا اشتَدَّ الظَّماءُ لهُ

ظمآنُ يحلو إذا اشتَدَّ الظَّماءُ لهُ

ماءٌ ولكنَّ في إفراطِهِ خَطَرا

ماءٌ ولكنَّ في إفراطِهِ خَطَرا

A thirsty man, when his thirst grows fierce, finds sweet

When thirst grows fierce, a thirsty man finds sweetness in

water—but in excess of it there lies danger.

Water—yet there is danger in too much of it.