وَإِنّي لَمَطِوِيُّ الضُلوعِ عَلى جَوىً

بِأَيسَرَ مِنهُ يُنشَرُ الوابِلُ السَجمُ

I am one whose ribs are folded around passion

Easier than it the heavy rain is unleashed

وأَمَّلتُ نَفعَ الكَتمِ فيهِ مُغالِطاً

غَليلي وَلَكِن قَلَّما نَفَعَ الكَتمُ

I hoped in vain that reticence would benefit me

Deceiving my torment, but reticence seldom helps

وَقَد كانَ لي عَزمٌ عَلى الصَبرِ صابِراً

فَقَد خانَهُ بَعدَ النَوى ما نَوى العَزمُ

I had resolved with fortitude to show patience

But after intention, resolve betrays intent

وَأَسعَفَها بِاللُؤلُؤِ النَثرِ جَفنُهُ

وَيُسعِفُها مِن بَعدِهِ اللُؤلُؤُ النَظمُ

Its lids graced it with prose like scattered pearls

And after it, verse will grace it like strung pearls

لِنَفسي أُريدُ الوَصلَ لا بَعدَ مَوتِها

فَلا خُبرَ لي بَعدَ المَماتِ وَلا عِلمُ

For my soul I wish union, not loss after its death

So I'll have no news or knowledge after demise

إِذا ظَمِئَت يَوماً فَلا نَزَلَ الحَيا

وَإِن خَبَطَت يَوماً فَلا طَلَعَ النَجمُ

If ever thirsty someday, the rain won't come

If ever lost someday, no star will rise

لَحى اللَهُ هَذا العَيشَ إِن كانَ ما أَرى

فَآنِفُهُ ظَنٌّ وَسالِفُهُ حُلمُ

May God erase this life if what I see is true

Its past fanciful, its future a dream

وَيَزعُمُ صَبري أَنَّهُ لي عُدَّةٌ

وَأَصدَقُ ظَنّي أَن سَيَكذِبُني الزَعمُ

My patience claims to be my strength

My truest thought is it will prove itself a lie

فَلا يَعدُ أَطلالَ الحِمى القَطرُ وَحدَهُ

وَلا دارَها دَمعي وَلا غُلَّتي الظَلمُ

Not only the rain counts the ruins of encampments

Not only my tears and darkness recount its house

وَجِئنا عَلى رَغمِ اللَيالي مَنازِلاً

مَنازِلَ كَم أَوفى بِها بَدرُها التَمُّ

And we came despite the nights to settlements

Settlements, though at their full moon betrayal lurks

وَكانَت لِأَقمارِ المَحاسِنِ مَطلَعاً

فَها هِيَ في طُرقِ الصَبابَةِ لي نَجمُ

They were a rising for moons of beauty

But now on the paths of youth are to me stars sunken

وَإِنّي لَمُشتاقٌ إِلى جُملَةِ البَكا

عَلَيها وَلَكِن عِندَ مَن يودَعُ الحِلمُ

And I yearn for the sum of weeping over them

But before whom does composure spill away?

أَآثارَ تَقبيلي يَخافُ ثُبوتَها

فَدَيتُكَ فَوقَ الماءِ لا يَثبُتُ الرَقمُ

The traces of my kiss, it fears their permanence

My dear, above the water, marks do not endure

مُشَعشَعُ إِفرِندِ البَشاشَةِ يَتَّقي

مِنَ اللَثمِ ثلماً حينَ يُغمِدُهُ اللَثمُ

Dazzling with the radiance of gentle mirth

It avoids with its veil a blemish when veiled

فَغُرَّتُهُ صُبحٌ وَطُرَّتُهُ دُجىً

وَأَلحاظُهُ حَربٌ وَأَلفاظُهُ سَلمُ

Its frown is dawn, its elation nightfall

Its glances war, its words are peace

تَحَرَّجَ مِن رَدِّ الجَوابِ لِإِثمِهِ

فَلا تَعدَمَنكَ النَفسُ ما قَتلُها إِثمُ

It recoils from answering, for the sin of it

So do not neglect, my soul, what sin has killed

وَلَيسَ لَها إِلّا القُلوبَ عَوائِدٌ

جُفونٌ بِها لا بَل بِعائِدِها السُقمُ

For it hearts alone are wont to return

Eyelids by which no, their returning sickness returns

أَطَعتُ الرِضا في أَمرِها وَلَها الرِضا

وَأَرغَمتُ فيها عاذِلي وَلَهُ الرَغمُ

I obeyed in its command, and it consented

I opposed those who blamed, and they were opposed

أَعائِدَةً روحي وَتُمرِضُ جِسمَهُ

إِذا تَلِفَت روحي فَلا سَلِمَ الجِسمُ

It captivates my soul and sickens my body

When my soul is captivated, the body knows no peace

وَمودِعَةٍ لِلسَمعِ دُرَّ حَديثِها

وَلَمّا بَكَت عَيني وَهَى ذَلِكَ النَظمُ

It deposits in hearing the pearls of its speech

And when my eyes wept at that, the composition ceased

يَلَذُّ لَها هَمّي فَهَمِّيَ فَقدُهُ

وَيُعجِبُها سُقمي فَلا بَرِحَ السُقمُ

My love pleased it, so my love remains

My sickness delights it, so the sickness persists

سَلي النَجمَ عَن عَيني فَحَسبُكِ شاهِداً

وَعِندَكِ يا عَينَيهِ عَن عَينِيَ العِلمُ

Ask the planets about my eye, for your sight suffices as witness

And in your eyes, my dear, lies knowledge of mine

يَتيمٌ إِذا ما ماتَ عَنهُ حَبيبُهُ

وَما كُلُّ فَقدِ الوالِدَينِ هُوَ اليُتمُ

An orphan when his beloved dies

Not all loss of parents is orphanhood

لَعَمري لَقَد بَصَّرتَ لَو نَفَعَ الهُدى

وَحَقّاً لَقَد أَسمَعتَ إِن سَمِعَ الصُمُّ

By my life! You have seen clearly, if insight avails

And truly you have heard, if the deaf can hear

أَعاذِلَهُ ما الحَزمُ إِلّا اِتِّباعُهُ

طَريقَكَ لَكِن رُبَّما غُلِبَ الحَزمُ

Who blames it, reason is but to follow it

Your path, but sometimes reason is overcome

تَحَرَّجُ عَن وَصلي مَخافَةَ إثمِها

فلا تَحرَجي إنَّ الصدودَ هو الإثمُ

It recoils from my union, fearing the sin

So do not recoil, for refusal itself is the sin

وجيرَتُنا نُعمانُ فالعيشُ ناعِمٌ

وَأَطوارُهُ نُعمى وَخَلَّتُنا نُعمُ

And our neighbor Nu'man, so living is blissful

Its seasons bliss, and our isolation bliss

وَأَكثَرُ أَيّامي تَعقَّبَها الأَسى

عَلَيها وَلَكِن قَد تَقَبَّلَها الذَمُّ

Though most of my days were followed by sorrow

Over them, yet they were accepted by blame

رَضيتُ بِما يَقضي عَلى قِسطِ جَورِهِ

فَلَم يَغضَبُ القاضي وَقَد رَضِيَ الخَصمُ

I accept the unjust judgment against me

So the judge is not angry, and the adversary satisfied

يَقولونَ لِم لا تَلبَسُ الصَبرَ جُنَّةً

وَما نَفعُها مِن بَعدِ ما مَرَقَ السَهمُ

They say why do you not wear patience as a shield

Of what use after the arrow has sped?

إِذا اِستَرَقَت سَمعاً مُنايَ بِذِكرِهِ

فَفي إِثرِها مِن شُهبِ أَدمعِها رَجمُ

If she steals a hearing that makes me pine

Then in its wake, a shower of tears like shooting stars

وَلي مُقلَةٌ مِن ذُخرِ دَمعي مُقِلَّةٌ

وَكانَ لَها لَولا النَوى حاصِلٌ جَمُّ

I have from my tears' hoard a ladle full

And were it not for resolve, it would have held abundance