أمَا تُبْصِرُ الظَّلْماءَ قد فغَرتْ فَما
وصارَتْ نجومُ الأفْقِ تخبطُ في عَمى
Do you not see the dark night has opened its mouth wide?
The stars in the horizon flounder blindly about.
تميلُ إلى نهْرِ النّهارِ وتَنْثَني
كأنّ طُيوراً تقصِدُ الوِرْدَ حُوَّما
They incline towards the river of daylight and bend over
As though they are birds seeking flowers in a swoop.
إذا أشرَقَتْ في جِنْحِهِ خلتَ وارِداً
من الزّنْجِ يُبْدي ثغْرَهُ مُتَبَسّما
When the radiance shines on their wings, they alight as visitors
With cheerful black faces smiling.
وقدْ سدَلَ الليلُ البَهيمُ سُتورَهُ
علَيْنا فكُنّا فيهِ سِرّاً مكَتّما
And the brutish night has let down its curtains upon us
So we were within it a concealed secret.
كأنّ الدُجى يُلْقَى لديهِ منَ الضُحى
حديثٌ إذا أوضَحْتَهُ عادَ مُبْهَما
It is as though the darkness throws the morning
A conversation that returns ambiguous when clarified.
عجبْتُ لهُ يُخْفي حِمى الأنْسِ عامِداً
ونيّرَةُ الصّهْباءِ تُعْليهِ مَعْلَما
I am astonished that it hides the zeal of intimacy intentionally
While the radiance of dawn reveals it as a sign.
وهَذي كُؤوسُ الرّاحِ يبدو شُعاعُها
ولوْلاهُ لمْ نُهْدِ السّبيلَ إلى الحِمى
And these are cups of wine whose beams appear
Without which we would not have found the way to the camp.
حَبابٌ يُريكَ الزَّهْرَ فوقَ غُصونِه
أو الدُرَّ في مَثْنى العُقودِ منَظَّما
A beloved who shows you flowers above its branches
Or pearls in a string of necklaces, organized.
أنَرْعى على البُعْدِ النجومَ وبيْننا
كؤوسٌ تُحيّينا على القُرْبِ أنجُما
Shall I pasture upon the stars in the distance while between us
Are cups that give life to us, brighter than stars?
أنسْتَقْبِلُ البَدْرَ المُنيرَ وفارِسٌ
إذا ما تبدّى خِلْتَ بَدراً مُتَمَّما
I receive the shining full moon, and it is a horseman
When it appears I find it a perfect full moon.
جميلٌ قدِ انقادَ الجمالُ لأمْرِهِ
وحَكّمهُ في نفْسِهِ فتحكّما
Beautiful is he whom beauty has surrendered to his command
And he mastered it, so it submitted.
حَكى السِّحْرَ لحْظاً والغزالَ تمنُّعاً
كما أشْبَهَ الغُصْنَ النّضيرَ تنعُّما
It narrated magic for a moment and the coyness of a gazelle
As though the tender branch resembled, pampered,
يُديرُ منَ الأكْواسِ خمْراً وثغْرُهُ
يُديرُ كؤوسَ الحُبِّ مهْما تبسَّما
He turns from the cups wine, while his mouth
Turns the cups of love no matter how he smiles.
إذا ما تثنَّى أو تغنّى بعُودِه
أعادَ الخَليَّ القَلْبِ صبّاً مُتيَّما
If he sways or sings with his lute
He restores the heart pouring incessantly.
فيا غُصُناً في روْضِهِ متَمايِلاً
ويا طائِراً في دوْحِهِ مترنِّما
O a branch swaying in its meadow
And o a bird twittering in its plains.
تلاعَبَ زهْواً بالعُقول وكيفَ لا
وما السّحْرُ إلا ما بهِ قد تكلّما
It plays with minds boastfully, and how not
For sorcery is naught but that by which it has spoken.
