سَرت وَلِوَاءُ الصُبحِ قَد كادَ يُنشَرُ

وَحِبرُ الدُجى عَن مُهرَقِ الأُفقِ يُبشِرُ

The flag of dawn has risen and spread wide

And ink of darkness over the horizon brings good tidings

وَفَوقَ طَلاها مِن حُلاها كَواكِبٌ

تَغارُ بِها شُهبُ الدُجى فَتُغَوِّرُ

Above its glimmering dresses are stars

That outshine the flashes of darkness, so they fade

وَقَد ضِقتُ دَرعاً بَينَ شَوقِي وَهَجرِها

كَما ضاقَ خَلخالٌ عَلَيها وَمِئزَرُ

And I became confined in a coat between my passion and her estrangement

As a bangle becomes too tight for her and her gown

مُحَجَّبَةٌ باحَ الضِياءُ بِسِرِّها

وَنَمَّ بِمَسراها النَسيمُ المُعَطَّرُ

Veiled in the brilliance of dawn, keeping her mystery

And the scented breeze slept on her pillow

تَوَخَّت مَسِيراً في الظَلام تَسَتّرا

أَلِلبَدرِ في جُنح الظَلامِ تَسَتُّرُ

She moved cautiously in the darkness, hiding

As if the moon hides itself in the wings of darkness

وَلَو لَم تُرِد أَن يَطلُعَ الصبحُ مُسفِراً

لَما طَلَعَت تفتَرُّ طوراً وَتُسفِرُ

And if she did not want dawn to rise radiant

It would not have risen, thrilling and glowing

فَهَلّا بِلَيلٍ مِن ذَوائِبِها سَرَت

عَلى أَنَّهُ مِن بَهجَةِ الحُسنِ مُقمِرُ

Why not in a night of her returning did she travel

As if it were of the splendor of beauty, fully moonlit

بَكَت أَو تَباكَت رِقَّةً لِمحِبِّها

فَيا مَن رَأى طَلّاً عَلى الوَردِ يَقطُرُ

She cried or almost cried softly for her lover

So, O you who saw dew drops on the rose flow

وَوَشّحتُها عِندَ العِناقِ بِأَدمُعِي

فَرِيعَت وَقالَت ما لِعِقدِيَ يُنثَرُ

And I hugged her as she wept, so her necklace scattered

She recoiled and said, “Why does my necklace come undone?”

فَيا زائِراً لي ما وَفَيتُ بِحَقِّهِ

وَلِي في ثَرى نَعلَيهِ خَدٌّ مُعَفَّرُ

So, O pilgrim to me, I have not fulfilled her right

And for me, on the ground, her slipper is perfumed

وَما قَدرُ نَفسي أَن أَرى مِنهُ مُتحِفاً

رَسُولاً أَتى بِالوَصلِ مِنهُم يُبَشِّرُ

And my soul cannot bear to see a messenger come from them

Bringing union, giving me good news

وَلا

يُطِيلُ بِها خَلعَ العِذارِ فَيُعذَرُ

Nor prolonging the excuse of estrangement, so he is excused

And if I am a lion in the eyes of maidens

وَإِذا أَنا في عَينِ الكَواعِبِ شادِنٌ

غَرِيرٌ وَفي الهَيجاءِ لَيثٌ مُزَعفَرُ

Roaring, and in frenzy, a fierce lion, maned

My time is whitening, and my love still black

زَمانِيَ مُبيَضٌّ وَفَودِيَ أَسوَدٌ

وَنَصلِيَ مُحمَرٌّ وَعَيشِيَ أَخضَرُ

My sword reddening, and my life still green

So I have become in the war of passions defeated

فَقَد صِرتُ في حَربِ الغَوانِي مُغَلّباً

كَما أَنا في الحَربِ العَوانِ مظَفَّرُ

Just as I am in the war of help victorious

Is it not strange that my gaze finds gazelles pleasant

أَلَيسَ عَجِيباً أَنّ طِرفِيَ بِالظُبا

أَنيسٌ وَطَرفِي للظِباءِ مُنَفِّرُ

While my gaze makes gazelles recoil?

And the narcissi make the branch forget the beauty of its bending

وَزَهواءَ تُنسِي الغُصنَ حُسنَ اِنثِنائِهِ

هَصرتُ بِها غُصنَ المُنى وَهُوَ مُزهِرُ

I have envied it for the branch of wishes, flowering

She has a wrap - if it were to teach tenderness to her heart

لَها مِعطَفٌ لَو عَلّمَ اللينَ قَلبَها

لَما باتَ قَلبي لَوعَةً يَتَفَطَّرُ

Mine would not have stayed burning, cracking all night

And a gaze that secretly tells me of its love time and again

وَطَرفٌ يُناجِيني مِراراً بِحُبِّهِ

وَيَغلِبُني فيهِ التَصابي فَأُجهِرُ

And overcomes me in it, so I am exposed

Strong in killing the lover, yet it

قَوِيٌّ عَلى قَتلِ المُحبِّ وَإِنَّهُ

لَأَضعَفُ مِن صَبري لَها حينَ تهجُرُ

Is weaker than my patience when she is estranged

It makes the eyes of creation sleepy when it is drowsy

يُسَهِّدُ أَجفانَ الوَرى وَهُوَ ناعِسٌ

وَيَهدِي لِنَهج الحُبِّ وَهُوَ مُحَيَّرُ

And guides the path of love when confused

And if she smiled, she revealed a veil of aquamarine

وَإِن ضَحِكَت أَبدَت حِجابَ زَبَرجَدٍ

عَلى خاتَمٍ فيهِ عَقِيقٌ وَجَوهَرُ

Over a ring in which is red coral and pearl

And when I kissed her I said her texture is

وَأَلمى إِذا قَبَّلتُ قُلتُ مِزاجُه

رَحِيقٌ وَسَلسالٌ وَشَهدٌ وَعَنبَرُ

Wine, necklace, honey, and ambergris

So O my thirst for the sweet - is there from you a watering place?

فَيا ظَمَئِي للعَذبِ هَل مِنكَ مَورِدٌ

وَيا مَورِدي في الحُبِّ هَل مِنكَ مَصدَر

And O my watering place in love - is there from you a source?

O wonder at me! The lion fears my power

وَيا عَجَباً لي يَرهَبُ اللَيثُ سَطوَتي

وَللشّادِنِ المَذعُورِ قَلبِيَ يَذعَرُ

While to the frightened lion my heart trembles

And I have a conquering glance that captures hearts

وَبِي غادَةٌ تَسبي الحُلومَ وَتَستَبِيَ

وَتَسحَبُ أَذيالَ الجَمالِ وَتسحَرُ

And drags the train of beauty, enchanting

And she entrusted my heart with a hellish fire of love

وَقَد أَودَعت قَلبي جَحِيماً مِن الهَوى

وَفي خَدِّها عَدنٌ وَفي الثَغرِ كَوثَرُ

While in her cheek is Eden, and in her mouth, Kawthar

And I have not forgotten from her a glance in separation

وَلَم أَنسَ يَومَ البين مِنها التِفاتَةً

وَقَد قُرِّبَت للبَينِ عِيسٌ وَضُمَّرُ

Though Jesus has been brought near to one distant and concealed

And her farewell to me with a look was a signal

وَتَودِيعَها لِي بِالجُفونِ إِشارَةً

فَهِمتُ بِها سِرَّ الهَوى وَهُوَ مُضمَرُ

So I understood the secret of passion while disguised

And when an open space, riders, and loved ones had left

وَلَمّا خَلا رَبعٌ وَزُمّت رَكائِبٌ

وَوَدّعَ أَحبابٌ وَفارَقَ مَعشَرُ

And a company departed and separated

I traveled, and in my sheath a morning for them to be guided

رَحَلتُ وَفي غِمدِي صَباحٌ لِيَهتَدُوا

إَلَيهِ وَفي جَفنِي سَحابٌ لِيُمطَروا

And in my eyelids, clouds for them to be rained upon

Until yearning took me towards their encampments

إِلى أَن حَداني الشَوقُ نَحوَ حِلالِهِم

فَأَبصَرتُ في الأَرضِ الكَواكِبَ تَزهَرُ

So I saw in the land stars flowering

And in the red dome adorned with jewelry

وَفِي القُبّةِ الحَمراءِ مُذهَبَةُ الحُلى

مُوَرَّدَةُ الجِلباب وَالحُسنُ أَحمَرُ

Clothed in gowns while beauty itself is redder

I am excused for my longing of the beauty of her face

عُذِرتُ عَلى شَوقِي إِلى حُسنِ وَجهِها

عَلى البُعدِ وَالمُشتاقُ في القُربِ أَعذَرُ

From afar, and the longing near is more excused

And the thirsty can be patient when water is scarce for him

وَقَد يَصبِرُ الصادِي إِذا الماءُ عَزّهُ

وَلَكِن مَتى يُبصِرهُ عَزَّ التصَبُّر

But when he sees it, how can he be patient?

I floated to her like the breeze, protecting

سَرَيتُ لَها مَسرى النَسيم تَوَقِّياً

عَلَيها وَصَوناً مِن حَدِيثٍ يُشَهَّرُ

And guarding her from gossip that spreads

And I uncovered it from her while she was heedless

وَرَفَّعتُ عَنها السِجفَ وَهيَ بِغَفلَةٍ

تُغَنّي بِأَشعارِي فَتَبكِي وَتَسهَرُ

Singing my poems, so she cries and stays up all night

So nothing startled her but the jewels of my tears

فَما راعَها إِلّا جَواهِرُ أَدمُعي

يُضاحِكُها فِي الكَفِّ عَضبٌ مُجَوهَرُ

Laughing in the palm, angry, bejeweled

So between relaxing and tensing she swayed

فَبَينَ اِرتياحٍ وَارتياعٍ تَمايَلت

عَلَيَّ وَقد مالَ الرِداءُ المحَبَّرُ

Towards me, and the perfumed cloak leaned

And she said “It is you who have deluded me in passion”

وَقالَت بِنَفسِي أَنتَ غَرَّرت في الهَوى

فَقُلتُ اعذُرِي إِنَّ المُحِبَّ مُغَرَّرُ

So I said “Forgive me, for the lover is deluded”

For that embrace, I risked in traveling

لِتَعنِيقِ ذاكَ العِطفِ خاطَرتُ في السَرى

وَعانَقتُ أَعطافَ القَنا وَهِيَ تَخطِرُ

And hugged the boughs of the branched tree, trembling

So O gazelle of the palace in whose courtyard

فَيا ظبيَةَ القَصرِ الَّذي بِفِنائِهِ

سَوابِحُ تُردِي أَو صَوارِمُ تَشهَرُ

There are swimming doves or bared swords

Answer a passionate pilgrim who roamed

أَجِيبي مَشُوقاً جابَ مِن شَوقِكِ الفَلا

وَزارَكِ وَالآسادُ حَولَكِ تَزأرُ

From a longing for you, while lions around you roar

With a glance from you he sold his soul

بِنَظرَةِ عَينٍ مِنكَ باعَ حَياتَهُ

وَيا رِبحَهُ إِن كانَ بِالسُولِ يَظفَرُ

And what a profitable sale if he finds acceptance

And your people before today have vowed to shed my blood

وَقَومُكِ قَبلَ اليَوم قَد نَذَرُوا دَمِي

وَمِثلُ دَمي في حالَةٍ لَيسَ يُهدَرُ

While blood like mine in any case is not to be wasted

And my only intercessor is your love, and if I am

وَما شافِعِي إِلّا هَواكِ وَإِن أَكُن

عَزيزاً فَذُلّي فيكِ أَجدى وَأَجدَرُ

Mighty, my humility in you is best and excelling

Grant that I have from the swords of your people a defender

هَبِي أَنَّ لي مِن سَيفِ قَومِكِ ثائِراً

فَلَو مِتُّ مِن عَينَيكِ مَن كانَ يَثأَرُ

For if I die from your eyes, who would take revenge?

So her pleading softened a lover whom if he wished

فَرَقَّت وَراقَتها ضَراعَةُ عاشِقٍ

لَهُ لَو أَرادَ الفَخرَ عِزٌّ وَمَفخَرُ

Glory and pride, he would have honor and excellence

And she said “Stay comfortably concealed”

وَقالَت أَقِم فِي لَذّةٍ مُتَسَتِّراً

وَما العَيشُ إِلّا لَذَّةٌ وَتَسَتُّرُ

“For life is nothing but pleasure and concealment”

So I stay the night while her veil sings to me and I sway

فَبِتُّ يُغَنِّيني الوِشاحُ فَأَنثَنى

طَرُوباً وَتَسقِيني الجُفونُ فَأسكَرُ

Intoxicated, and her eyelids intoxicate me

And I suppressed in the complaint of love some tenderness

وَأَضمرتُ في شَكوى المَحبّة رِقّةً

فَهِمتُ نَسيمَ الفَجرِ عَنها يُعَبِّرُ

So I understood the morning breeze telling of it

And it stirred my heart when she got up frightened

فَواحَرَّ قَلبي حِينَ قامَت مَرُوعَةً

لِبَردٍ مِن الخَلخالِ بِالصُبحِ يُنذِرُ

By the tinkling of her anklet in the early dawn

And she inclined toward farewell while separation was evident

وَمالَت إِلى التَوديعِ وَالبَينُ فاضِحٌ

مِنَ الشَوقِ ما كانَ التَواصُل يَستُرُ

From the passion - what union used to conceal

She calms a startled heart with her right hand

تُسَكِّنُ بِاليُمنى فُؤاداً مُرَوَّعاً

وَتَمسَحُ بِاليُسرى دُمُوعاً تَحَدَّرُ

And wipes with her left tears flowing down

And she said “O beloved of the soul, how the pining pains

وَقالَت حَبِيبَ النَفس ما أَوجَعَ النَوى

وَأَشجى قُلوباً فارَقَت وَهِيَ تَصبِرُ

And most acutely wounds hearts when they part and still show patience”

“Oh, would that I knew after our day of separation

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري بَعدَ يَومِ فِراقِنا

أَيُمكِنُ جَمعُ الشَملِ أَم يَتَعَذَّرُ

Can there be a regathering of kin or is that impossible?”

And she said “May God protect you from every fear”

وَقالَت وَقاكَ اللَهُ كُلّ مَخافَة

تَخَوَّف عَيُوناً في ارتِقابِكَ تَسهَرُ

That makes eyes keeping watch for you stay up