بَرقٌ بَدا جَنح الدُجى يَتَأَلَقُ

حَتّى أَضاءَ لَهُ الغَضا وَالإِبرقُ

A lightning flashed, unveiled the wings of darkness sparkling,

Illuminating for it the verdant and the drenched.

يَسري فَيَقدَح زِندَهُ نار الجَوى

وَيَبيت يَصلاها الفُؤاد الشَيقُ

It flows striking its flint, the fire of passion,

And stays overnight, igniting it - the fervent heart.

يَحكي كَما زَعموهُ ثَغر مُعَذِبي

هَيهات أَينَ رِضابِهِ وَالمَنطقُ

It tells, as they claimed, the mouth of my tormentors:

Alas! Where is its acceptance and speech?

فَلِذاكَ يَغمد في فُؤادي سَيفُهُ

فَاضمُّ أَحشائي عَلَيهِ وَأَطبقُ

Thus it sheaths in my heart its sword,

So I suppress my insides upon it and shut.

وَحَمامة بِالجذع تَندب الفَها

حَتّى يَكاد دُموعَها تَتَرقرقُ

And a dove, hitting her chest, grieving for her loved one,

Until her tears almost stream down her neck.

باتَت يَعنُّ لَها إِدكار أَليفها

فَترن في اللَيل البَهيم وَتَقلق

She stayed up missing her beloved mate,

So she moans in the night, distressed and restless.

أَعدي حَنينك بِالَّذي تَبكينهُ

فَسَأَبتَغي قَلباً لَهُ يَتَمَزَق

Stop your yearning for the one you cry over,

For I will seek a heart for him that ruptures.

وَمَعشق الحَركات كَالخوط الَّذي

لَعبت بِهِ ريح الصِبا بَل أَرشقُ

And a lover of gestures like lines,

Which the Zephyr of youth played with, or drew.

ظَبيٌ صَفا ماء النَعيم بِخَده

حَتّى يَكاد يَسيلُ مِنهُ الرَونَقُ

A gazelle purified the water of bliss with his cheek,

Until grace almost drips from it.

مِن حُسنِهِ وَجَمالِهِ وَصُدودِهِ

مثر وَمِن بَعض التَجَمُل مملق

Due to his beauty, charm, and rejection,

A fruit ripened, and from some adornment it reddened.

كَتم القِباءُ عَلَيهِ فاقة خَصرِهِ

وَغَدَت مَناطِقُهُ بِذَلِكَ تَنطُقُ

The robe concealed his waist’s lack,

Thus its belts with that became eloquent.

يَتَعوذ المَلِكان مِن لَحظاتِهِ

وَالراح تَخشى فَتَكهن وَتَشفقُ

The two angels take refuge from his glances,

And the loving one fears so she cares and sympathizes.

لَو مَسَ أَخمَص نَعلِهِ صَم الحَصى

لَغَدَت تَرف مَع النَبات وَتَورقُ

If he touched the heel of his slipper, the deaf rocks

Would become gentle with the plants and leaf.

يا مَن كَرهت العَيش بَعد فِراقِهِ

قَد كُنت مِن هَذا التَفَرُق أَفرقُ

O you who hated life after his loss,

I had been, from this separation, torn apart.

حَيتك عَني نَسمة مَكية

وَسَقى دِيارك عارض يَتَدَفَقُ

Your life deprived me, O breather of Mecca,

And your homeland was quenched by pouring rain.

ما أَبصَرَت عَينايَ بَعدَكَ سَيدي

حُسناً بُروق وَلا جَمالاً يَعشَقُ

My eyes after you, my master, have not seen

Beauty shining, or beauty to yearn for.

يَجتازُ بي سرب المَها فَاغض عَن

أَحداقِهِ جفني القَريح وَأَطبَقُ

A flock of ostriches passes me, so I close

My sore eyelids, and shut them tight.

مالي سِوى قَلبٌ بِهِ أَهوى وَقَد

أَودى وَافناهُ البُعاد الموبقُ

I have nothing left but a heart I passionately love,

Which has perished, and endless separation destroyed.

قَد كُنت مِن قَبل التَفَرُق وَالنَوى

كَلى قُلوباً مِن صُدودك تَحرقُ

I used to be, before the estrangement and ill fate,

Like hearts set ablaze from your rejection.

فَالآن ما يَبق الأَسى ما تحرق ال

أَشواق مِن قَلبي وَلا ما يَخفقُ

Now, no more sorrow remains, no longer

Passions from my heart, or heartbeat.

أَبكي لَيالي وَصلَنا في جلق

حَتّى أَكاد بِفَيض دَمعي أَغرَقُ

I cry during our nights of union in seclusion,

Until I almost drown in my tears’ abundance.

وَأَسيغ ماء الدَمع مِن تِذكارِها

وَاغص بِالماء الزلال وَأَشرَقُ

And I sip the water of tears from remembering it,

And I am quenched with pure water and thrive.

بعدٌ بِلا أَمَد وَشَوقٌ مُقلِقٌ

وَصَبابَة تَنمى وَصَبر يَمحَقُ

Endless distance and distressing longing,

And youth that grows and patience that crumbles.

سَبق الفُراق مَنيَتي يا لَيتَها

سَبقتهُ فَهِيَ مِن التَفَرُق أَفرَقُ

Loss preceded my death - if only

It preceded separation, for it is more wrenching.