بِعَينيهِ سَحار يعلمني السِحرا

وَيوحيهِ لي سرّاً فَأنظمهُ شِعرا

With his eyes a sorcerer, he teaches me magic

And whispers its secrets to me, so I shape them into verse

وَلَيسَ بِقَولي إِن في اللَحظ ساحِراً

مُبالغَة لا وَالَّذي خَلَقَ السحرا

And it is no exaggeration when I say his glance is bewitching

By Him who created all sorcery!

يسرُّ رُضاهُ عَن عُيون رَقيبِهِ

وَيَفهمنيهِ حينَ يَلحَظني شَزرا

His pleasure shines from his watcher's eyes

And he conveys it to me when he gives me an amorous glance

وَأَقسَمتُ لَو تَدنو الطَلا مِن رِضابِهِ

لِعُطرِها طيباً وَغَيبَها سُكرا

And I swear if cups of wine approached his party

Their scent would be perfume and make them disappear in drunkenness

مَناطِقهُ في خِصرِهِ أَبَداً حَيرى

كَحيرة قَلبي بَعدَ ما زايل الصَبرا

His waist wrapper in his waist will forever perplex

Like my heart's perplexity after patience is gone

فَلا قَلب إِلّا في هَواهُ مُبلبلٌ

وَلا عَينٌ إِلّا مِن تَجنيهِ عَبرى

So every heart but his is infatuated

And every eye but his is tearful

بِروحي حَبيباً صَدَّ عَنيَ مُعرِضاً

وَعاقَبَني بِالهَجر ظُلماً وَلا وَزرا

With my soul, he turned away from me, refusing

And punished me with estrangement, unjustly and without fault

تَطاول لَيلي وَالسُهاد وُهَجرَهُ

فَلا فَرَجاً أَرجوهُ فيهِ وَلا فَجرا

My night grew long with wakefulness and his estrangement

So I hope for no relief in it or dawn

كَأَنَّ جَبين الصُبح سِرّاً أَسرَّه

ضَمير الدُجى ما إِن يُريد لَهُ نَشرا

As if the brow of dawn is a secret, held back

By the conscience of nightfall, unwilling to unfurl it

لَقَد قَطَعت بِالشَوق قَلبي يَد الذِكرى

فَواقَلبيَ البالي وَواكبدي الحَرا

With yearning, memory has severed my heart

So my mind is distraught and my body wrecked

وَشَفتنيَ الأَسقام إِذ أَعوز اللقا

فَلَم تَبقَ لي إِلّا المَدامع وَالفِكرا

And sickness has wasted me, lacking union with him,

Leaving me with nothing but tears and thoughts

أَقول لِطَير باتَ يَندُب أَلفَهُ

إِذا حَنَّ مِما شَفَهُ مَلأ الصَدرا

I say to a bird who mourns his companion at night

When he moans, overflowing with sorrow:

يَكادُ إِذا ما ناحَ حَرّ حَنينِهِ

يُمزق مِنهُ الصَدر وَالطَوق وَالنَحرا

His burning lament almost

Tears open his breast, neck, and throat

إِذا رَنَّ مِن فَوق الأَراكة رَنة

تَنَفَسَت أَنفاساً لَها تَحرق الجَمرا

When he cries from atop the boughs with a cry

Whose breaths could ignite embers

كِلانا غَريب يَشتَكي حَرقة النَوى

كِلانا مُحبٌّ يَشتَكي الصَد وَالهَجرا

We are both strangers, complaining of the heat of distance,

Both lovers, complaining of coldness and estrangement,

كِلانا وَحيد فارَقَ الأَلف راغِماً

وَصاحب فيها الهَمَّ وَالحُزنَ وَالضَرّا

Both alone, separated from our companions against our will,

Accompanied by worries, grief, and harm.

وَلَكن أَرى مِنكَ الدُموع بِخيلة

وَفَيض دُموعي يَغمُر البرَّ وَالبَحرا

Yet I see you are sparing of tears

While my tears flood land and sea.

أَتذَكُرُني يا طَير مَن أَنا ذاكر

وَلَم أَنسَهُ يَوماً فَتَحَدث لي ذِكرا

Do you remember me, O bird, though I remember him

And have never for a day forgotten to reminisce?

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل سَبيلٌ إِلى اللُقا

فَفي ساعة مِن قَربِهِ أَبذل العُمرا

Oh, would that I knew if there is a way to union,

For in one moment of nearness I would give my life.

لَقيت الرَدى قَبل اللُقا إِن نَسيتهُ

وَإِن كانَ بَعد الأَلف وَرد الرَدى أَحرى

I would meet rejection before meeting him if I forgot him,

Though after intimacy, rejection is more fitting.