بِقَلبِيَ حورِيُّ الجِنانِ المُنَعَّمُ
ثَوى كَيفَ يَثوي فيهِ وَهوَ جَهَنَّمُ
In my heart dwells a houri of Paradise in comfort
How can such a one dwell within when it is hellfire?
وَذاكَ السَّقيمُ الطَّرف مِن غَيرِ عِلَّةٍ
وَكَم مِن صَحيحٍ فيهِ بِالوَجدِ يَسقَمُ
And that sickly-eyed one without any ailment
While many a healthy one is sick with passion in him
أَلا إِنَّ أَسبابَ الغَرامِ كَثيرَةٌ
خَفينَ وَلَو يَظهَرنَ ما لامَ لُؤَّمُ
Know that the causes of love are indeed many
Hidden, though if revealed, none would blame the doting one
دُموعُ شُئونِ الصَبِّ بيضٌ تَصَعَّدَت
وَكَيفَ تَرى بيضاً وَعُنصُرُها دَمُ
The tears of a youth's ardour are pearly white
Yet how can you see them as white when their essence is blood?
وَلَم يُؤتَ سُؤلَ النَفسِ إِلا مُدَنَّرٌ
يَجودُ بِما يَقضي الهَوى أَو مُدَرهَمُ
None attain the desire of their soul except the debauched
Who lavish whatever passion dictates or money can buy
وَمَن كانَ مِثلي مُفلِساً لَم يَصِل إِلى
مُنى نَفسِهِ وَهوَ الفَقيرُ المُتَيَّمُ
One such as I, bankrupt, never attaining
The wish of his soul, that destitute orphan
وَبي رَشَأٌ حُلوُ الدَلالِ يَميسُ في
كَثيبِ النَقا مِنهُ قَضيبٌ مُقَوَّمُ
My she-camel's neck smoothly alluring, browsing
Amid the sand-dunes is a straight firm twig
بِجَفنَيهِ هاروتٌ وَماروتُ بابِلٍ
لِسِحرِهِما مِنهُ الوَرى يَتَعَلَّمُ
With his eyelids are Harut and Marut of Babylon
By their sorcery the people learn magic from them
إِذا نَفثا لَم تنفَعِ الصَبَّ رُقَيَّةٌ
وَلَم يُغنِ عَن كَلمَيهِما القَلبَ مَرهَمُ
When they breathe their charm, no amulet avails the lovesick
Nor does any salve cure their talk in the heart
فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ في الناسِ إِذ ذاكَ قائِلٌ
أَيا رَبِّ سَلِّم أَنتَ أَنتَ المُسَلِّمُ
So every person then says: O Lord, deliver me
You, You alone are the Deliverer
مَتى ما رَنا غارَت جَآذِرُ جاسِمٍ
وَوَلَّت كَأَن فيها مِنَ التُركِ أَسهُمُ
Whenever the whites of a Doe-eyed Beauty flash
And glance like arrows shot by a Turk
بَنو التُركِ لَو مَرَّت بِأَبناءِ عُذرَةٍ
لَما كانَ فيها بِالكَواعِبِ مُغرَمُ
The Turks, had they passed the sons of Udhra
Would not be enamoured of the dark-eyed beauties
وَلا نَسَبوا إِلّا بِكُلِّ مُذكَّرٍ
بِهِ يُمدَحُ الطِرفُ العَتيقُ المُطَهَّمُ
And they attribute their lineage to every male ancestor
Thereby the ancient refined eye is praised
هُوَ الشَمسُ وَالسَّرجُ الهِلالُ وَطَرفُهُ
لَهُ فَلَكٌ في حِليَةٍ هِيَ أَلجُمُ
He is the sun, the crescent moon, his gaze a new moon
Revolving in the necklace that is his night-dark eyes
وَلا ذَكَروا لَيلى وَلا أُمَّ جُندُبٍ
وَلا تَيَّمَتهُم أُمُّ عَمرٍو وَكَلثَمُ
They mention not Layla, nor Umm Jundub
Nor their legendary beauty Umm 'Amr or Kulthum
وَكَم فيهِم مِن شادِنٍ ثَمِلِ الخُطا
مُعَربِدَةٌ أَلحاظُهُ يَتَحَكَّمُ
And how many languid gazes among them
Bashful, their glances coy and modest
يُخالُ إِذا ما اِختالَ شارِبَ قَهوَةٍ
جَلا نورَها كَأسُ الرَحيقِ المُفَدَّمُ
His image when alone rivals the wine-drinker's revelry
The light of his countenance outshines the goblet's redolence
رَبيبُ مُلوكٍ يَصرَعُ الأُسدَ رانِياً
إِذا كَرَّ مِنهُ مُسفِرٌ أَو مُلَثَّمُ
A princeling who fells the lion bowed in humility
When he scowls or when veiled from behind his cover
وَيَبلُغُ ما يَهواهُ في كُلِّ مَأزِقٍ
وَلا هُزَّ عَسّالٌ وَلا سُلَّ مِخذَمُ
He attains all he desires at every impasse
Without knight or horse being pushed back confused
وَلا أُفرِغَت دِرعٌ عَلَيهِ كَأَن بِها
عُيونُ الأَفاعي وَالدَّبى يَتَوَسَّمُ
No coat of mail has been pierced by him
As if in it are snakes and leopards' eyes watching
وَلَكِنَّهُ يَرنو بِأَيسَر لَحظَةٍ
فَيَعنو لَهُ الجَيشُ اللُّهامُ العَرَمرَمُ
Rather with a hint of his gaze he gestures
And the valiant army yields to him fully
وَلَم يَكُ مُحتاجاً إِلى لبسِ خوذَةٍ
إِذا بَرَقَت في اللَيلِ لَم يَبقَ مُظلِمُ
He had no need for a helmet's protection
When his sword gleamed in the night, no darkness remained
وَيَملِكُ ألبابَ الكُماةِ بِحُسنِهِ
وَيَملِكُهُ المَلكُ الهُمامُ المُعَظَّمُ
He rules the minds of the wise with his beauty
While the magnificent, glorious King rules him
إِذا صالَ لَم يُرهَب عَلى الأَرضِ كافِرٌ
وَلَم يَخشَ مِن بَأسِ المُعادينَ مُسلِمُ
When he prays, no unbeliever on earth is afraid
Nor does any Muslim fear the enemies' might
هُوَ اللَيثُ لَولا البَرقُ وَالرَّعدُ دونَهُ
هُوَ البَحرُ جوداً وَالمُعَظَّمُ أَعظَمُ
He is the lion, if not for the lightning and thunder guarding him
He is the sea, boundless in generosity and greatest in greatness
هُوَ اللَيثُ بَأساً لَكِنِ اللَيثُ عابِثٌ
قَطوبٌ وَعيسى لَم يَزَل يَتَبَسَّمُ
He is the lion in valour, but the lion is playful
While Isa is always smiling radiantly
مَليكِيَ بِالشِعرى وَقَد حيلَ دونَهُ
وَما لِيَ دينارٌ وَلا لِيَ دِرهَمُ
My Shaykh at Ash-Shi'ra, but poverty blocks my way
I own neither a dirham nor a drachma
وَأَنتَ الَّذي قَد طَبَّقَ الأَرضَ جودُهُ
فَلَيسَ بِها غَيري مِنَ الناسِ مُعدِمُ
You whose generosity encompasses the world
So none but I am deprived among mankind
فَأَطلِق يَدي فيما تَمَلَّكتُ آنِفاً
وَأَنعِم بِإِحلالي فَإِنّي مُحَرَّمُ
Release my hand from what I lately possessed
And favour me by granting substitution, for I am forbidden
وَجُد لي بِتَوقيعٍ شَريفٍ سَوادُهُ
هُوَ الحَجَرُ المُسوَدُّ في الرُكنِ يُلثَمُ
Bestow on me with your noble script, its blackness
Is the Black Stone, reverently touched and kissed
وَدُم أَبداً وَاِفنِ العِدا وَاِبلُغِ المُنى
وَلا زِلتَ تُعطي مَن تَشاءُ وَتَحرِمُ
Be ever generous, attain wishes, and grant me success
You keep giving whom You will and depriving whom You will.
