كِتابُ فَتىً أَخى كَلَفٍ طَروبِ
إِلى خَودٍ مُنَعَّمَةِ لَعوبِ
The letter of a young man to a soft cheeked beauty,
Yearning and sorrowing I pour out to you,
صَبَوتُ إِلَيكِ مِن حُزنٍ وَشَوقٍ
وَقَد يَصبو المُحِبُّ إِلى الحَبيبِ
For the lover pours himself out to the beloved.
She used to answer when we wrote,
وَقَد كانَت تُجيبُ إِذا كَتَبنا
فَيا سَقياً وَرَعياً لِلمُجيبِ
So water and tend the one who answers!
She traces her letter with a branch of basil
تَخُطُّ كِتابَها بِقَضيبِ رَندٍ
وَمِسكٍ كَالمِدادِ عَلى القَضيبِ
And musk, like ink on the basil twig.
A letter full of "when" and "to" and "if only"-
كِتابٌ فيهِ كَم وَإِلى وَما إِن
أُقَضّي مِن رَسائِلِها عَجَبي
Her missives leave me amazed.
I tease the ignorant one intentionally,
نُعَمّيهِ عَلى ذي الجَهلِ عَمداً
وَلا يَخفى عَلى الفَطِنِ اللَبيبِ
Yet the subtle one is not unaware.
She said to bright-faced girls
وَقَد قالَت لِبيضٍ آنِساتٍ
يَصِدنَ قُلوبَ شُبّانٍ وَشيبِ
Who capture the hearts of youths and graybeards:
I am the shining sun when it rises,
أَنا الشَمسُ المُضيئَةُ حينَ تَبدو
وَلَكِن لَستُ أُعرَفُ بِالمَغيبِ
Though I'm not known when it sets.
My Lord exempted me when He exempted me,
بَراني اللَهُ رَبّي إِذ بَراني
مَبَرَّأَةً سَلِمتُ مِنَ العُيوبِ
Free of flaws I have remained.
If I speak to a sick man,
فَلَو كَلَّمتُ إِنساناً مَريضاً
لَما اِحتاجَ المَريضُ إِلى الطَبيبِ
The sick man won't need a doctor.
My creation is kneaded with ambergris,
وَخَلقي مِسكَةٌ عُجِنَت بِبانٍ
فَلَستُ أُريدُ طيباً غَيرَ طيبي
So I need no perfume but my own.
I tie my girdle in a loose knot
وَأَعقِدُ مِئزَري عَقداً ضَعيفاً
عَلى دِعصٍ رُكامٍ مِن كَثيبِ
On a plump, firm stack from a dune.
If an ant crept on my skin,
وَجِلدي لَو يَدِبُّ عَلَيهِ ذَرٌّ
لَأَدمى الذَرُّ جِلدي بِالدَبيبِ
It would prick my skin with its creep.
My saliva is sweet water with honey-
وَريقي ماءُ غادِيَةٍ بِشَهدٍ
فَما أَشهى مِنَ الشَهدِ المَشوبِ
Nothing tastes sweeter than honey-mixed wine!
They said to her: "You speak true! But have you been kind
فَقُلنَ لَها صَدَقتِ فَهَل عَطَفتُم
عَلى رَجُلٍ يَهيمُ بِكُم كَئيبِ
To a man distracted, despairing of you?"
"A stranger came to you; let him go,
غَريبٍ قَد أَتاكَ فَأَطلِقيهِ
فَإِنَّ الأَجرَ يُطلَبُ في الغَريبِ
For reward is sought in strangers."
She said: "Faintness appeared in him,
فَقالَت قَد بَدَت مِنهُ هَناتٌ
وَقَد تَبدو الهَناتُ مِنَ المُريبِ
And faintness appears in the dubious man."
We greeted him, and he bewitched us with magic-
وَصَلناهُ فَكَلَّمَنا بِسِحرٍ
كَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَلّاقٍ خَلوبِ
Every smooth-faced one is beguiling.
She did no wrong, but we wronged ourselves,
وَما ظَلَمَت وَلَكِنّا ظَلَمنا
فَقَد تُبنا إِلَيها مِن قَريبِ
Drawing too close to her.
We were seduced into misery by love of magic,
فُتِنّا لِلشَقاءِ بِحُبِّ سِحرٍ
كَما فُتِنَ النَصارى بِالصَليبِ
As Christians were seduced by the cross.
I forgave her sins and overlooked them,
غَفَرتُ ذُنوبَها وَصَفَحَتُ عَنها
فَلَم تَصفَح وَلَم تَغفِر ذُنوبي
But she forgave not, nor overlooked my sins.
If only the south wind would answer me,
وَلَو أَنَّ الجَنوبَ تُجيبُ عَنّي
لَأَهدَيتُ السَلامَ مَعَ الجَنوبِ
I would send my greetings with the south wind!
A speaker woke from love of magic, and I said:
وَقائِلَةٍ أَفِق مِن حُبِّ سِحرٍ
فَقُلتُ لَها جَهِلتِ فَلَم تُصيبي
"You erred, you did not hit the mark."
I commanded her to part from it confusedly, then repent
أَمَرتِ بِهَجرِها سَفَهاً فَتوبي
إِلى الرَحمَنِ مِمّا قُلتِ توبي
To the Merciful for what you have said, repent!
Oh, would that I were an obeyed judge,
أَلا يا لَيتَني قاضٍ مُطاعٌ
فَأَقضي لِلمُحِبِّ عَلى الحَبيبِ
That I might judge for the lover against the beloved!
