أبثُّكَ ما بي أم كفاكَ نحولي

ففيه على وجدي أتَمُّ دليلِ

I confide in you what is within me, is that enough for you?

In it, to my passion is the clearest proof,

يُخبَّرُ عما في الضمائرِ صادقاً

بغيرِ كلامٍ لا يُفيدُ طويلِ

Truthfully informing what is in the consciences,

without prolonged words that are of no benefit.

ومذ نَمَّ فرطُ السُّقمِ عنه بحالهِ

تَرَفَّعَ عن واشٍ به وعذولِ

And since the excess of sickness has left him in his state,

he has risen above the reproacher and blamer.

فيا أهلَ ودَّي كيفَ حلَّلتمُ النوى

أمِنْ خوفِ مالٍ في الغرامِ وقيلِ

So O people of my affection, how have you found it lawful

to sever the bond, out of fear of wealth and it was said out of love?

مللتُمْ هوًى ما أن مللتُ عذابَهُ

على أن ما في الغيدِ غيرُ ملولِ

You have tired of an infatuation that I have not tired of its torment,

even though there is nothing permanent in love.

وخلَّفتموني في الديارِ وبنتمُ

بطرفٍ على بالي الديارِ هَمولِ

And you left me in the dwellings and moved on

with a glance that stirred up thoughts in my mind.

وتندو دموعي والدموعُ بواعثٌ

دواعي الأسى مِن زفرةٍ وعويلِ

And my tears flow, and tears are the inspirations

of the causes of sorrow, from sighing and wailing.

وألفى شجاعُ البينِ منّي تجلداً

بصبرٍ على حكمِ الغرامِ ذليلِ

And the hardy of separation found endurance in me

with patience upon the decree of humiliating passion.

فما حيلتي ما في الأحبَّةِ راحمٌ

ولا في رجالِ الوجدِ غيرُ جهولِ

So what is my strategy, for there is none among the loved ones who have mercy,

nor among the passionate people anyone but the ignorant.

وكم لهم في كلَّ ربعٍ ومنزلٍ

حليفَيْ هوًى مِن قاتلٍ وقتيلِ

And for them in every land and dwelling,

they have a confidant of passion, from a killer and a killed one.

ولمّا جَزَعنا الجِزعَ قلتُ لناقتي

الى دارِ ليلى بالأجارعِ ميلي

And when we despaired, I said to my she-camel,

"To Layla's abode, turn my side."

تُراحَيْ مِن الاراقلِ في كلَّ مهمهٍ

وهَجْلٍ إلى سكانِها وذميلِ

She trots lightly over the gravel plains in every undertaking

and the neighing to its inhabitants and tribe.

مِنَ الهوجِ لم تغلْ واِنْ كظَّها السُّرى

الى كلَّ حيًّ نازحٍ وقبيلِ

She did not waver from the love even as homesickness burdened her

to every living soul, emigrant and tribe.

اِذا هالَها الاِدلاجُ والخرقُ لم تُرَعْ

واِنْ سمعتْ للموتِ كلَّ أليلِ

When the darkness and tear overcast her, she was not afraid

even if she heard the sounds of death and perishing.

تَغُذُّ بذي وجدٍ براهُ على النوى

نوازعُ شوقٍ في الفؤادِ دخيلِ

She feeds upon a love for Layla that is manifest in her moan

the pangs of longing in the heart of the afflicted.

فمَنْ لأخِ الوجدِ العليلِ على النوى

بقربِ مزارٍ أو بِبَلَّ غليلِ

So who is there for the sickly lover's brother

near the sanctuary or with some medicine?

معنًّى بأغصانِ القدودِ رشيقةً

كبانِ الحِمى في دِقَّةٍ وذبولِ

Engrossed am I with the delicate tree branches

like the cheeks of the beloved in frailty and withering.

يُرنَّحُها سكرُ الصَّبا فيُميلُها

دلالاً على العلاّتِ كلَّ مَمِيلِ

The drunkenness of the morning breeze makes it sway

bending gently as evidence of the malady of every bending branch.

ولمّا وقفنا للوَداعِ اِشارةً

بطرفٍ مِنَ السَّجفِ الخفيَّ كحيلِ

And when we stopped for farewell, with a glance

of the eyelids, furtive like kohl.

وقد عنَّ مِن سربِ الغواني ربابٌ

سنحنَ لنا في مَرْبَعٍ ومَقيلِ

There came from a flock of gazelles a wild one

that gave us opportunity in the meadow and rest stop.

وقفتُ فلم أملِكْ بوادرَ عبرةٍ

تَسُحُّ على ربعٍ لهنَّ مَحيلِ

I stood but could not hold back the onset of tears

that flow over a cheek that has for them a tilting place.

وما الدمعُ إلا للفراقِ فيها بأهلِها

وعهدَ الصَّبا في بُكْرَةٍ وأصيلِ

And tears are only for parting with them in it and its people

and the era of youth at dawn and evening.

اِذا بَعُدَ الأحبابُ عنّي ولم أجدْ

رسولاً اليهمْ فالنسيمُ رسولي

When friends are far from me and I do not find

a messenger to them, so the breeze is my messenger.

أسائلُ عنهمْ كلَّ ريحٍ تنسَّمتْ

عليَّ ضُحًى مِن شمأَلٍ وقَبُولِ

I ask about them every wind that blows

upon me at dawn from the north and south.

فيا حبذا ذاكَ الزمانُ الذي مضى

حميداً باِلْفٍ يُرتضى وخليلِ

Oh, excellent is that time now gone

commendably with a harmony to be approved and a friend.

زماناً تقضَّى ما رأيناهُ سامنا

على ولَعٍ في الدهرِ غيرَ جميلِ

A time we spent in happiness not seeing

the capriciousness of fate as ugly.

صَحِبْنا به تلكَ الغواني أوانساً

الى ظِلَّ عيشٍ للشبابِ ظليلِ

We accompanied those gazelles as companions

to the shade of a life for the youth shaded.

سأمدحُ ذيّاكَ الزمانَ بمِقْولٍ

يُريكَ لسانَ الشعرِ غيرَ كليلِ

I will praise that time of yours with words

that show poetry's tongue to be unfailing.

بمدحٍ إذا فاهَ الرواةُ به غداً

قليلٌ مديحي وهو غيرُ قليلِ

With praise, if narrators relate it tomorrow,

little will be my praise yet it is no little thing.

على أن أهلَ الشَّعرِ امْسَوا وأصبحوا

كثيراً وما في الأكثرينَ عديلي

Even though the people of poetry have become

many, and among the many there is no equivalent.