لَوْلاَ الحِمَى وَصَبَايَا بِالْحِمَى عُرُبُ

مَا كَانَ فِي البَارِقِ النَّجْدِيِّ لي أَرَبُ

Had it not been for love and the fair maidens,

The Arab youths would have had no desire in me.

حَلَّتْ عُقُودَ اصْطِبَارِي دُوْنَهُ حُلَلٌ

حُقُوُقهَا كَارتِيَاحاتِي لَهَا تَجِبُ

The knots of my patience loosed before her,

While obligations to her are my only comforts.

وَفِي رِيَاضِ بِيوُتِ الحَيِّ مِنْ إِضَمٍ

وَرْدٌ جَنِيٌّ وَفِي أَكْمَامِهَا القُضُبُ

In the gardens of the neighborhood houses

A blossoming rose, and in their buds, promise

يَسْقِي الأَقَاحِيَ مِنْهَا قُرْقُفٌ فإِذَا

لاَحَ الحَبَابُ عَلَيْهَا فَاسْمُهُ الشَّنَبُ

Nourishing the branches until their flowers

Burst into bloom and their name becomes splendor.

يَقْضِي بِهَا لِعُيُونِ النَّاظِرينَ عَلَى

كُلِّ القُلُوبِ قَضَاءٌ مَا لَهُ سَبَبُ

Fulfilling for the eyes of onlookers

Upon all hearts a decree that has no cause,

إِلاَّ تَمَارُضَ أَجْفَانٍ إِذَا سَلَبَتْ

فَمُقْتَضَى هَمِّهَا المَسْلُوبُ لاَ السَّلَبُ

Except the feigning of glances that when withdrawn

Yearn for their theft, not for the act of stealing.

وَلِي لَدَى الحِلَّةِ الفَيْحَاءِ غُصْنُ نَقَا

يَهْفُو فَيَجْذِبُهُ خَفْقٌ فَيَنْجَذِبُ

By the sand dunes I have a soft, supple branch

Swaying gently, pulled by a flutter, swaying back.

لاَ يَقْدِرُ الحِبُّ أنْ يُخْفِي مَحَاسِنَهُ

وَإِنَّمَا فِي سَنَاهُ الْحُجْبُ تَحْتَجِبُ

Love cannot conceal its beauty

Rather its modesty veils and hides within.

أُعَاهِدُ الرَّاحَ أَنَّى لاَ أُفَارِقُهَا

مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّ الثَّنَايَا شِبْهُهُا الحَبَبُ

I pledge to the gentle breeze I shall not part

Because the curves are like those of a loved one.

وَأَرْقُبُ البَرْقَ لاَسُقْيَاهُ مِنْ أَربَى

لَكِنَّهُ مِثْلُ خَدَّيْهِ لَهُ لَهَبُ

I watch the lightning though not to water it

But like her cheeks, it has its own flame.

يَا سَالِماً فِي الهَوَى مِمَا أُكَابِدُهُ

رِفْقَاً بِأَحْشَاءِ صَبٍّ شَفَّهَا الوَصَبُ

Oh you at peace with love, have mercy

On the entrails of one burned, set aflame.

فَالأَجْرُ يَا أَمَلي إِنْ كُنْتَ تَكْسِبُهُ

مِنْ كُلِّ ذِي كَبِدٍ حَرَّاءَ تَكْتَسِبُ

The reward, my hope, if you are to earn it

Is from every aching soul you console.

يَا بَدرَ تَمٍّ مُحَاقِي فِي زِيَادَتِهِ

ما أَنْ تَنْجَلِي عَنْ أُفْقِكَ السُّحُبُ

Oh full moon, you are at your peak

While the clouds have yet to uncover your horizon.

صَحَا السُّكَارَى وَسُكْرِي فِيكَ دَامَ وَمَا

لِلسِّكْرِ من سَبَبٌ يُرْوَى ولاَ نَسَبُ

The intoxicated are sober, and my intoxication in you remains

For drunkenness has no origin or lineage by which it flows.

قَدْ أَيَّسَ الصَّبْرَ وَالسِّلْوَانَ أَيْسَرُهُ

وَعَاقَبَ الصِّبَّ عَنْ آمَالِهِ الوَصَبُ

Patience and solace have lost all hope

While passion was severed from its aspirations.

وَكُلَّمَا لاَحَ يَا دَمْعِي وَمِيضُ سَنىً

تَهْمِي وَإِنْ هَبَّ يَا قَلْبِي صَباً تَجِبُ

Whenever your trace appears my tear,

I become hopeless and though youth returns, I am stoic.