أَمير لجَّ في هَجري

فَعيل هَجره صَبري

My beloved turned away in estrangement

So I must be patient with his estrangement

مُهَنَد لَحظَهُ يَذري

بِها رَوَت وَبِالسحر

His glancing eyes pierce me

Refreshing me, as if by sorcery

يَسلّ الروح مِن بَدَني

بِعَينيهِ وَلا أَدري

His eyes draw out my soul from my body

And I know not why

سَقيم الوَعد وَالعُشّا

ق وَالأَجفان وَالخصر

Languid in his promise and passion

Are his eyes, his waist, his figure

يَود البَدر لَو يَكسي

سَناهُ لَيلة البَدر

The full moon wishes it could dress

Its brilliance in his raiment some night

وَيَهوى الوَرد وَجنَتُهُ

فَيَهجر شَمهُ هَجري

The rose loves his cheek’s bloom

So it abandons its own scent in estrangement

وَواشوقي إِلى تَقبي

ل مَبسَمِهِ مَع الفَجر

And my craving to kiss his smile

With the dawn stabs me

وَمَن لي لَو يَجود بِنه

لة مِن ريقِهِ الخَمري

If only I had someone to give me a draft

Of his sweet wine

فَيَطفي بَردَها أَحشا

يَ أَو أَقضي مِن السكر

To cool my burning thirst

Or to free me from intoxication

أَقول لَهُ وَقَد فَضحت

سَوابق عبرَتي سَرى

I say to him, though I stand exposed

By the tracks of my flowing tears:

أَيا من صيغ مِن ماء

وَمِن نور وَمِن دُرّ

O you who were created from water

And light and pearls

أَيُحسن مِنكَ أَن يَعزى

لِقليك قَسوة الصَخر

Is it fair that a heart of stone

Should lie in your gentle breast?

وَأَنتَ أَرَق طَبعاً مِن

صَباً مَسكية النَشر

You are more gentle in nature than

A musky eastern breeze

بِحَسبك أَن سَقي

بَعض ما أَشكو مِن الضَر

It is enough that you hear

Some of my complaints and sorrows

وَإِن حَياة نَفسي في

يَمينك دَعكَ مِن أَمري

Since my soul’s life is in

Your hands, leave be my affairs

وَإِن صرت مِن فَرط ال

ضنا أَخفى مِن الذَر

If, from an excess of thinness, I have become

More hidden than an atom

فَلَيسَ بِمَدرَكي بَصَرٌ

وَلَستُ أَجول في فكر

Neither sight can perceive me

Nor can I wander in thought

أَتَحسَب أَن قَتل النَفس

يابأ مِن الأَجر

Do you think that killing one’s soul

Brings safety from punishment?

يَضيق بِمَن قَتَلت غَدا

هَجرك مَوقف الحَشر

Will not the place of gathering on the Day of Reckoning be narrow

For whoever you have killed by your estrangement?

فَمَسَّ بِكَفِهِ صُدري

لِيُطفئ واقد الجَمر

So he placed his hand upon my breast

To extinguish the burning embers

فَقُلت لَهُ فَدَيتك زِد

تَني حرّاً عَلى حر

And I said, “I ransom you, increase

My heat above heat’s degree!

لِأَن النار في قَلبي

وَقَلبي لَيسَ في صَدري

For the fire is in my heart

And my heart is not in my breast!”