نظرَت فلا نظَرت بمُقلةِ جُؤذَرِ
نجلاءُ تَرنو والمَها من مَحجرِ
She glanced, but not with a glancing eye,
A doe darting, with a fawn from the rocky lair.
أنظُر إلى شخص المنيَّة طالعاً
يَبدو لنا منه بأحسن منظَرِ
Look at the cheek of the beloved rising,
It appears to us in the finest view.
إن عَسكَرت فيها عَساكرُ سُقمِها
فلِحاظُها تَلقى بعدَّة عَسكَرِ
If armies of her sickness camped there,
Her cheek would counter them with armies on armies.
من كلِّ أبيضَ باترٍ ومفوَّقٍ
أبداً يُصيبُ وسَمهريٍّ أسمَرِ
From every shining white smooth-cheeked one,
The brownish mole forever hits its mark.
وكأنّما غزت القلوبُ جفونَها
ثم انثنَت مكلومَة لم تظفَرِ
As though hearts invaded their eyelids,
Then turned away vanquished, unvictorious.
مظلومةٌ أبداً بكلِّ مفازَةٍ
مقتولةٌ صَبراً وإن لم تصبرِ
Oppressed forever in every wilderness,
Slain with patience, even lacking patience.
أين القلوبُ من الجفونِ وهذه
مذ سلَّطَت سُلطانَها لم تُقهَرِ
Where are hearts from eyelids? Since she
Unleashed her rule, she's not been subdued.
كم غادةٍ سَفَرت وكانَ حياؤها
يُنبيكَ عَنها أنَّها لم تسفِرِ
How often a gazelle traveled, her shyness
Warning you of her, that she'd not traveled.
فكأنَّما كشفَت نِقاباً أبيَضاً
يومَ التَقَينا عن نِقابٍ أحمرِ
As though she'd unveiled a white veil
The day we met, from a red veil.
هاجِر إذا هَجَرت إليَّ مواصِلاً
يا طَيفَها واهجُر إذا لم تهجُرِ
Emigrant, when you emigrate to me, cleaving on,
O her specter, emigrate! If you won't emigrate,
أو دُم لنا تحت الوفاء إذا وَفَت
فإذا تَمادى غَدرُها بي فاغدرِ
Or stay true to me under loyalty, if she's loyal,
But if her betrayal persists with me, then betray!
أتَرى الليالي غيَّرت لي همةً
قالَت لها العَلياءُ لا تَتَغيَّري
Do you see the nights changed a resolve for me?
The lofty ones said: Do not change!
ونَدى أبي الحَسن الخَطيب خطابُه
لخطوبِها لما تطاوَلت اقصِري
The call of Abul Hasan the Orator in his courtship
When it grew long, "Be concise!"
من يَشتري أبداً بسالِم مالِه
من جُوده مجداً بحيثُ المُشتَري
One who'd ever buy - with his safe money -
Glory from his generosity, so that he's the buyer!
فكأنَّه المَعذورُ فيما تَحتَوي
يَدُه فإن لم يُفنِه لم يعذرِ
As though he's the one excused for what
His hand contains, so if he doesn't spend it, he's not excused.
وكأنَّما يدُه تكادُ لبَذلِها
تُعدي ببَذلِ الجُود عودَ المِنبرِ
As though his hand nearly oversteps - with its giving -
The pulpit's wood with the generosity of giving.
ذو غرَّة أضحَت تدلُّ على النَّدى
كالبَرقِ دلَّ على السحابِ المُمطرِ
Possessing a bloom that indicates the dew,
Like lightning indicates the rain-laden cloud.
