سَرَت وَهيَ بَدرٌ وَالغَدائِرُ جونُ
وَقَد هَجَعَت لِلنائِمينَ جُفون
She rose like a full moon while eyelids still slumbered,
Walking with a gait that tests my patience, just to reach her,
تَميسُ بِقَدٍّ قُدَّ صَبري لِنَيلِهِ
وَخِصرٍ وَلَكِنَّ النِطاقَ عُيونُ
And a waist - but it's the belt that captures eyes!
Drawing her train behind the galaxy's curve,
وَتَسحَبُ عَن هامِ المَجَرَّةِ ذَيلَها
وَتَجري لِدامِعِ الصبِّ فَهوَ هَتون
Flowing to meet the tears of the passionate, submissive lover,
Smiling from lips whose rhythm is perfection embodied,
وَتَبسَمُ عَن ثَغرٍ تَناسَقَ نَظمُهُ
تَجولُ الحُمَيّا فيهِ وَهوَ مَصون
Where glances wander safe from harm.
So who will quench my thirst with the wine of union?
فَمَن لي بِمَن يُروي ظَمائيَ مِن لَمىً
بِهِ وَأَبي ماءُ الحَياةِ مَعينُ
For me the water of life has no spring!
And eyes that tell of her growth, eyes that see
وَمِن أَعيُنٍ تَحكي النَباتَ الَّذي لَهُ
عُيونٌ عَنِ السَحرِ المُبين تُبين
Through the obvious witchery and clarify,
And eyebrows that narrate more woe than patience greatest,
وَمِن حاجِبٍ لِلصَّبرِ أَعظَم حاجِبٍ
أَنوناً حَكى أَم خُطَّ فيهِ مَنونُ
Or are they lines of beauty traced thereon?
And cheeks that whisper of the tender rose's bloom -
وَخَدٍّ حَكى الوَردَ الجَنيِّ لَطافَةً
وَمَن يَجتَني وَالسَمهَريُّ يَصون
Who ever plucked it? The thorns still hedge it round!
I'm tormented, with only my own reproaches to help me,
بَليتُ وَلا عَوناً سِوى عُذلي بِها
وَلا مُسعِدٌ إِلّا الرَقيبُ يبين
And no sympathizer, save the watchman, clarifying.
And folk, their endeavor went astray,
وَقَوماً مِنَ الواشينَ قَد ضَلَّ سَعيُهُم
وَكُلَّ عَلى وَصلِ الحَبيبِ ضَنينُ
Each envious of the love my heart contains,
No intimate have I to console my wakefulness,
وَما لي عَلى فَرطِ السهاد مُسامِرٌ
وَلا لي عَلى شَحطِ المَعينِ مُعين
And my supporter lends no helping hand.
May God water the sea's gate with a shower, though
سَقى اللَهُ بابَ البَحر قَطراً وَإِن هَمى
بِمَقطَرِهِ دَمعٌ عَلي ثَمين
My tear, with its sprinkler, is treasure enough;
And with it may He bless a gazelle containing the light of my eyes,
وَحَيّا بِهِ ريماً حَوى نورَ ناظِري
وَنارَ فُؤادي وَهوَ فيهِ رَهينُ
The fire of my heart - while she's held in pawn.
Darling of a people who honor their guest,
عَزيزَةُ قَومٍ يُكرِمونَ جَليسَهُم
وَيَحظى لَدَيهِم عاشِقٌ وَحَزينُ
Where a lover in sorrow is fortunate,
Who make the convent visitor feel at home
يُقيمونَ بِالإِنجيلِ زائِرَ دَيرِهِم
فَيَفتِنُ تَرجيعٌ لَهُم وَحَنينُ
With hymns that melt the heart and make it yearn,
Serving wine as if its bubbles are a string of tears
وَيَسقونَ مِن راحِ كَأَنَّ حُبابَهُ
عُقودٌ لِدَمعٍ نَظَّمَتهُ جُفونُ
Threaded by the eyelids and neatly strung.
The captor of glances, bewitcher of mankind,
وَفاتِكَةِ الأَلحاظِ سَحّارَةِ الوَرى
تَقولُ لِقَلبِ الصَبّ كُن فَيَكون
Says to the youthful heart: "Be!" and it is.
Reminding - in the torment of a life, for one aware -
تُذَكِّرُ في تَعذيبِ عَمرٍ و لِمُدرِكٍ
وَهَذا مَزيدٌ وَالحَديثُ شُجونُ
More can be said, but let that suffice.
She says: "Will you be content if you're the third?"
تَقولُ أَتَرضى اليَومَ أَنَّكَ ثالِثٌ
فَقُلتُ نَعَم سي سي قَراتِسي بونُ
I said: "Yes, yes, karatsi bon!" - I'll take it!
From the spies I've hid her name within my heart,
سَتَرتُ عَنِ الواشينَ بِالقَلبِ اسمَها
وَباحَت بِهِ لِلناظِرينَ عُيونُ
But for all to see, through my eyes it's known.
In my verses I've clouded it from every critic -
وَعَمَّيتُهُ في النَظمِ عَن كُلِّ ناثِرٍ
عُقودَ وِدادي غادِرٌ وَخَؤونُ
My tokens of affection are hurt, though faithful.
So I've encoded it, hard to enumerate -
فَأحرُفُهُ في العَدِّ لا شَكَّ أَربَعٌ
وَفي الشَطرِ سِتّ في الحُروف تَكونُ
Four letters surely, six syllables in one line,
Drunk up through misreading, glad tidings for you!
وَبِالقَلبِ وَالتَصحيفِ تَشرَبُ ريقَه
وَبُشِّرتَ بالإِسعافِ فَهوَ ضَمينُ
Good fortune always, never to wane or change.
With you is a maiden, born of the dusk -
وَيُسِّرتَ لِليُسرى وَدُمتَ مَحَصنا
مَدى الدَهرِ لا تَسطو فَهوَ ضَمينُ
She adds luster to the night blossoms' adornment.
He described you, Abu Abdellah, with qualities
وَدونَكَها عَذراءَ بِنتَ عَشيَّةٍ
تَزيدُ عَلى زُهر الدجى وَتَزين
Making you the best, after the Companions.
May you remain as you wish, serving your pledge
حَكتَكَ أَبا عَبدِ الإِلَه شَمائِلاً
وَأَنتَ بِها دونَ الصحابِ قَمين
With waves of happy fortune sparkling and delicious!
وَدُمتُم كَما تَختارُ تَسقي عُهودَكُم
غَوادٍ مِنَ السَعدِ السَنيِّ هَتون
