بِأَيّ حال تَراهُ يَصطَبِرُ

وَفي حَشاهُ الأَشواق تَستَعِرُ

In what state does he bear it,

While in his feelings the longings flare?

عَليل حُب عَلى فِراش ضَناً

مُحتَضر لِلحَمام مُنتَظر

Love lies ill on the bed of disdain,

At death's door, waiting for his beloved.

في جِسمِهِ مِن سقامِهِ عِظَةٌ

لَكِنَهُ بِالقَميص مُستَتَر

In his body, from his sickness a lesson,

Yet with his shirt he remains covered.

وَعبرة في أَنصاب عبرَتِهِ

لَو أَن صِبا بِذاكَ يَعتبر

In the pools of his flowing tears a moral,

If only youth by it were admonished.

لا تَنطَفي نار شَوقِهِ أَبَداً

إِن وَصَلوهُ الأَحباب أَو هَجروا

Never will his fire of passion be extinguished,

Whether his loved ones unite or abandon.

وَوَجدَهُ في تَزايد أَبَداً

إِن عَذل العاذِلون أَو عَذروا

Ever increasing it remains,

Whether the blamers censure or excuse.

وَكَيفَ يَلحى عَلى الهَوى بَشَر

وَما يُلاقي في اللَوح مُستطر

How can any mortal on passion impose,

Or what confronts it can he master?

أَسقمهُ بِالجَفا وَأتلفهُ

سَقيم جفن في طَرفِهِ حورُ

Illness emaciated him, ruin effaced him -

An ailing eyelid, in it magic eyes.

لَو أَبصَر العاذِلون طَلعتُهُ

ماتوا غَراماً بِهِ وَما شَعَروا

If the blamers but saw his radiance,

They would die enamored, unaware.

مُشَعشع الخَد لا يَكاد بِأَن

يَثبت في ماءِ وَجهِهِ البَصَر

Dazzling of cheek, barely can

A stare in his face’s water remain.

تَرجَع عَنهُ الأَبصار مِن دَهش

حَسيرة وَالدُموع تَبتَدر

From it the sights recoil, astonished,

Yearning, while tears begin to pour.

صاحَبت في حُبِهِ الهُموم كَما

صاحَبَ جِفني البُكاء وَالسَهَر

Sorrows have accompanied his love,

As my tears and wakefulness.

وَلَم يَزُر قَلبي السُرور وَلَم

تَطرقُهُ إِلّا الأَحزان وَالفكر

Neither has joy visited my heart,

Nor has it been approached, save by cares and thought.

يَدُبُ في أَضلُعي اللَهيب كَما

دَبَ في صَفوِ خَدِهِ الخَفر

In my ribs creeps the flame,

As it crept on his soft cheek.

الرِفق مَولاي فَالمُحب إِلى

رَحماك بَعد الإِلَه مُفتَقر

Gently, my Master! The lover is to

Your mercy, after God, needy.

ماذا تَرى في مُتيم كَلف

يُقنِعُهُ مِن وِصالك النَظَر

What do you see in a doting lover

Whom a glance from you doesn’t satisfy?

إِن أَنتَ لَم تَلقَهُ بِوَجه رضى

فَمالَهُ في حَياتِهِ وَطَر

If you don’t meet him with a pleased face,

What in life, and delight, can he savor?

لَم أَرَ لِلصَد وَالجَفا سَبباً

وَإِنَّما قَد أَتاحَهُ القَدَر

For coldness and disdain I see no reason,

Only destiny made it possible.

إِن كانَ ذَنب جَنَيتُهُ خَطَأ

فَأَصفح فَذَنب المُحب يُغتَفَر

If a sin I unwittingly committed,

Then forgive, for a lover's sin is pardoned.

قَد كُنتُ أَخشى هَواكَ يُتلِفُني

وَلَيسَ يُنجي مِن القَضا حَذَر

I feared your love would destroy me,

Yet from fate what caution can save?

نَبَهت وَاللَيل قَد قَضا وَبَدَت

أَنوار وَجه الصَباح تَنتَشر

I awoke, and the night had passed,

The lights of morn's face began to spread.

وَالبَرق يَروي نار الصَبابة في

قَلبي فَدَمعي لِزِنده شَرر

Lightning narrated my beloved’s fire,

So my tears, for its sparks, flowed.

أَخا وِداد غُرٍّ خَلائِقُهُ

خَدين حُب حَديثُهُ سُمر

A brother of beloved nature,

Soft of cheek, sweet of discourse.

فَقُلت أَن الظَلام مُنحَسِرٌ

وَإِنَّ لَيل الهُموم مُعتَكر

I said: the darkness is receding,

Yet the night of sorrows remains gathered.

وَإِن صَبري طارَت بِآخره

بَلابل الشَوق مُذ قَضى السحر

My patience - its extent is done,

Since the birds of longing, at dawn, took flight.

فَأَدرَك فُؤادي بِما يُعللهُ

فَالحُرّ لِلعاشِقين يَنتَصر

So my heart perceived what made it sick,

For the free, victory is at hand!

وَأَستَخير الريح عَن أَحبتنا

فَعِندَها مِن حَديثهم خَبَر

I asked the wind about our loved ones -

For it has news of their talk.

وَقَد سَرَت مِن دِيارهم سحراً

لِأَنَّ ريا نَسيمِها عُطرُ

It had wandered from their abode at dawn,

For the scent of its breeze is fragrance.