ناشَدتُكَ اللَهَ يا جَناني

ما حالُ مَن فارَقَ الجِنان

I implore you, my paradise,

What is the state of one who left the gardens?

أَم هَل إِلى الوَصلِ وَالتَداني

مِن بَعدِ ذا الهَجرِ لي تَدان

Or is there after this estrangement any closeness and affection for me?

Who will grant me the most delightful of creatures for my soul?

مَن لي بِأَشهى الوَرى لِنَفسي

بِمُنيَتي عِلقيَ النَفيس

Attaching my desire to the precious one.

I left him after a long companionship,

فارَقتُهُ بَعدَ طولِ أنسي

وَطالَما باتَ لي أَنيس

And he would spend many a night as a consoling friend.

How he healed my sorrows with his company,

وَكَم شَفى بِالوِصالِ خَمسي

وَالسَعدُ قَد حَلَّ في خَميس

And happiness resided in our intimacy.

With him I would assault all those who reproached me,

أَغزو بِهِ كُلَّ مَن عَناني

وَفي يَمينِ الهَوى العِنان

And in passion’s reigns lies the bridle.

If the son of Hani were to see our state,

فَلَو رأى حالَنا ابنُ هاني

لَقالَ قَد نِلتُمُ التَهان

He would say you have attained tranquility.

O questioner who fills my answer,

يا سائِلاً يَملا الجَوابي

هَل سائِلٌ يَسمَعُ الجَواب

Is there a questioner who hears the answer

From a distressed, loving, afflicted one

مِن مُدنَفٍ مُغرَمٍ مُصابِ

ذاقَ مِنَ الهَجرِ طَعمَ صاب

Who has tasted the bitterness of estrangement?

And spent the night in the chains of torment,

وَباتَ في رِبقَةِ العَذابِ

شَوقاً لأخلاقِكَ العِذاب

Yearning for your tormenting morals,

And in the painful passion he suffers,

وَفي أَليم الهَوى يُعاني

وَالآنَ يَرجوهُ كالأَمان

And now he hopes for it as safety.

Convey my greetings to my united family,

بَلِّغ سَلامي لَجَمعِ شَملي

بِاللَهِ يا نَسمَةَ الشَمال

I swear to you, O breeze of the north,

And bring, O gentle breeze, and tell me,

وَهاتِ يا نَفحَةً وَقُل لي

غُزلانُ إِيناسُ أَينَ قالَ

Where did the beloved say:

And you, my raging passion and all of me,

وَأَنتَ يا مُهجَتي وَكُلّي

لا تَخشَ مِن صَبِّكَ الكَلال

Do not fear that your passion will diminish.

For love, O full moon, has quenched me

فالحُبُّ يا بَدرُ قَد سَقاني

كأساً مِنَ الخَندَريسِ قان

A cup from the nectar, delighting me.

Elated and drunk have gathered,

وَاِجتَمَعَ الراحُ بِالقيانِ

وَيا خليلَيّ أَسقيان

And O my friend, they have made me drink.

I wore the garb of bliss when

لَبِستُ ثَوبَ السُرورِ ضافِ

لَمّا اِعتَنى بي أَبو الضياف

The hospitality of the generous father took care of me.

And I was, without any discord,

وَكُنتُ مِن غَير ما خِلافِ

لَولا تَلافيهِ في تَلاف

Were it not for his reconciling discord,

As his utterance to sorrows was healing,

إِذ لَفظُهُ لِلهُمومِ شافِ

وَفي عُيونِ الوَرى يُشاف

And in the eyes of people, healing.

One with a lofty, eminent dwelling,

ذو مَنزِلٍ شامِخٍ وَشانِ

بالرَغمِ مِن أَنفِ كُلّ شان

Despite the nose of every eminent one.

May he remain for eternity in tranquility

دامَ مَدى الدَهرِ في تَهانِ

وَمَن يُناويهِ في هَوانِ

And whoever wishes him humiliation,

Take it despite whoever disapproves,

خُذها عَلى رَغمِ مَن قَلاها

تَعلو عَلى اللَحنِ في المَقال

Rising above the tune in speech.

A chaste, saucy, maiden in her adornment,

عَذراءَ غَرّاءَ في حُلاها

وَسِحرُ أَلفاظِها حَلال

And the magic of her words is lawful.

Her passion does not complain of her coquetry,

لا يَشتَكي صَبّها قِلاها

مَهما شَدا مُغرَمٌ وَقال

No matter how intensely a lover speaks.

I implore you, my paradise,

ناشَدتُكَ اللَهَ يا جَناني

ما حالُ مَن فارَقَ الجِنان

What is the state of one who left the gardens?

Or is there after this estrangement any closeness and affection for me?

أَم هَل إِلى الوَصلِ وَالتَداني

مِن بَعدِ ذا الهَجرِ لي تَدان