فَكَّ أَسري طَيفٌ لعَلوَةَ أَسرى

فَكَّ أَسري طَيفٌ لعَلوَةَ أَسرى

ساءَني مُعرِضاً وَعادَ فَسَرّا

ساءَني مُعرِضاً وَعادَ فَسَرّا

A vision of ‘Alwa that came by night freed me from captivity.

A ghost of longing for Layla captured me

It pained me as it turned away, then returned and gladdened me.

Saddened me when he turned away, yet gladdened me when he returned

لَيلَةٌ حُلِّيَت بِمِنطَقَةِ الجَو

لَيلَةٌ حُلِّيَت بِمِنطَقَةِ الجَو

زاءِ وَالشِعرَيَينِ وَالجَوزَهرّا

زاءِ وَالشِعرَيَينِ وَالجَوزَهرّا

A night adorned with Orion’s belt,

A night adorned with the belt of skies

and the two Dog Stars and Jawzahr.

And the two arms of Gemini and Cancer

وَهِلالُ السَماءِ يُشرِقُ وَالشهُ

وَهِلالُ السَماءِ يُشرِقُ وَالشهُ

بُ تَروقُ العُيونَ نَظماً وَنَثرا

بُ تَروقُ العُيونَ نَظماً وَنَثرا

The sky’s crescent shines, and the bright stars

The crescent moon rises, and eyes

delight the eyes, strung together and scattered.

Flow with prose and verse

وَتَبارى النّسرانِ سَبقاً وَقَد قد

وَتَبارى النّسرانِ سَبقاً وَقَد قد

دمَ سَبقٌ نَسراً وَأَخَّرَ نَسرا

دمَ سَبقٌ نَسراً وَأَخَّرَ نَسرا

And the two Eagles raced for precedence, and already

Two eagles compete in flight

a lead had advanced one Eagle and held the other back.

One eagle preceded, the other delayed

وَتُرينا بَناتُ نَعشٍ نِساءً

وَتُرينا بَناتُ نَعشٍ نِساءً

في حِدادٍ سَفَرنَ شَفعاً وَوِترا

في حِدادٍ سَفَرنَ شَفعاً وَوِترا

And the Daughters of the Bier show us women

Maidens of a funeral procession appear

in mourning dress, unveiled in pairs and singly.

In mourning, departing two by two

وَالثُرَيّا كَأَنَّها كَفُّ خودٍ

وَالثُرَيّا كَأَنَّها كَفُّ خودٍ

خُتِّمَت ياقوتاً وَتِبراً وَدُرّا

خُتِّمَت ياقوتاً وَتِبراً وَدُرّا

And the Pleiades are like a maiden’s hand

The Pleiades as though a sapphire seal

ringed with rubies, raw gold, and pearls.

Adorned with ruby, pearl, and gold

وَالدُجى هارِبٌ كَما تَهرُبُ الزن

وَالدُجى هارِبٌ كَما تَهرُبُ الزن

جُ مِنَ الرومِ إِذ تَخافُ الفَجرا

جُ مِنَ الرومِ إِذ تَخافُ الفَجرا

And darkness flees as the Zanj flee

Dusk flees as slaves flee

from the Romans when they fear the dawn.

The dawn in Rome in fear

وَلَدَينا مِنَ الرَبيعِ بُرودٌ

وَلَدَينا مِنَ الرَبيعِ بُرودٌ

حَمَلَت مِن وَشيِ الرِياضِ الزَّهرا

حَمَلَت مِن وَشيِ الرِياضِ الزَّهرا

And we have striped robes from spring,

The spring brought us cool breezes

laden with blossoms from the gardens’ brocade,

Bearing the blossoms’ scent from the gardens

مُبدِياتٌ حُمراً وَصُفراً وَبيضاً

مُبدِياتٌ حُمراً وَصُفراً وَبيضاً

رائِقاتٍ لَنا وَزُرقاً وَخُضرا

رائِقاتٍ لَنا وَزُرقاً وَخُضرا

displaying reds, yellows, and whites—

Maidens in red, yellow, white

pleasing to us—and blues and greens.

Charming us in blue and green

وَالنَسيمُ العَليلُ قَد أَيقَظَ البا

وَالنَسيمُ العَليلُ قَد أَيقَظَ البا

ناتِ حَتّى نَفَثنَ مِسكاً وَعِطرا

ناتِ حَتّى نَفَثنَ مِسكاً وَعِطرا

And the languid breeze has awakened the bān trees,

The gentle breeze awakened the girls

until they breathed forth musk and perfume.

Until they breathed musk and fragrance

وَالنُّعامى تَهُزُّ عِطفَ الخُزامى

وَالنُّعامى تَهُزُّ عِطفَ الخُزامى

بَينَ يُمنى مِنَ التَّثَنّي وَيُسرى

بَينَ يُمنى مِنَ التَّثَنّي وَيُسرى

And the south wind sways the lavender’s flank

Ostriches flutter their skirts’ hem

between a rightward bend and a leftward.

Between right and left in swaying gait

وَلَدَينا راحٌ مُعَتَّقَةٌ زُف

وَلَدَينا راحٌ مُعَتَّقَةٌ زُف

فت إِلَينا مِن صَرخَدٍ أَو بُصرى

فت إِلَينا مِن صَرخَدٍ أَو بُصرى

And we have aged wine, escorted as a bride

We have vintage wine, drawn and filtered

to us from Ṣarkhad or Buṣrā.

For us from Shiraz or Busra

فَهيَ عَذراءُ يَبسُطُ الزاهِدُ النا

فَهيَ عَذراءُ يَبسُطُ الزاهِدُ النا

سِكُ في شُربِها لَدىالسُكرِ عُذرا

سِكُ في شُربِها لَدىالسُكرِ عُذرا

For she is a virgin; the ascetic devotee offers

She is a chaste maiden whom ascetics

an excuse for drinking her when drunk.

Excuse for drinking to drunkenness

دونَ غيدٍ مِن شَيزَرٍ أُسدُ غيلٍ

دونَ غيدٍ مِن شَيزَرٍ أُسدُ غيلٍ

بِرُؤوسِ الرِّماحِ يَطعَنَّ شَزرا

بِرُؤوسِ الرِّماحِ يَطعَنَّ شَزرا

Before graceful maidens from Shayzar stand lions of the thicket,

Without bleating lambs or roaring lions

thrusting sidelong with spearheads.

With spearheads stabbing and piercing

أَصلَتوا بيضَهُم لِتَمنَعَ بيضاً

أَصلَتوا بيضَهُم لِتَمنَعَ بيضاً

أَشرَعوا سُمرَهُم لِيَحموا السُمرا

أَشرَعوا سُمرَهُم لِيَحموا السُمرا

They unsheathed their white blades to defend fair-skinned women;

They hatched their eggs to prevent others’ eggs

they leveled their brown spears to protect brown-skinned women.

They spread their necks to protect other necks

كُلُّ خُمصانَةٍ شَهِيٍّ لَماها

كُلُّ خُمصانَةٍ شَهِيٍّ لَماها

طَرفُها الهاروتِيُّ يَنفُثُ سِحرا

طَرفُها الهاروتِيُّ يَنفُثُ سِحرا

Each slender-waisted beauty, with delectable dusky lips—

Each alluring and magical glance

her Hārūt-like gaze breathes magic.

Her eyes emitting a spell

يا خَليلَيَّ خَلِّيا ذِكرَ مِصرٍ

يا خَليلَيَّ خَلِّيا ذِكرَ مِصرٍ

لَستُ أَهوى في الأَرضِ ما عِشتُ مِصرا

لَستُ أَهوى في الأَرضِ ما عِشتُ مِصرا

O my two friends, leave off mention of Egypt;

My friend, make no mention of Egypt

I shall not love Egypt on this earth as long as I live.

I have no love for it, long as I live

كَيفَ أَهوى مِصراً وَأَترُكُ في جل

كَيفَ أَهوى مِصراً وَأَترُكُ في جل

لق سَطرى وَالنَيرَبَينِ وَمُقرى

لق سَطرى وَالنَيرَبَينِ وَمُقرى

How could I love Egypt and leave behind in Jilliq

How can I love Egypt and leave behind

Saṭrā, the two Nayrabs, and Muqrā?

Its valleys, rivers, homes and plains?