عَذيرُكَ مِن نَأيٍ غَداً وَبِعادِ
وَسَيرِ مُحِبٍّ لا يَسيرُ بِزادِ
Your excuse for being away tomorrow and far off,
And a lover's journey with no provisions,
لِعَلوَةَ في هَذا الفُؤادِ مَحَلَّةٌ
تَجانَفتُ عَن سَعدي بِها وَسُعادِ
For I have in this heart a place,
I have turned away from happiness because of it.
أَتُحسِنُ إِصفادي فَأَشكُرَ نَيلَها
وَإِن كانَ نَزراً أَو تَحُلُّ صِفادي
Shall I compose my fetters and be thankful I have attained them,
Whether a little or my shackles are undone?
وَكَيفَ رَحيلي وَالفُؤادُ مُخَلَّفٌ
أَسيرٌ لَدَيها لا يُفَكُّ بِفادِ
How can I depart when my heart remains
A captive with her, unfreed by any ransom?
فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَأَثني عَزيمَتي
عَنِ الغَربِ أَم أَمضي بِغَيرِ فُؤادِ
By God, I know not if I should change my mind
From traveling west, or go on without my heart.
وَلَيلَتَنا وَالراحُ عَجلى تَحُثُّها
فُنونُ غِناءٍ لِلزُجاجَةِ حادِ
Our night, and the gentle breeze hurrying it on
With songs of wine for the wine-jug now emptied.
تَدارَكَ غَيِّ نَشوَةً مِن لِقائِها
ذَمَمتُ لَها حَتّى الصَباحِ رَشادي
I tried to recover from the intoxication of seeing her,
I censured myself until morning came to guide me.
وَما بَلَغَ النَومُ المُسامِحُ لَذَّةً
سِوى أَرَقي في حُبِّها وَسُهادي
And sleep attained no pleasure,
Save my wakefulness in love of her and vigilance.
عَلى بابِ قِنَّسرينَ وَاللَيلُ لاطِخٌ
جَوانِبَهُ مِن ظُلمَةٍ بِمِدادِ
At the door of the tavern, and night is muddy,
Its edges darkened with ink's blackness.
كَأَنَّ القُصورَ البيضَ في جَنَباتِهِ
خَضَبنَ مَشيباً نازِلاً بِسَوادِ
As if the white palaces on its sides
Were dyed gray with descending old age.
كَأَنَّ اِنخِراقَ الجَوِّ غَيَّرَ لَونَهُ
لَبوسُ حَديدٍ أَو لِباسُ حِدادِ
As if the sky's rupture changed its color
To worn iron or mourning clothes.
كَأَنَّ النُجومَ المُستَسِرّاتِ في الدُجى
سِكاكُ دِلاصٍ أَو عُيونُ جَرادِ
As if the stars hiding in the shadows
Were lamps' wicks or locusts' eyes.
وَلا قَمَرٌ إِلّا حُشاشَةُ غائِرِ
كَعَينِ طِماسٍ رَنَّقَت لِرُقادِ
And no moon but the sinking
Of a drunkard's eyelid closed in slumber.
فَبِتنا وَباتَت تَمزُجُ الراحَ بَينَنا
بِأَبيَضَ رَقراقِ الرُضابِ بُرادِ
We spent the night, and the breeze mixed between us
With soft murmuring of the tambourine.
وَلَم نَفتَرِق حَتّى ثَنى الديكُ هاتِفاً
وَقامَ المُنادي بِالصَلاةِ يُنادي
We did not part until the cock crowed
And the caller to prayer called out.
أَبا مُسلِمٍ إِلقَ السَلامَ مُضاعَفاً
وَرُح سالِمَ القُطرَينِ إِنِّيَ غادِ
Abu Muslim, convey multiplied greetings
And go safely to both encampments, I am departing.
سَأَشكُرُ نُعماكَ المُرَفرِفَ ظِلُّها
عَلَيَّ وَهَل أَنسى رَبيعَ بِلادي
I will thank you for your overflowing kindness
Shading over me - how could I forget the springtime of my country?
وَفَيضَ عَطايا ما تَأَمَّلَ ناظِرٌ
إِلَيهِنَّ إِلّا قالَ فَيضُ غَوادِ
And the outpouring of gifts no onlooker surveyed
Except to say: the outpouring of bounty!
وَكَم جاءَتِ الأَيامُ رَسلاً تَقودُني
إِلى نائِلٍ مِن راحَتَيكَ مُعادِ
How many days came to me like messengers
Leading me to rest awhile in your shelter.
وَما تُنبِتُ البَطحاءُ مِن غَيرِ وابِلٍ
وَلا يَستَديمُ الشُكرَ غَيرُ جَوادِ
The plain grows nothing without rain,
And none sustain gratitude save the generous.
