لَولا الحَياءُ مِنَ الرَقيبِ الراصِدِ
لَجَعَلت قَصدَكَ مِن أَجلِّ مَقاصِدي
Were it not for shame of the watcher lying in wait
I would have made reaching you my greatest purpose
يا مَن تَسَلَّمَ مُهجَتي نَقداً بِلا
ثَمَنٍ وَسَوَّفَ بِاللقاءِ مَواعِدي
O you who took my heart freely with no
Price and postponed our promised meeting
عَيناكَ تَقتُلُني وَلَستَ بِراحِمي
وَهَواكَ يُمرِضُني وَلَستَ بِعائِدي
Your eyes kill me yet show no mercy
Your love makes me ill yet you do not heal me
نَفسِي فِداكَ أَما بَدا لَكَ بَعَضُ ما
أُخفِي وَقَد كَثُرَت عَليَّ شَواهِدي
My soul is yours, has not some of what
I conceal appeared, though proofs against me abound?
حَلَّيتُ نَفسِي فيكَ حِليَةَ شُهرَةٍ
شَهِدَت بِإِخلاصي وَصِدقِ عَقائِدي
I adorned myself for you like a famed necklace
That testifies to my sincerity and true beliefs
السُقمُ حَليي وَالصَبابَةُ حُلّتِي
وَالعِشقُ تاجي وَالدُمُوعُ قَلائِدي
Sickness is my anklet, youth my gown
Love my crown, tears my necklaces
يا غُصنَ بانٍ في اِنثِناءٍ دائِمٍ
وَهِلالَ تمٍّ في اِكتِمالٍ زائِدِ
O branch forever bending, crescent
Ever fuller, gazelle of mankind—ensnared by love
وَغَزالَ إِنسٍ ما تَأَنَّسَ بِالهَوى
صادَ القُلوبَ وَمالَهُ مِن صائِدِ
You trap hearts, yours for the taking
When you appear from behind the veil of estrangement
فَإِذا تَجَلّى مِن حِجابِ نِفارِهِ
حَجَبَتهُ أَنوارُ الشُعاعِ الصاعِدِ
Your splendor veils you like ascending rays
You come into view yet cannot be glimpsed
وَبَدا فَلَم يُمكِن سَناهُ لِناظِرٍ
وَمَشى فَأَمكَن خَصرَهُ لِلعاقِدِ
You walk yet your waist cannot be encircled
O vision of beauty—wondrous miracles
يا مَنظَراً لِلحُسنِ فيهِ بَدائِعُ
شَهِدَت بِإِبداعِ القَديرِ الواحِدِ
Testify to the creation of the One, the Singular
The fluttering of his cheek is like a melting teardrop
رَقراقُ وَجنَتِهِ كَدَمعٍ ذائِبٍ
وَنِظامُ مَبسَمِهِ كَنَظمٍ جامِدِ
The arrangement of his smile like solid prose
O rose of his cheek—surely from a blossoming bud!
يا وَردَ خَدَّيهِ أَما مِن ناشِقٍ
يا عَذبَ مَرشَفِهِ أَما مِن وارِدِ
O sweetness of his mouth—surely from a flowing stream!
It would cease the injustice of my oppressive heart
يَفتَرُّ عَن ظَلمٍ لِقَلبِي ظالِمٍ
يَجري عَلى شَهدٍ بِشَوقِي شاهِدِ
Flowing with the honey of my fervent passion
If his love in the soul inclined to one
لِحَبابِهِ في النَفسِ لَو حابى بِهِ
فِعلُ ابنِ مَريَمَ في الرمِيمِ البائِدِ
It would act like Jesus with the withered corpse
Who is mine, to proudly display between gentle curls
مَن لِي بِهِ يَختالُ بَينَ لِداتِهِ
كَالبَدرِ بَينَ كَواكِبٍ وَفَراقِد
Like the moon among stars pouring down
And to gently incline in the garb of beauty
وَيَميسُ في حُلَلِ الجَمالِ كَما ثَنى
نَفَسُ الصَبا عِطفَ القَضِيبِ المائِدِ
As the morning breeze bends the supple branch
Tempting glances—never free of
فَتّانُ لَحظٍ ما خَلَت أَجفانُهُ
عَن ساحِرٍ أَو نافِثٍ أَو عاقِدِ
A sorcerer, or one with the evil eye or curse
Shall I hope for his acceptance and favor
هَل أَرتَجِي إِقبالَهُ وَقَبُولَهُ
وَالدَهرُ فِيهِ مُعارِضِي وَمُعانِدي
When time brings those against me and opposed?
Or his nearness, when fortune does not aid me
أَو قُربَهُ وَالسَعدُ غَيرُ مُساعِدي
أَو طَيفَهُ وَالجَفنُ لَيسَ بِراقِدِ
Or his image, when my eye is not at rest?
Shall I delight in remnants when contentment
أَأَلَذُّ بِالبُقَيى وَما عَهدُ الرِضى
باقٍ وَلا عَصرُ الوِصالِ بِعائِدِ
Is not lasting, nor the season of union to come?
If you will, O beautiful one called Ahmad
لَو شَئتَ يا حَسَناً تَسَمّى أَحمَداً
لَجَمَعتَ بَينَ مَحاسِنٍ وَمَحامِدِ
You would gather perfections and praises
Why does one who comes with sincere faith
ما بالُ مَن وافى بِدِينٍ خالِصٍ
في الحُبِّ يَبقى فِي عَذابِ خالِدِ
In love remain in endless torment?
O Lord, grant him reward for slaying me intentionally
يا رَبّ هَب أَجري لَهُ في قَتلَتي
عَمداً وَهَب لِي عَنهُ وِزرَ العامِدِ
And grant me pardon for his weighty offense
O you who obeyed advisors yet often
يا مَن أَطاعَ بِيَ الوُضاةَ وَطالَما
عاصَيتُ فِيهِ نَصائِحِي وَمَراشِدي
I disobeyed counsel and guide in you
It’s enough that your beauty seduced my chastity
يَكفي جَمالَكَ أَن فَتَنتَ عَواذِلي
وَكَفى سَقامي أَن تَرِقَّ حَواسِدِي
And my sickness suffices that cushions are elevated
I gained no share of you—what share is there in love
لَم أَحظَ مِنكَ وَأَيُّ حَظٍّ في الهَوى
لِمُسارِقِ اللَحظاتِ غَيرِ مُعاوِدِ
For one who steals glances, no promise to return?
I lost my days in your estrangement—would that
أَفنَيتُ أَيّامي بِهَجرِكَ لِي فَصِل
قَبلَ المَماتِ وَلَو بِيَومٍ واحِدِ
Death had come just one day sooner
By God, I have no purpose for this world when
تَاللَهِ ما بالَيتُ بِالدُنيا وَمَن
فِيها إِذا كانَ الحَبيبُ مُساعِدي
My beloved does not favor me
