سرى الطيف من ظمياء والطيف مرسل

فحيى كما ادى التحية معجل

The specter glided from the darkness, and the specter sent

So it greeted as if it hurriedly bade farewell

سرى موهنا والطيب ردع جيوبه

يشبُّ به من مجمر الهند مندل

The specter sailed softly, and the fragrance held back its robes

With which it ignites from the glowing embers of India, a firebrand

وكيف اهتدى والليل داجٍ وعينه

رقيب وعيني بالكرى ليس تكحل

And how did it find its way when the night was dark, and its eye

Was a guardian while my eyes had no kohl

تعرَّض مشتاقا واعرض مقبلاً

وكم معرض عن حاجة وهو مقبل

It approached longing, and turned away forward

And how many turned away from a need while he came forward

خليليَّ هلا وقفة تلصق الحشا

على رمل يبرين ونضوي يرمل

My friend, if only a stop to stick to the cheek

On sand dunes and we huddled on sand

وهل نهلة يروى بها عاطش الحشا

لمعتلِّ قلب لا يعلُّ وينهل

Is there a spring to quench the thirst of the cheek's yearner

For the sick heart that does not heal and gushes forth

فلم يبق مني للسرى ومطيتي

لو عث السرى الا اياطلُ عطل

Nothing remained in me for the specter and my riding camel

If the specter missed except the trails of absence hindered

خليليَّ انَّ الطاهريَّ وان نبا

لكالسيف يفري مفرقا ويفلل

My friend, though the innocent strayed

He is like a sword that tears apart and shreds

ولا عيب فيه ان لحظت وعينه

سوى اللحظ يحلو لي لنا وهو احول

There is no flaw in him, if I looked and his eye

Except the glance is sweet to me for him, and he is cross-eyed

وليس بنقصٍ ذاك فيه وإن يكن

فقد تنقص الاقمار من حيث تكمل

Nor is that a defect in him even if it were

For the crescent moons have waned from where they reached their fullness

وكم فيه لي ليلٌ وليل لصاحبي

طويلان الا انَّ ليليَ اطول

And how much is for me a night, and a night for my companion

Both are long, except that my night is longer

وما الصاحب الثاني وان جلّ شانه

يقدّم في حُبّ وحبيَ اوّل

And the other companion, though great is his status

Does not precede in love, and my love was first

اذا حمَّ للتقبيل ثغرٌ مفلج

حمى موضع التقبيل منه المقبَّل

When a kiss craved, a feverous lip

The kissing spot was struck with fever by the kisser

او ارتجل الليل البهيم بحوَّةٍ

مدلاًّ بها اغناه وحف مرجل

Or the brutish night stumbled with madness

Swaying with it, richness, protecting the kindled

يضلُّ بليل الجعد والصبح واضح

ويهدي بصبح الخد والليل أليل

It goes astray in the darkness of curled hair, and the dawn is clear

And it loses its way in the dawn of a cheek, and the night is dark

غزال هلال الافق زورق خده

ولكن له ماءُ الملاحة جدولُ

A gazelle, crescent of the horizon, his cheek a boat

But it has the water of salinity as its stream

يشير الينا منه إِن عنّ بالحمى

يراقب مسروق من الظبي اكحل

From it he signals to us, if he was shy with fever

He watches the stolen from the deer, blue

شككنا لماه الخمر ام خمره اللمى

وسلسله ريقٌ أم الريق سلسل

We doubted, was it the water of wine or the wine of his saliva

And his chain of saliva, or is the saliva a chain

اعد نظر القالي خليلي نحونا

كما نظرت صياد وجرة مطفل

Return the look of the one wearing kohl, my friend, toward us

As the look of the hunter, and the jug taken unawares

ولي نظر ينحو السماوة نحوكم

يجدُّ كما اوفى على الطير اجدل

And I have a look that inclines toward you

That insists like the most loyal bird of prey

فيا نازلي ارض السماوة حبكم

وان بنتم في القلب ربع ومنزلُ

So O you who descended to the land of loftiness, your love

And if you built in the heart a quarter and lodging

أحباي إِن شطَّ المزار فأنتم

على النأي في عيني وقلبيَ مثَّلُ

My loved ones, if the pilgrimage place was too far, you are

To remoteness in my eye and heart, likened

احبُّكم حبَّ الضنين لماله

مقيماً على حب يجود ويبخلُ

I love you with the longing of the complaining for his money

Resident upon a love that is generous at times, and stingy at others

واشتاقكم شوق المصاب جناحه

يسفُّ فلا يهوي ولا يتوصَّلُ

And I yearn for you with the yearning of one with a broken wing

Who flails unable to plunge or join

وما وصلكم الا الثمال لهالك

ولا هجركم الا السمام المثمَّلُ

I reached you only with shoulders for your destruction

And left you only with a shredded, torn robe

وكيف الذي لم يعدُ ملة حبكم

على عدواء الداء لا يتململُ

And how can one who did not make your love a faith

Upon the enmity of an illness, ever toss and turn

اذا كنتم لا ترفقون ترَّفقوا

وإِن كنتم لا تجملون تجمَّلوا

If you were not gentle, then be gentle

And if you were not beautiful, then be beautiful

وكم قائل انَّ السمؤل شاعرٌ

واين من الشعر البديع السمؤل

And how many said this dark-skinned one is a poet

And where is there exquisite poetry from the dark-skinned one

وما جرول الا كمن جاء بعده

عيالا على من قبله وهوجرول

And he is not but like one who came after him

Depending on those before him while he is dark-skinned too

لعمر ابي إِن سدَّ للشعر خلة

فتى فزياد أو انا لا المنخل

By my father's life, if a void was closed in poetry

It is by a lad, Fuzayl or I, not the sifter

وزار ابن حجر فيه معنىً مفخَّما

وقد هلهل اللفظ الرشيق مهلهل

And Ibn Hajar visited in it a lofty meaning

As the eloquent wording roared and rumbled

فقل قول من يرضي الرضيَّ فيعتلي

ودع قول من يصفي الصفيَّ فيسفل

So speak words that please the pleased, and rise high

And leave words that clarify for the clarified and descend low

وأن الفتى من يتبع القول فعله

وليس الفتى من قال انيَ افعلُ

That the young man is one who makes his words his deeds

And the young man is not one who says "I do" while he does not

اردُّ عنان النفس دونك آيساً

ويرجع بي حسن الرجاء فاقبلُ

I restrain the soul's rein short of you in despair

Then the beauty of hope returns me so I come forward

اذا لم يكن للمرء يوماً معوّل

فليس سوى حسن الرجاء المعوّل

If the person never has a relied upon day

Then there is nothing left but the beauty of hope relied upon