أبرقٌ على المنحنى لائحُ

امِ الزَّنْدُ أضرمَهُ القادِحَ

A flash on the curve, shining,

The mother of darkness, ignited by the striker,

تألّقَ ليلاً ففاضَ على

تألُّقِهِ المدمعُ الفاضحُ

It shone at night, overflowing over

Its shine, the shedding tear.

ولولا نوى الحيِّ عن لَعْلعٍ

لما طافَ بي غربُهُ الطافحُُ

If the intentions of the living were not for hope,

His loneliness would not have overwhelmed me.

أيا جيرةَ الخَيْفِ مذ بنتُمُ

لقد جدَّ هجرُكُم المازحُ

O neighbor of the tent, since you built

Your abandonment has saddened the jester.

نأيتمْ فلي بعدَكمْ مقلةُ

أضر َّبها دمعُها السافحُ

You went far, so after you my abode

Became desolate, with its tears streaming.

أعللِّهُا بدنوِّ الديارِ

ومِن دونِه سَبْسَبٌ نازحُ

Excuse it by the nearness of home,

And without it, a longing breeze blows.

ولولا الغرامُ لماخَبَّ بي

الى أرضِها الأعيَسُ الرازحُ

If not for passion entrapping me

To its barren land, the miserable complainer.

ولا كان يَمزَعُ بي نحوَها

فسيحُ الخُطا جَرْشَعٌ قارحُ

Nor would anxiety push me towards it

With wide steps, a barefoot, wounded walker.

لي اللّهُ مِن أضلُعٍ تَلْتَظي

بنارِ هوًى خطبُهُ فادحُ

May God protect me from ribs

Burning with passion’s fervent flames.

اِذا هبَّتِ الرِّيحُ مِن نحوِها

يهيِّمُني عَزْفُها النافحُ

When the wind blows from its direction

Its melody confuses me.

كأنَّ شذا العِقدِ مِن عَلْوةٍ

وقد نفحتْ سَحَراً فائحُ

As if the scent of braids from her necklace

Bewitched me with its magic aroma.

ويُطرِبُني عندَ تغريدِه

على البانِ قُمريُّهُ النائحُ

And her voice singing to the flute

Makes my moon-like beloved weep.

لياليَ لا قُربُها مُعْوِزٌُ

ولا وجهُ اِحسانِها كالحُ

Nights with no shortage of nearness

And no lack of benevolence.

سقى نُوْرَ تلكَ الرُّبى

بالغَميمِ مُزْنٌ على تُربها دالحُ

The radiance of those meadows was quenched

By the clouds, while its dust remains moist.

وحيّا ثراهنَّ مِن أدمعي

على عهدِها وابلُ رائحُ

It greeted its land with my tears

In streams, remembering it.

ديارُ نأى الغيدُ عن أرضِها

فعذرُ غرامي بها واضحُ

The land whose love left it

So my passion for it is evident.

غدوتُ أُبكِّي رسومَ الديارِ

وقد لاحَ برقُ الحِمى اللامحُ

I weep over the relics of the homes

As the lightning of fever shone.

وما في الديارِ غداةَ

الرحيلِ إلا فتَّى لبُه طائحِ

After the departure, nothing remains in the homes

Except a lad whose heart is fluttering.

يبكّي دياراً عفاها البِلى

دوارسَ ليس بها نابحُ

Crying over homes time has erased,

With no mourners in them.

ويندُبُ أطلالَها الماثلاتِ

ومدمعُهُ فوقَها سافحُ

Eulogizing their fading ruins

While his tears stream over them.

وقد كان يكتمُ سرَّ الهوى

فأصبحَ وَهْوَ بهِ بائحُ

He had hidden the secret of passion

But now his love for her is exposed.

ولولا الهوى ماجَرَتْ أدمعي

وقد ناحَ طائرهُ الصادحُ

If not for love my tears would not have flowed

As his sad bird sang loud.

ومَنْ باتَ يشكو زمانَ الهوى

فاِنّي لعصرِ الهوى مادحُ

And whoever complains of the days of passion,

I am one who praises the days of passion!

زَمانُ صحبتُ بهِ الغانياتِ

فميزانُ عَيْشي بهِ راجحُ

An era I enjoyed with singing girls,

So my life’s balance in it leaned.

لهوتُ بهنَّ وطرفُ الشبابِ

اليهنَّ بي نازعٌ جامحُ

I toyed with them, and the vigor of youth

To them competed with me fiercely.

فكم ملَّ مسراىَ فيه الظلام

يُعنِقُ بي الأجردُ السابحُ

So often I lost my way in its darkness,

Embraced by the pitch-black swimming night.

اِذا ما ضللتُ عنِ القصدِ فيه

هداني سِماكُ الدُّجى الرامحُ

When I wandered off the path in it,

The darkness of night guided me straight.