نامَ الخَلِيُّ وَبِتُّ اللَيلَ مُرتَفِقا
أَرعى النُجومَ عَميداً مُثبَتاً أَرِقا
The night passed while I stayed awake
Watching the stars parade by steadily, sleeplessly
أَسهو لِهَمّي وَدائي فَهيَ تُسهِرُني
بانَت بِقَلبي وَأَمسى عِندَها غَلِقا
My worries and pain kept me up
They lodged in my heart and it locked them inside
يا لَيتَها وَجَدَت بي ما وَجَدتُ بِها
وَكانَ حُبٌّ وَوَجدٌ دامَ فَاِتَّفَقا
If only she felt for me what I feel for her
Our love would be shared and joyously matched
لا شَيءَ يَنفَعُني مِن دونِ رُؤيَتَها
هَل يَشتَفي وامِقٌ ما لَم يُصِب رَهَقا
Nothing helps me but seeing her face
Can a thirsty man recover without a sip?
صادَت فُؤادي بِعَينَي مُغزِلٍ خَذَلَت
تَرعى أَغَنَّ غَضيضاً طَرفُهُ خَرِقا
My heart was captivated by eyes that betrayed it
Grazing the meadow, her coy glance pierced me
وَبارِدٍ رَتِلٍ عَذبٍ مَذاقَتُهُ
كَأَنَّما عُلَّ بِالكافورِ وَاِغتَبَقا
Her mouth was cold, gentle, sweetly scented
As if perfumed with camphor, intoxicatingly veiled
وَجيدِ أَدماءَ لَم تُذعَر فَرائِصُها
تَرعى الأَراكَ تَعاطى المَردَ وَالوَرَقا
Her soft cheeks unstartled by her curls’ caprice
Grazing the flowers, sipping their nectar, their bloom
وَكَفلٍ كَالنَقا مالَت جَوانِبُهُ
لَيسَت مِنَ الزُلِّ أَوراكاً وَما اِنتَطَقا
Her chin like a tender sprout, its contour pure
Not bent, but gracefully formed without flaw
كَأَنَّها دُرَّةٌ زَهراءُ أَخرَجَها
غَوّاصُ دارينَ يَخشى دونَها الغَرَقا
As though a radiant pearl retrieved by a diver
Who risked the depths, fearing she’d slip from his grasp
قَد رامَها حِجَجاً مُذ طَرَّ شارِبُهُ
حَتّى تَسَعسَعَ يَرجوها وَقَد خَفَقا
He’d sought her persistently since youth’s first drink
Until he trembled with want, hoping she was his
لا النَفسُ توئسُهُ مِنها فَيَترُكُها
وَقَد رَأى الرَغبَ رَأيَ العَينِ فَاِحتَرَقا
His soul cannot abandon her, though it despair
For his eye’s desire consumed him, set him ablaze
وَمارِدٌ مِن غُواةِ الجِنِّ يَحرُسُها
ذو نيقَةٍ مُستَعِدٌّ دونَها تَرَقا
A fierce jinni guards her, poise ready to pounce
Let no one sneak up on her, he stays alert
لَيسَت لَهُ غَفلَةٌ عَنها يُطيفُ بِها
يَخشى عَلَيها سَرى السارينَ وَالسَرَقا
Lest a secret lover creep near to steal her
He fiercely protects her from thieves in the night
حِرصاً عَلَيها لَوَ اِنَّ النَفسَ طاوَعَها
مِنهُ الضَميرُ لَيالي اليَمِّ أَو غَرِقا
If his soul obeyed him, he would hide with her
In dark valleys, though the flood engulfed them both
في حَومِ لُجَّةِ آذِيٍّ لَهُ حَدَبٌ
مَن رامَها فارَقَتهُ النَفسُ فَاِعتُلِقا
In harsh, arduous seas, their breakers so rough
Who dares reach for her loses his soul in their midst
مَن نالَها نالَ خُلداً لا اِنقِطاعَ لَهُ
وَما تَمَنّى فَأَضحى ناعِماً أَنِقا
He who attains her attains eternity’s reign
Fulfilled beyond measure, most refined in his luck
تِلكَ الَّتي كَلَّفَتكَ النَفسُ تَأمُلُها
وَما تَعَلَّقتَ إِلّا الحَينَ وَالحَرَقا
It is she whom your soul strove to behold
Though just glimpsed, burnt forever in that moment’s flash
