تَرى عِندَكُم في الحُب بَعض الَّذي عِندي
سَأَشكو لَكُم ما بي وَإِن لَم يَكُن يُجدي
Do you have some of the love that I have
I will complain to you of my state, though it is of no use
لَقَد جَلَّ ما لاقيت عَن وَصف كَنهِهِ
وَقَد زادَ ما عِندي عَلى العَد وَالحَد
What I have endured has gone beyond any description
And what I have has exceeded all bounds and limits
تَعطف شَكوايَ العِدا لَو أَبُثَها
وَتَبعث لي دَمعاً مِن الحَجر الصَلد
If I complain to my enemies, it may soften them
And make a tear flow from hard stone
وَساجِعَة تُبدي الشِكاية جُهدَها
وَاكتمها جُهدي وَما وَجدَها وَجدي
A sleepless night reveals the effort of its complaints
And I make great efforts to conceal it, though my efforts did not help
أَقول لَها وَاللَيلُ قَد جَرَّ ذَيلَهُ
وَبَرق الدُجى كَالسَيف جُرِدَ مِن غمد
I say to the night, as it drags its train behind
And the darkness flashes like a sword drawn from its scabbard
تَعالي نَبُث الوَجد إِنَّكَ محرم
تَعالي أُقاسِمُكِ الغَرام الَّذي عِندي
Come, let me talk of my passion - you are intimate with me
Come, let me share with you the love that I have
وَيا لَيتَ ما عِندي يقسم بَعضَهُ
وَيا لَيتَ شَكوانا تُريح مِن الجُهد
Oh, if only some of what I have could be shared
Oh, if only both our complaints would ease the effort
وَريح سَرَت مِن جَلَق جادَها الحَيا
وَقَد حَمَلضت نَشر الرَياحين وَالوَرد
A breeze blew from a perfumed breeze, bearing flowers
The zephyr was redolent with the scent of blooms
فَكَلمت القَلب العَليل بمرّها
فَأَبدى لِسان الدَمع ما لَم أَكن أَبدي
It spoke to my sick heart with its bitterness
And my tears expressed what I did not say
أَلا فَاِحمِلي يا ريح مني تَحية
إِلى حَضرة الأَحباب أَذكى مِن الند
Oh breeze, convey my greetings
To the dear ones, more delicious than nectar
لَها رِقة الجسم الَّذي شَفهُ الضَنا
مِن الشَوق وَالتِذكار وَالبُعد وَالصَد
Whose delicate bodies have been emaciated
By yearning, recollection, absence and estrangement
وَإِن سَأَلَ الخِلان عَني فَإِنَّني
مُقيم عَلى عَهدي وَإِن نَقضوا عَهدي
And if the unfaithful ones ask about me, I
Abide by my pact though they break theirs
وَإِني عَلى ما بي لَأَرعى وِدادَهُم
وَإِن أَلفوا فَقدي وَإِن ضَيعوا وَدي
And though they reject and abandon me
I tend their affection as before
وَإِني لكالظمآن يَمنَعُهُ العِدا
تَمني وُرود الماءِ وَعك مِن الوَرد
They prevent me like a thirsty man from
Attaining the water he hopes for and flowers too
وَلي عِندَهُم قَلب يُعذب بِالجَفا
وَفي أَضلُعي قَلبٌ يَذوب مِن البُعدِ
With them I have a heart tormented by indifference
And in my ribs a heart melting because of separation
فَلو أَحتَسي كَأس الحمام مَدعدِعاً
لَما مَرَّ عِندي المَوت مِن سَكرة الفَقدِ
If I could sip a brimming cup of wine
Death would not pass by me in all its bitterness
أَلفت البُكا وَالسُهد وَالسقم
وَصاحبت أَحزاني فَمِن الوَفا بَعدي
I have grown accustomed to weeping, wakefulness and sickness
And my sorrows have kept me company, so faithful am I
وَلَستُ بِسالٍ مِن نَسيَني مِنهُمُ
وَلَو بِتُ في رَمسي غَريباً وَفي لَحدي
I do not forget those who forgot me
Even if I remain a stranger in my grave all alone
أَبيت عَليلاً لا أَرى ليَ عائِداً
وَإِن جاشَ جَيش الهَم لاقيتُهُ وَحدي
I lie ill with no one to visit me
And if an army of worries comes, I face it alone
أُعلل قَلبي بِالأَمانيّ باطِلاً
وَحتّام الهيهِ بِوَعد بِلا نَقدِ
I falsely comfort my heart with empty hopes
And heatedly imagine empty promises
فَلا أَنا مَرجوٌّ لِبَرء وَلا رَدى
وَلا كَيدي الحَرّا تَعلل بِالوَعدِ
So I hope neither for recovery nor respite
Nor can my burning thirst be quenched by promises
وَإِني عَلى فَقد النَعيم لَصابِرٌ
وَلَستُ عَلى فَقد الأَخِلاءِ بِالجلد
Though I have patience for loss of comfort
I cannot endure loss of friends
وَلَيسَ يَطيبُ العَيشُ لي مَع غَيرَهُم
وَلَو كُنتُ في الفَردوس أَو جَنةَ الخُلدِ
Life is not pleasant without them
Even if I were in Paradise or the eternal garden
وَما حَدَثَ عَن سُبُلِ الوَفا حَسب طاقَتي
وَلَكنما الأَيام جارَت عَن القَصدِ
I have not failed in loyalty to the best of my ability
But time led me astray from moderation
وَما رَأَيت الأَحرار مني سَجية
وَما زلتُ مُنقاداً مَع الود كَالعَبدِ
I was never overpowered by the noble ones
Rather I submitted like a slave out of affection
وَما شِيمَتي إِلّا المَحبة وَالوَفا
وَيَعلم رَبي ما أُسِرّ وَما أُبدي
My trait is nothing but love and faithfulness
And my Lord knows what I conceal and what I display
وَلا عاران أَمسى الزَمان يُضيعني
وَأَخَرَني عَن مَطلَبي وَخَبا زِندي
Has time not been unfair in forsaking me,
Depriving me of my goal, failing my support?
فَقَد يُصبح الحُر الكَريم مضيعاً
وَقَد تَلعب الأَيام بِالأسد الوَرد
A free and noble man may find himself forsaken
As fate makes sport of the noble lion
سُموم اللَيالي كامن في نَسيمها
إِذا شُوهِدَت بِالفكر كَالسُمّ في الشهد
The poison of nights lies hidden in its breeze
Visible to insight like venom in honey
يَنالُ العُلا فيها اللَئيم بِلُؤمِهِ
وَلَم تُعطِ حَرّاً ما يُحاول بِالجَد
The wicked attain heights through their vileness
While the noble gain nothing for their efforts
فَلا يَغترر مَن سالَمتهُ بِسلمها
وَلا بَركنن فيها إِلى الوَفد وَالرَفد
Let no one be fooled by its peacefulness
Or rely on its visitors and caravans
فَكَم قَد أَهانَت مِن عَزيز خُطوبِها
وَقَد كانَ بَدر التَم في أُفق المَجد
How many dignitaries has it disgraced through calamity!
They were full moons on the horizon of glory
وَكَم أَفرَدَ الإِخوان خلّاً لِعدمهِ
وَقَد كانَ في الإِثراءِ واسطة العقد
How often it isolates a brother for no reason
Who used to be instrumental in bringing people together
طَلبت مِن الأَيام حرّاً مُهَذباً
أَكون لَهُ رقّا فَما جدنَ بِالقَصدِ
I asked fate for a refined and noble man
To whom I would be humbly devoted, but fate was not just
وَمَن يَطلُب الإِحسان مِن غَير مُحسن
يُقابل بِما لا يَستَحق مِن الرَد
He who seeks favor from the unfavorable
Will be rewarded with less than he deserves
سَأَفني اللَيالي بِإِتِكالي عَلى الَّذي
تَنَزهَ في أَحكامِهِ الواحد الفَرد
I will spend my nights relying on Him
Who transcends all judgments, the Unique, the Unequaled
فَمَهما يَحط الحَظ قَدر عَميدَكُم
فَلا تَقطَعوا عَنهُ الرَسائل عَن عَمد
So no matter how far your fortune sinks
Do not sever messages to Him intentionally
سَلام عَلي مشن لَم أَطق عِندَ ذِكرِهم
قَراراً وَلَم أَملُك فُؤادي وَلا رُشدي
Greetings to those I cannot endure to remember
Without being unsettled, losing possession of my heart and my reason
