وافى وَقَد لَعب النَسيم بِرُدنِهِ

وافى وَقَد لَعب النَسيم بِرُدنِهِ

يَسعى إِلى النُدما بقرقف دَنّهِ

يَسعى إِلى النُدما بقرقف دَنّهِ

He arrived as the breeze played with his sleeve,

He came while the breeze played with his softness,

Hastening to the drinking companions with wine from his wine jar.

Rushing to the tryst with the clinking of his ornaments.

أَفديهِ مِن رَشأٍ أُسرت بِجفنِهِ

أَفديهِ مِن رَشأٍ أُسرت بِجفنِهِ

وَمُهفهف سَلب العُقول بِحُسنِهِ

وَمُهفهف سَلب العُقول بِحُسنِهِ

I would ransom him—a young gazelle whose eyelid took me captive,

I ransom him from the mischief captured in his eyelids,

And a slender one who stole minds with his beauty,

And the coquetry that stole minds with his beauty.

وَبِنور صُبح جَبينه إِذ أَسفَرا

وَبِنور صُبح جَبينه إِذ أَسفَرا

حاوَلت حَلَّ رُموزه مِن عقدِهِ

حاوَلت حَلَّ رُموزه مِن عقدِهِ

And with the dawn-light of his brow as it shone forth.

And by the light of dawn on his brow when it shone,

I tried to unravel his knotted riddles;

I tried to solve the riddles of his knotted heartstrings.

فَشَهدت درَّ الثَغر جاد بِشَهدِهِ

فَشَهدت درَّ الثَغر جاد بِشَهدِهِ

فَضممته وَلَقَد وَثَقت بوعدِهِ

فَضممته وَلَقَد وَثَقت بوعدِهِ

Then I saw the pearls of his mouth bestow their honey.

I saw the nectar of his mouth flowing with its honey.

So I embraced him, having indeed trusted his promise.

I held him close and indeed I trusted his promise.

فَغَدا يُبارزني بِأَسمر قدّهِ

فَغَدا يُبارزني بِأَسمر قدّهِ

وَاِزداد تيهاً فَاِعتَلى وَتَكَبّرا

وَاِزداد تيهاً فَاِعتَلى وَتَكَبّرا

Then he began to duel with me, wielding his stature's brown lance,

So he began to challenge me with his dark nape,

And grew more conceited, exalting himself and swelling with pride.

And he became more lost, rising up arrogantly.

أدنيتهُ فَنأى وَزاد بِعجبه

أدنيتهُ فَنأى وَزاد بِعجبه

وَرَمى بِسَهم الصَدّ قَلب مُحبّهِ

وَرَمى بِسَهم الصَدّ قَلب مُحبّهِ

I drew him near, but he withdrew and grew more self-admiring,

I drew him near but he recoiled and grew more amazed.

And shot the arrow of rejection into his lover's heart.

He shot me with the arrow of rejection to my loving heart.

قُلت اِتّئد وَأَنا القَتيل بِحُبِّهِ

قُلت اِتّئد وَأَنا القَتيل بِحُبِّهِ

يا هاجِري لَمّا رَأى شَغفي بِهِ

يا هاجِري لَمّا رَأى شَغفي بِهِ

I said, 'Go gently,' while I lay slain by love for him:

I said, “Be gentle,” though I was the one slain by his love!

O you who forsook me when you saw my passion for you,

O my migrating one, when he saw my passion for him,

لِمَ لي بَعثت الطَيف في طَلب الكَرى

لِمَ لي بَعثت الطَيف في طَلب الكَرى

لي رفعة بِهَواك يَحسدها المَلا

لي رفعة بِهَواك يَحسدها المَلا

Why did you send me the dream-phantom as I sought slumber?

Why did you send an apparition seeking from afar?

Through love for you, I have a lofty rank the throng envies.

By your love I have an eminence envied by angels.

دَلَّت عَلى صدق المَحبّة وَالولا

دَلَّت عَلى صدق المَحبّة وَالولا

دَعني أَنل مِن طيب وَصلك مَأملا

دَعني أَنل مِن طيب وَصلك مَأملا

It bore witness to the sincerity of love and loyalty.

It attests to the sincerity of love and devotion.

Let me gain what I hope for from the sweetness of union with you.

Let me attain the good of your affection hopefully!

حَسبي ضنى جِسمي بِهَجرك وَالقِلا

حَسبي ضنى جِسمي بِهَجرك وَالقِلا

ما كانَ شَأن مُحبّكم أَن يهجرا

ما كانَ شَأن مُحبّكم أَن يهجرا

My body's wasting from your desertion and aversion is enough for me.

It suffices me, the emaciation of my body in your estrangement and paucity.

It was never your lover's lot to be forsaken.

It was not the way of your lover to abandon you.

أَصبَحت غبَّ تَنعمي وَتلذّذي

أَصبَحت غبَّ تَنعمي وَتلذّذي

أَلقى الوشاة بِسورة المتعوّذِ

أَلقى الوشاة بِسورة المتعوّذِ

Now, after my bliss and delight, I find myself

You lived in comfort and in pleasure.

Facing the slanderers with the refuge-seeker's surah.

The slanderers cast the protected chapter.

قَسماً بِشهد رضابك المتنبّذِ

قَسماً بِشهد رضابك المتنبّذِ

إِنَّ الَّذي خَلق الغَرام هُوَ الَّذي

إِنَّ الَّذي خَلق الغَرام هُوَ الَّذي

I swear by the honey of your saliva, turned to wine:

I swear by the scattered honey of your pleasure:

Indeed, the one who created passion is the one who

Indeed He who created passion is He who

ذلّي لعزّك قَد دَرى إِذ قدّرا

ذلّي لعزّك قَد دَرى إِذ قدّرا

فَإِلى مَتى هَذا التَباعد وَالنَوى

فَإِلى مَتى هَذا التَباعد وَالنَوى

Knew my abasement before your might when he decreed it.

Subjugated me to your glory, He knew when He ordained.

How long, then, this estrangement and separation?

How long will this separation and distancing be?

يا فاتِني أَضعفت حيلي وَالقوى

يا فاتِني أَضعفت حيلي وَالقوى

إِن كُنت لا تَرضى بِمَيلي لِلسوى

إِن كُنت لا تَرضى بِمَيلي لِلسوى

O my enchanter, you have weakened my strength and powers.

O my seducer, you weakened my stratagems and strength.

If you will not accept my turning toward another,

If you will not accept my inclination to idolatry,

أَقصر جَفاك فَإِن مِن خَلق الهَوى

أَقصر جَفاك فَإِن مِن خَلق الهَوى

خلق السلوّ فَلا يَغرَّك ما جَرى

خلق السلوّ فَلا يَغرَّك ما جَرى

Curb your cruelty, for the one who created love

Then shorten your estrangement, for it is the nature of passion

Created forgetting too; so do not let the past deceive you.

To create oblivion. So do not let what happened deceive you.