فؤادٌ على غصن الصبابة ساجعُ

فؤادٌ على غصن الصبابة ساجعُ

يرنم بالأشواق والقلب والعُ

يرنم بالأشواق والقلب والعُ

My heart, upon passion’s bough, coos;

A heart sings on the bough of ardent love;

it warbles with longings, while the heart is passionately enamored.

it chants with yearnings, and the heart is aflame.

وطرفٌ على طرف الهوى مذ جفا الكرى

وطرفٌ على طرف الهوى مذ جفا الكرى

بمِروَدِ سهدٍ كحلته المدامع

بمِروَدِ سهدٍ كحلته المدامع

Ever since sleep shunned it, my eye has kept watch at love’s farthest verge,

And an eye, on love's edge since sleep deserted it,

at sleeplessness’s watering place, where tears have lined it with kohl.

has been kohled by tears with the kohl-stick of sleeplessness.

وجسمٌ حرامٌ من قوام مضاجع

وجسمٌ حرامٌ من قوام مضاجع

يغرّد شوقاً والحطيم الأضالع

يغرّد شوقاً والحطيم الأضالع

My body is denied the comfort of couches;

And a body denied the support of beds

my heart warbles with longing, its ribs forming the Ḥaṭīm around it.

warbles with longing, its ribs the Hatim.

إذا هتفت ورقاء من فوق دوحةٍ

إذا هتفت ورقاء من فوق دوحةٍ

على إلفها انسابت عليه المواجع

على إلفها انسابت عليه المواجع

Whenever a ringdove calls from atop a leafy tree

When a gray dove calls from atop a spreading tree

to her mate, all my gathered senses stream toward her call.

for her mate, sorrows stream over him.

وإن مرّ تذكار الحمى يحلُ ذكره

وإن مرّ تذكار الحمى يحلُ ذكره

وكلّي لتذكار الحبيب مسامع

وكلّي لتذكار الحبيب مسامع

Whenever mention of the beloved sanctuary passes by, its memory alights,

And if remembrance of the protected grounds passes by, its mention grows sweet,

and all of me becomes ears at remembrance of the beloved.

and I am all ears for remembrance of the beloved.

سقى الله روض الحبّ غادقة الحيا

سقى الله روض الحبّ غادقة الحيا

فكم فيه غصنٌ بالمودّة يانع

فكم فيه غصنٌ بالمودّة يانع

May God water love’s garden with abundant, life-giving rain—

May God water love's garden with abundant rain,

how many a branch within it is ripe with affection!

for how many a bough flourishes there with affection!

ورعيا لأوقاتٍ مضت في ظلاله

ورعيا لأوقاتٍ مضت في ظلاله

بها ظبيُ أُنسي بالمسرّة راتع

بها ظبيُ أُنسي بالمسرّة راتع

And may He cherish my hours that passed beneath its shade,

And blessings on the times that passed in its shade,

where the gazelle of my intimacy grazed freely in delight.

in which the gazelle of my solace grazed in delight.

وطيب ليالٍ حبّذا بدر سعدِها

وطيب ليالٍ حبّذا بدر سعدِها

بأفق معالي السعد والأنس طالع

بأفق معالي السعد والأنس طالع

How sweet those nights! How lovely their fortune’s full moon,

And the sweetness of nights—how lovely the full moon of their good fortune,

rising upon the horizon of exalted happiness and companionship.

rising on the horizon of lofty good fortune and companionship.

كستها يد السرّاء خيرَ مطارفٍ

كستها يد السرّاء خيرَ مطارفٍ

بأنوار حسنٍ للنجوم مواقع

بأنوار حسنٍ للنجوم مواقع

The hand of prosperity clothed them in the finest mantles,

The hand of happiness clothed them in the finest bordered cloaks,

in lights of beauty wherein the stars have their stations.

with lights of beauty, stations for the stars.

محا رسمَها البينُ الخؤون وأنّني

محا رسمَها البينُ الخؤون وأنّني

بأيسر مسراها الّذي مرّ قانع

بأيسر مسراها الّذي مرّ قانع

Treacherous separation erased their traces; yet I

Treacherous separation erased their traces, yet I

am content with the slightest remnant of their bygone night journey.

am content with the smallest part of their bygone nightly course.

فمن لي بها عوداً لبدءٍ وهل لذي ال

فمن لي بها عوداً لبدءٍ وهل لذي ال

أمانيّ من قلب المشوق مطامع

أمانيّ من قلب المشوق مطامع

Who will restore them to me, returning me to the beginning? And does one possessed of

Who, then, will restore them to me, back to the beginning? And can one with

hopes harbor any desire for the yearning lover’s heart?

wishes draw hope from the yearning lover's heart?

فبالله يا ريح الصَبا خذ تحيّةً

فبالله يا ريح الصَبا خذ تحيّةً

لصبٍّ صبا لمّا تناءت مرابع

لصبٍّ صبا لمّا تناءت مرابع

Then, by God, O east wind, carry a greeting

Then, by God, O east wind, carry a greeting

from a lovesick lover who yearned when the dwelling grounds receded.

for a lovesick lover who yearned when the spring abodes grew distant.

وخادع بتقريبي عسى عطفة اللقا

وخادع بتقريبي عسى عطفة اللقا

تسير ببشراها إذا أنت راجع

تسير ببشراها إذا أنت راجع

Coax fate by bringing me near; perhaps reunion’s kindly turn

And beguile them by bringing me near; perhaps reunion's kindness

will come bearing glad tidings when you return.

will travel with its glad tidings when you return.

ويا نسمات الروح روحي وروّحي

ويا نسمات الروح روحي وروّحي

لريحانة الروح الّذي اللطف جامع

لريحانة الروح الّذي اللطف جامع

O breezes of the spirit, go forth and bring refreshment

And, O breezes of the spirit, go forth and bring refreshment

to the soul’s sweet basil, who encompasses every grace.

to the soul's sweet basil, who encompasses all gentleness,

فيحيا فؤادي عند رضوان جنّتي

فيحيا فؤادي عند رضوان جنّتي

فيمسي معاذاً من زمانٍ يخادع

فيمسي معاذاً من زمانٍ يخادع

Then my heart will live beside the Riḍwān of my Paradise,

so my heart may live beside my paradise's Ridwan,

and pass the evening sheltered from a treacherous age.

and come to be sheltered from an age that deceives.

لقد خيّموا قلباً تجلّى صبابةً

لقد خيّموا قلباً تجلّى صبابةً

وزاد غراماً عنه كلت مصاقع

وزاد غراماً عنه كلت مصاقع

Indeed, my two hearts have pitched camp; my ardent longing reveals him,

Indeed, they have encamped in a heart that shone with ardent love

and every eloquent speaker’s words of him increase my passion.

and grew in passion, before which eloquent speakers faltered.

وبثّي لهم ذكرى حبيبٍ ومنزلٍ

وبثّي لهم ذكرى حبيبٍ ومنزلٍ

وطيبَ وصالٍ بالمجامع ضائع

وطيبَ وصالٍ بالمجامع ضائع

Convey to them remembrance of a beloved and of my home,

And convey to them remembrance of a beloved and a dwelling,

and the sweetness of my union, lost amid the throng.

and the fragrance of union, wafting through the gatherings.

فإن لهم رعيَ الفؤاد لمن غدا

فإن لهم رعيَ الفؤاد لمن غدا

بمربعهم يرعى إذا الشوق رائع

بمربعهم يرعى إذا الشوق رائع

For theirs is the pasturing of my heart—the heart of one who goes

For they tend the heart of one who goes forth

to graze in their meadow whenever longing roams free.

to graze in their spring pasture when longing strikes terror.

عليهم سلام الله في كلّ حالةٍ

عليهم سلام الله في كلّ حالةٍ

نأوا أو دنوا أنَّى يرى الأمر واقع

نأوا أو دنوا أنَّى يرى الأمر واقع

May God’s peace be upon them in every state,

May God's peace be upon them in every state,

whether they dwell far or near, however events may fall.

whether they are far or near, however events are seen to unfold.

لهم روضة الأذكار مثوىً وقد علا

لهم روضة الأذكار مثوىً وقد علا

فؤادي على غصن الصبابة ساجع

فؤادي على غصن الصبابة ساجع

Theirs is a garden of memories, my dwelling; and now

Their abode is the garden of remembrance, and aloft has risen

my heart has climbed passion’s bough, cooing.

my heart, singing on the bough of ardent love.