مَرابِعُ سُعدى لِلعُيونِ مَراتِعُ
وَفيها لِآسادِ العَرينِ مَصارِعُ
The desert of Sa'daa is grazing land for the eyes,
In it lions have arenas for fighting.
مَرابِعُ تَخشى النائِباتُ رُبوعَها
وَتَرجو بِها الأَمنَ القُلوبَ الجَوازِعُ
Deserts fear its outskirts,
And hearts hope for safety there.
بِهِنَّ شُموسُ الحُسنِ تَمسي غَوارِباً
وَفيهِنَّ أَقمارَ السُعودِ طَوالِعُ
In them the suns of beauty set as strangers,
And in them the moons of good fortune rise.
عَصَيتُ نُهى الناهي عَلَيهِنَّ طائِعاً
لِأَمرِ الهَوى وَالصَبُّ عاصٍ وَطائِعُ
I disobeyed the prohibitions of the warner willingly,
For the command of passion - and youth is disobedient and obedient.
وَواخَيتُ فيهِنَّ الصَبابَةَ يافِعاً
وَشِبتُ وَتَبريحُ الصَبابَةَ يافِعُ
I spent my youth in them as a companion,
And grew old while the vigour of youth was still my companion.
وَجامِعَةُ الإِحسانِ وَالحُسنِ مَن بِها
فُؤادِيَ لِلأَشجانِ وَالحُزنِ جامِعُ
She who combines favour and beauty -
My heart combines there the branches and sadness.
لِبَرقِ الثَنايا مِن عَقيقِ شِفاهِها
شَجَّتني بَروقٌ بِالعَقيقِ لَوامِعُ
For the lightning of her white cheeks from carnelian lips
Lightnings with carnelian have dazzled me.
إِذا شِمتَهُ عَن مُزنَةٍ مِن رِضابِها
وَشَحَّت بِهِ سَحَّت عَلَيهِ المَدامِعُ
When you smell it from her braided hair,
And she wipes it with that, the tears flow.
لَئِن بَعُدَت لَيلى وَصَدَّت تَعَزُّزاً
فَإِنِّيَ مِنها بِالتَعَطُّفِ طامِعُ
If Layla is distant and unwilling out of coquetry,
I still hope for her gentle ways.
وَأَعذَبُ ما يَستَعذِبُ الصَبُّ نازِحاً
إِذا وَعَدَتهُ بِالدُنُوِّ المَطامِعُ
The most delicious thing a passionate man tastes
Is when she promises him hopes of approach.
يُعاوِدُني بِالهَجرِ طَيفُ خَيالِها
وَإِنّي بِطَيفِ الأَخيَلِيَّةِ قانِعُ
The apparition of her imagination recurs to me with estrangement,
Yet I am content with the apparition of fantasies.
خَفِيَّةُ مَعنىً قَد خَفَيتُ بِحُبِّها
وَجَدي بِها بَينَ البَرِيَّةِ شائِعُ
A hidden meaning I have hidden in my love for her
And my love everywhere in the wilderness is noised abroad.
يُحَجِّبُنا عَنها الغَداةَ سُفورُها
وَتَجلو مَعانيها عَلَينا البَراقِعُ
Her sulkiness in the morning veils her from us
While her meanings become clear to us through the veils.
فَمِن فَرعِها لَيلُ الضَلالَةِ مُسبِلٌ
وَمِن فَرقِها صُبحُ الهِدايَةِ طالِعُ
So by some of her branches the night of error sets forth
And by some of her separating the dawn of guidance rises.
بِبَعضِ المَعانيها غَدا القَلبُ هائِماً
وَأَيسَرُ ذاكَ البَعضُ ما السَمعُ سامِعُ
With some of her meanings the heart has become perplexed
And that part which the hearing hears is the easiest.
إِلى كَم أُداحي الناسَ في سَترِ حُبِّها
وَحَتّى مَتى عَنها العَذولُ أُدافِعُ
How long can I talk misleadingly to people about my love for her?
And for how long can I defend myself from censure concerning her?
وَما الناسُ إِلّا واحِدٌ في طِلابِها
فَرَبُّ رَشادٍ في السُلوكِ وَضائِعُ
People are but one in seeking her.
Many guides are lost in the quest.
هِيَ العَينُ وَالمَعنى حَيقَقَةُ ذاتِها
وَتَعديدُ أَسماها فَبِالإِسمِ واقِعُ
She is the essence and the meaning in her real self,
While counting her names occurs through the name.
حَمَت سِرَّها سُمُرُ الرِماحِ وَحَجَبَت
بِها البيضَ بيضٌ مِن نُمَيرٍ قَواطِعُ
The dark nights of spears have protected her mystery and veiled
Her with white veils of Numeir's unsheathed swords.
وَكَيفَ يُرَجّي الرَيَّ مِن بَحرِ جودِها
أَخو عَمَةٍ عَمَّت عَلَيهِ الشَرائِعُ
How can the humble aspire to her sea of generosity -
A cousin whose cousins have been forbidden by the laws?
