أمّا هواكَ واِنْ تقادمَ عهدُه
فشفيعُ وجهِكَ ما يزالُ يُجِدُّهُ
Though your love has faded as time passed by
The sight of your face still rekindles it inside
لا تحسبنَّ على التقاطعِ والنوى
ينساكَ مشتاقٌ تفاقَمَ وجدُهُ
Do not think that with distance and time
A longing lover will forget the pain you caused
يهواكَ ما هبَّ النسيمُ وحبّذا
نفحُ النسيمِ الحاجريَّ وبَرْدُه
As long as the breeze blows, he desires you
The cool morning breeze and its chill
ما كانَ يكلَفُ بالرياحِ صبابةً
لولا تجنُّبُه ولولا بُعدُه
He was not bothered by the winds of dawn
Had he not been avoiding you and your distance
تسري اليه بضوعةٍ مِن عِقْدِه
اِنَّ المُنى فيما تضمَّنَ عِقْدُه
A sadness from his necklace creeps to you
Indeed, what he wished for is in his necklace
ماذا الملامُ مع الغرامِ وفي الحشا
منه لهيبُ هوىً تضرَّمَ وقْدُه
Why blame love and passion? In desire
Is a burning flame of love that blazed
عنه إليكَ بهِ فان ضلالَه
في الوجدِ لو حاقَقْتَ نفسَكَ رُشْدُه
In finding you, though lost, his guidance
Would he but look inside and question himself
أيرومُ عاذِلُه المضلَّلُ رَدَّهُ
عن رأيهِ هيهاتَ خُيَّبَ قصدُه
Would the critic make him change his mind?
Impossible! His determination is firm
ماذا عليه إذا تضاعفَ ما بهِ
حتّى يعودَ وقد تناهىَ حَدُّه
What of him, if what ails him grows?
Until he returns, though exceeded his limit
اِنَّ الهوى طمعٌ يولَّدُ داءَهُ
أملٌ يقوَّيهِ الجوى ويُمِدُّه
Love is a hope that breed its own disease
A hope that passion empowers and extends
فلكَمْ تملَّكَ رِقَّ حُرًّ عَنْوَةً
أمسى وأصبحَ وهو فيه عَبْدُهُ
How many reluctant souls succumbed by force!
Morn and eve, enslaved by desire they became
وبأيمَنِ الوادي غزالُ أراكةٍ
أصبو اليه واِنْ تزايدَ صَدُّه
By the valley's right, a handsome gazelle
Though opposed, yearns for it all the same
يختالُ والأغصانُ يعطِفُها الصَّبا
فَتَغارُ منه إذا تمايلَ قَدُّه
Strutting as the branches bend for the breeze
Swaying with pride as it walks tall
والأقحُوانُ إذا تبسَّمَ ثغرُه
والوردُ مطلولُ الجوانبِ خَدُّه
The wildflowers smile as it reveals its mouth
Cheeks blushing like unfurled rose petals
قد كانَ سوَّفني الوصالَ وليتَه
مِن بعدِ مَطْلٍ أن يُنجَّزَ وعدُه
It promised my union, would that it
Fulfill its word after prolonged denial
بَعُدَ المدى فأحالَ سالفَ عهدِه
عن حالهِ فعسى الزمانُ يردُّه
The great distance made it break its old vow
May time return it to its former state!
نزحتْ بهِ هوجُ المطيَّ كأنَّها
في الخَرْقِ تنتهبُ الأجارعَ رُبْدُه
As if plundering the barren land
The zebras roam, their manes flowing
مَرْتٌ تَهيَّبُه الرياحُ فَحَزْنُه
كاليمَّ يلعبُ بالنياقِ ووَهْدُه
Feared by winds, so his sadness
Like a vast sea engulfing its shores
لا ترهبُ المرمى البعيدَ وغَوْرُه
متباعدُ الأقصى يَهُولُ ونَجْدُه
Fear not the distant, obscure goal
Though remote, dreadful in its depth
منعَ التزاورَ والدنوَّ بعادُه
والموتُ اِمّا بُعْدُه أو فَقْدُه
Its distance prevented our visitation
Death is either its absence or loss
ومِنَ البليةِ أن أعيشَ وقد نأى
عني وأصبحَ مضمحلاً ودُّه
Misery that I live now departed
Gone, faded is his love for me
ومِنَ الشقاوةِ أن دمعَ محبَّهِ
من بعدِ رشفِ مجاجٍ فيه وِردُه
More misery that tears of his love
Once generously flowing are scarce
هل نافعي طولُ البكاءِ وقد مَضَى
زمنُ الوصالِ ولو تدافعَ عِدُّه
Of what use is long crying when passed
Is the era of union, though great its count
أشتاقُه ما غرَّدتْ أبكيَّةٌ
يشتاقُها بانُ العقيقِ ورَنْدُهُ
I miss him when songbirds melodiously trill
Yearning their harmonious singing in the valleys
سجعتْ فأججتِ الغرامَ وأنفدَتْ
دمعي ولمّا يبقَ إلا ثَمْدُه
Their warbling sparked love and drained my tears
Naught remains but their echo
فَسَقَتْهُ عنّي مِلْعِهادِ سحائبٌ
تَترى فأمواه السحائبِ نِدُّه
Clouds drew him away, disappearing in their midst
Only the trace of his affection in the clouds stayed
متد فِّق الشوْبوبِ يبسِمُ بر قُه
في المزنِ عُجْهاً حينَ يبكي رَعْدُه
Smiling, his lightning flashes amidst darkness
Weeping thunder in the gloom
كمدامعي والعينُ تُحْدَجُ للنوى
والبعدُ أزمعَ بالأحبَّةِ جِدُّه
Like my tears, eyes squinting in pain
While distance and loved ones are intertwined
لمّا انتوى ذاكَ الفريقُ وأصبحتْ
للبينِ زينبُه تَشُدُّ وهِندُه
When his caravan departed at dawn
Zainab, so delicate, still pulled its rope
سرتِ الفِلاصُ ودونهنَّ فوارسٌ
أبرادُها الَّزرَدُ المضاعَفُ سَرْدُ
The cavaliers marched, their coats of mail
Layered, glimmering, densely arranged
شوسٌ إذا اعتقلوا الوشيجَ لغارةٍ
هتكتْ نضيدَ السابريَّةِ سَرْدُه
When they attacked with cries at dawn
Their swords shed the blood of their foes
يحمونَها وهم إذا اشتدَّ الوغى
في كلَّ غِيلِ قناً تأشبَّ أُسْدُه
Protecting it, as war grew intense
Lions in battle, their claws unsheathed
