أتُرى صَحَا وأفاقَ مِن سكر الجوى

ولَوى عنانَ عهود سُكان اللَّوى

Does dawn wake and sober from the intoxication of passion?

And turn away from the promises of the inhabitants of desire?

هَيْهَاتَ بَلْ أذكتْ جواه يدُ النّوى

وغَدَتْ يد التّذكار تَنشر ما انْطوى

Alas! Rather, the fingers of longing have rekindled his passion,

And the hand of recollection spreads what was folded.

وإلى العَقيق صَبَا وقد كان أرعوى

وبدا لهُ من بعدِ ما انْدَمل الهوى

To al-‘Aqiq he wandered, though he had been tranquil,

And after the infatuation subsided there appeared to him

برقٌ تألّق مَوهناً لمعانه

فأَبّاحَ من سرِّ الغرام مَصونَهُ

A flash of lightning whose gleam revealed his weakness,

So he confessed the secret of his love,

وأَسَالَ من ماءِ العيون عيونَهُ

وأَطَال لَوعتَهُ وزادَ حنينَهُ

And poured forth from the water of his eyes, his eyes,

And prolonged his burning grief and increased his yearning.

آهاً لَه برقاً آثارَ شجونَهُ

كالسَّيفِ أخلَصَتِ القيونُ متونَه

Alas for him! The lightning disclosed the traces of his anguish,

Like a loyal sword that bared its blade.

يبدو كحاشية الرّداء ودونَه

صعْبُ الذُّرى مُتمنّع أركانُه

It appears like the border of a cloak without its lining,

Difficult to climb, with parts made inaccessible,

مُذْ لاحَ جانَسهُ بلَفْظٍ مُتّفِقْ

شربَ الدموعَ وقد شرى حتى شرقْ

Since he met with words of mutual understanding,

He drank tears until he was intoxicated and lost consciousness,

وأصابَهُ سكرُ الغرامِ فلم يُفِقِ

ونَفى الكرى فجفونُه لم تَنْطبقْ

And the intoxication of love overcame him and he did not recover,

He wished to banish sorrow so his eyelids would close,

وأراد يشفي قُرحَ ناظِره الأرِقْ

فمضَى لينظرَ كيفَ لاحَ فلم يطقْ

And he wanted to heal the wounds of his sleepless eyes,

So he went to look - how the lightning flashed - but he could not bear

نظراً إليه وصدّهُ سبحانُهُ

أتُرى الفؤاد إلى السلوّ يطيعُهُ

To look at it, and glory be to God, it turned him away.

Does the heart obey him and return from the claim of love?

ويصحّ عن دعوى الغرام رجوعُه

والبرق يفشي سرَّه ويذيعُه

And recover from the pretence of passion?

While the lightning reveals his secret and spreads it?

هَبْهُ حكى ما قَدْ روتْه دموعُهُ

في الحُبِّ أينَ لهيبُه وولوعُهُ

Tell the tale of what his tears have recounted!

Where is its ardour and obsession in love?

فالنّار ما اشتَملتْ عليهِ ضلوعُهُ

والماءُ ما سمَحَتْ بهِ أجفانه

For the fire has not enveloped his ribs,

Nor has the water allowed his eyelids to be stained.