رَحَلَت وَأَودَعَتِ الفُؤادَ لَواحِظاً
توهي القُوى وَإِشارَةً بِبِنانِ
She left, leaving my heart full of passion
My strength faded, and she gestured a farewell with her fingers
خَودٌ كَبَدرٍ فَوقَ فَرعِ أَراكَةٍ
يَهتَزُّ مَثنِياً عَلى كُثبانِ
A cheek like a full moon over the branch of a palm tree
Swaying gently over the sand dunes
لَمياءُ تَبسِمُ عَن شَتيتٍ واضِحٍ
كَالأَريِ يَروي غُلَّةَ الصَديانِ
Eyes filled with a clear, wistful smile
Like a meadow watered with spring rain
فَتَنَتكَ بِالدَلِّ الرَخيمِ وَلَم تَزَل
كَلِفاً بِكُلِّ رَخيمَةٍ مِفتانِ
You tempted me with your gentle grace and have always
Dazzled me with every graceful movement
وَشَجَتكَ بِالتَفريقِ ظُعنُ فَريقِها
فَظَعَنتَ إِلّا الشَجوَ في الأَظعانِ
When we parted, the stab of separation pierced me
Yet I was stabbed by nothing but passion itself
ظَلَّت دُموعُكَ في طُلولٍ بُدِّلَت
بِضِيائِها ظُلَماً إِلى ظَلمانِ
Your tears in the darkness were transformed
Into beams of light piercing the gloom
إِنَّ الغَرائِرَ يَومَ جَرعاءِ الحِمى
أَغرَينَ دَمعَ العَينِ بِالهَمَلانِ
When the cupbearer handed me the wine on the day fate turned against me
The tears in my eyes doubly intoxicated me
غادَرنَ عَقلَ أَبي عِقالٍ ذاهِباً
وَوَقَفنَ مُهجَتَهُ عَلى الأَشجانِ
They left the mind of one deep in his cups
And set my verses over the most melodious of poems
لَم يَغنَ في تِلكَ المَغاني بَعدَهُم
بَل ماغَناءُ مَعاهِدٍ وَمَغانِ
None sang songs like theirs after they had gone
Only the songs of the forlorn remain
يادارُ جادَ رُباكَ جودٌ مُسبِلٌ
وَغَدَت تَسُحُّ عَلَيكَ غادِيَتانِ
Oh home, may your Lord be generous to you
And may two travelers now wander your ruins
فَدَعِ ادِّكارَكَ مَن نَأى وَانعَم فَقَد
دامَت لَنا اللَذاتُ في دامانِ
Stop remembering those who left you and enjoyed life
For fleeting worldly pleasures last but an instant
وَالمَرجُ مَمروجُ العِراصِ مُفَوَّفٌ
تَزهى خُزاماهُ عَلى الحَوذانِ
The meadow still dotted with flowers
Its chamomile glows atop the sandhills
وَالرَقَّةُ البَيضاءُ كَالخَودِ الَّتي
تَختالُ بَينَ نَواعِمٍ أَقرانِ
The bright sands that blush like a cheek
Coquetting among other beauties
مِن أَبيَضٍ يَقَقٍ وَأَصفَرَ فاقِعٍ
في أَخضَرٍ بَهِجٍ وَأَحمَرَ قانِ
Of glittering white, saffron yellow, earthy ochre
Vibrant green, and red the color of blood
ضَحِكَ البَهارُ بِأَرضِها وَتَشَقَّقَت
فيها عُيونُ شَقائِقِ النُعمانِ
The blossoms smile over the land and bloom open
Hyacinths burst into flower on every side
وَتَنَفَّسَت أَنفاسُ كُلَّ قَرارَةٍ
وَتَغَنَّتِ الأَطيارُ في الأَفنانِ
The breeze of solitude sighs its secret
As the birds sing joyfully in the branches
فَكَأَنَّما قَطَرَ السَحابُ عَلى الثَرى
عِطراً فَأَذكاهُ ذَكاءَ بَيانِ
As though the clouds rained down perfume on the earth
And the shower revived its dormant beauty
وَزَكَت مَعالِمُ دَيرِزَكّى بَعدَ أَن
وَسَمَت يَدُ الوَسمِيِّ كُلَّ مَكانِ
The beauty spot grew vivid on the cheek of Dairuz Zakki
Since the tattooist had marked every spot
بِعَرائِسٍ خُضرِ الغَلائِلِ تَرتَمي
بِنَواظِرٍ نُجلٍ مِنَ العِقيانِ
With damsels, green garments trailing
Gazes pure, modest and demure
وَجُفونِ كافورٍ أَعادَ بِها الصَبا
ضَعَفاً فَهُنَّ مَرائِضُ الأَجفانِ
With eyelids like camphor that restore to youth
Fragile eyelids – gently closing doors
فَإِذا العُيونُ تَأَمَّنَت أَشخاصُها
فَكَأَنَّهُنَّ إِلى العُيونِ رَوانِ
Then when their eyes flashed under cover
It was as though they smiled with eyes brimming with joy
يَسعى النَقا مابَينَهُنَّ رَسائِلاً
فَيَمِلنَ بِالتَقبيلِ وَالرَشَفانِ
Love notes passed constantly between them
As they sipped from kisses and drank deep from wine
فَكَأَنَّ مَثناهُنَّ عِندَ هُبوبِها
رَأدَ الضُحى سَكَنانِ مُعتَنِقانِ
When they swayed it was as though
The radiant dawn calmly embraced within them
وَكَأَنَّما تِلكَ القُدودُ أَوانِسٌ
كَالعينِ لَم يَأنَسنَ بِالإِنسانِ
It was as though those slender waists were friends
As eyes that never rested on a human
وَتَفَجَّرَت أَنهارُها بِمِياهِها
مَوصولَةً بِفَواهِقِ الغُدرانِ
Their rivers burst forth with water
Joined to the vast and mighty Euphrates
مِثلَ المَرايا في نَمارِقَ سُندُسٍ
خُضرٍ يَروقُ العَينَ بِاللَمَعانِ
Like mirrors in green brocade holders
Its sheen delights the eyes with its glow
أَو فِضَّةٍ فاضَت بِأَرضِ زُمُرُّدٍ
أَو ماءِ دُرٍّ دارَ في مَرجانِ
Or silver spilt over turquoise land
Or pearl water swirling round coral
فَكَأَنَّ دَيناً لِلسَماءِ عَلى الثَرى
سَلَفاً قَديماً حَلَّ في نَيسانِ
As though the ground still owed the sky debt
Outstanding since ancient times in April
ظَلَّ السَحابُ سَفيرَها وَسَفورَهُ
وَيَقودُها عَينانِ يَنسَجِمانِ
The clouds its envoy, led by two eyes
She endows him, though she is firm, with her tears
مَنَحَتهُ وَهيَ شَجِيَّةٌ بِبُكائِها
وَوَفى بِضَحكِ الموثَقِ الجَذلانِ
His smile reveals pearl-like beauty
And gentle charms like wild roses
مُتَبَسِّمٌ عَن لُؤلُؤٍ مُتَلَألِئٍ
وَنَواعِمٍ مِثلَ البُدورِ حِسانِ
The clouds fell for her – her blossoms they watered
With life spirit that carried sweetest scent
شُغِفَ السَحابُ بِها فَرَوّى زَهرَها
رَيقاً فَراحَ كَرائِحٍ نَشوانِ
And wrapped her boudoir in the light of a full moon
And strings of pearls and precious gems
وَحَبا غَدائِرَها بِدُرٍّ سَحُّهُ
وَفَرائِدٍ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ وَمَثانِ
So she was crowned by her gardens, and reigned
Over those meadows with all her splendor
فَتَتَوَّجَت بِجِنانِها وَزَهَت عَلى
تِلكَ الرِياضِ بِبَهجَةِ التيجانِ
When dawn lights up the day she is our second sun
If night draws her veil, by its light our horizon glows
وَإِذا بَدَت شَمسُ النَهارِ مُضيأَةً
فَلَنا بِها وَبِحُسنِها شَمسانِ
And many’s the day I have killed by its moon
Cutting it up in careless joy while my youth remained
وَإِذا الهِلالُ أَغَبَّنا جُنحَ الدُجى
فَبِنورِهِ يَتَنَوَّرُ الأُفُقانِ
I have toyed with the pleasures of life to my heart’s content
With gallant lads from the house of radiant Najiya
وَلَرُبَّ يَومٍ قَد قَتَلتُ بِقُمرِهِ
وَقَطَعتُهُ في ظِلِّ لَهوٍ دانِ
Vying in glory and might should they gather as one
Endowed with riches or graced with eloquence whenever they spoke
وَطَرَفتُ فيهِ مُشَمِّراً في شِرَّتي
بِطَرائِفِ اللَذّاتِ طَرفَ زَماني
A people who, when fate with evil eye spies on them
On the day of battle and the faces of steeds darken
مَعَ فِتيَةٍ مِن آلِ ناجِيَةِ الأُلى
أَحيَوا فَخارَ مُجاشِعٍ وَأَبانِ
When the sun blackens, the lightning crackles red
Over the braves with swords as white as jasmine
إِن فاخَروا كَثُروا وَإِن بَذَلوا اللُهى
أَغنَوا وَإِن نَطَقوا فَحُسنُ بَيانِ
Night is the clashing of swords and the sparks that fly
Over the thick-boned skulls of warriors
قَومي الَّذينَ إِذا المَنونُ تَفَرَّسَت
يَومَ الوَغى في أَوجُهِ الفُرسانِ
They behead their enemies casually with their blades
Not fearing death but made hardy through long training
وَاسوَدَّ وَجهُ الشَمسِ وَاحمَرَّت ظُبا
بيضِ الصِفاحِ وَبَلَّدَ البَطَلانِ
Though tribes may claim glory, to us belong two glories
Whenever mankind disputing superiority
فَالنَقعُ لَيلٌ وَالسُيوفُ كَواكِبٌ
تَنقَضُّ فَوقَ جَماجِمِ الأَقرانِ
We do not dread the days but rather because of our might
Afflictions and fate’s changing fortunes are feared
نَحَروا الأَسِنَّةَ بِالنُحورِ تَهاوُناً
بِالمَوتِ بَل مَرَناً عَلى المُرّانِ
I have seen them going on night marches as though
Their faces and the lightning flashes were both bright
شَرَفُ القَبائِلِ واحِدٌ إِن حُصِّلوا
وَلَنا إِذا افتَخَرَ الوَرى شَرَفانِ
With the bloom of youth in their cheeks, captivating minds
With coquettish eyelashes and dimpled smiles
لانَرهَبُ الأَيامَ بَل مِن بَأسِنا
يُخشى الرَدى وَحَوادِثُ الأَزمانِ
So radiant the full moons paled when he appeared
Shading the drooping boughs in flashes of light
راوَحتُهُم راحاً كَأَنَّ شُعاعَها
وَوُجوهَهُم بَرقانِ يَأتَلِقانِ
He seemed the very spirit of beauty in his form
While either side of his cheeks seemed to bear a mark
مِن كَفِّ رَيّانِ الشَبابِ مُنَعَّمٍ
يَسبي العُقولَ بِطَرفِهِ الوَسنانِ
He passed round goblets of golden wine
And his eyes, two brimming cups, circled all
فَضَحَ البُدورَ ضِياؤُهُ لَمّا بَدا
ثَمِلاً وَأَخجَلَ مائِلَ الأَغصانِ
As though in our gathering shone like planets
White Venus together with Jupiter
فَكَأَنَّهُ أَلِفٌ لِحُسنِ قَوامِهِ
وَكَأَنَّ عِطفَي صُدغِهِ نونانِ
Ever since I have sipped that wine and kissed his cheek
If I fancy hearing a song, he sings to me
فَسَقى بِكَأسِ مُدامَةٍ ذَهَبِيَّةٍ
وَبِطَرفِهِ كَأسانِ دائِرَتانِ
While for my heart there was no medicine
And I remained behind, abandoned, apart
فَكَأَنَّما بَهرامَ وَسطَ نَدِيِّنا
وَالزَهرَةَ البَيضاءَ مُقتَرِنانِ
The hand of passion hurls my soul into misery
While the hand of determination steals any happiness
مازِلتُ أَشرَبُها وَأَلثِمُ خَدَّهُ
وَإِذا أَشاءُ غِناءَهُ غَنّاني
And so love follows sorrow with bliss
Just as time follows hardship with comfort
أَمّا الفُؤادُ فَقَد مَضى لِسَبيلِهِ
وَبَقيتُ رَهناً في يَدِ الهِجرانِ
فَيَدُ الهَوى تَهوي بِروحي في الضَنى
وَيَدُ النَوى تَنأى بِضَرِّ جَناني
وَالحُبُّ يُتبِعُ شِقوَةً بِسَعادَةٍ
كَالدَهرِ يُعقِبُ شِقوَةً بِلَيانِ
