آبَ لَيلي بَعدَ السُلُوِّ بِعَتبِ
مِن حَبيبٍ أَصابَ عَيني بِسَكبِ
My nights' tears after joy from a lover who pained my eyes with weeping,
I met on Tuesday walking haughtily though distressed at heart.
لَقِيَتني يَومَ الثُلاثاءِ تَمشي
بِالتَصابي وَبِالعَناءِ لِقَلبي
I had a door, a place to meet; his company came and mine own company failed me.
She let fall to me softly a girdle, then scolded me with it though I was the scolded one.
كانَ لي بابُ مِقسَمٍ بابَ غِيٍّ
وافَقَت صَحبُهُ وَما ثابَ صَحبي
My tongue was not slack in answering though its replier was none but fighting.
I said, "After this meeting is there any more?" She said, "How can the unbroken unite with the broken?"
ساقَطَت مَنطِقاً إِلَيَّ رَخيماً
فَسَبَتني بِهِ وَقَد كُنتُ أَسبي
She went not till love turned to me again as the mill turns above the pivot.
My love returned through that newly enkindled yet how often have I had my sufficiency of them!
لَم يُوَهَّن مِنَ المَقالِ لِساني
لِجَوابٍ مُجيبُهُ غَيرُ حَربِ
The sun's image in the veil of a girl who offered herself to me but my heart was not for loving.
Let not life be mine if there be no draught for me from her approval without compulsion.
قُلتُ هَل بَعدَ ذا تَلاقٍ فَقالَت
كَيفَ تُلفى صَحيحَةٌ بَينَ جُربِ
She was created unique, and I am not innocent towards one like her, wild, who will not be tamed or trained.
O thou who bringest her counsel, say unto her from a love-captive and sorrowful heart,
ما تَوَلَّت حَتّى اِستَدارَ بِيَ الحُب
بُ كَما دارَتِ الرَحا فَوقَ قُطبِ
"Speak to me for thou art the delight of my eye; lovest thou me, hast thou gained my love?"
The wadies have made the roads difficult to thee so I find no way to thee but on the backs of the air.
عادَ حُبّي بِتِلكَ غَضّاً جَديداً
رُبَّ ما قَد لَقيتُ مِنهُنَّ حَسبي
Sleep, if thou shouldst accord therein a visitation, would try us with mange and fleas.
I am by reason of my love for thee the weak one whom desire for thee will not release.
صورَةُ الشَمسِ في قِناعِ فَتاةٍ
عَرَضَت لي فَلَيسَ لُبّي بِلُبِّ
And if the passion should be diverted from me her bereavement would be my redemption, O excellent ransom!
Remember me if thou art remembered in the vale of trees with good - thou wouldst relieve some of my sorrow.
لا تَكُن لي الحَياةُ إِن لَم تَكُن لي
شَربَةٌ مِن رُضابِها غَيرَ غَصبِ
Naught has urged me to passionate love for thee, since we were parted, save my rising to seek thee out.
I desire thy nearness, hopefully, and God is near, but dost thou desire my nearness?
خُلِقَت وَحدَها فَلَستُ بِراءٍ
مِثلَها صاحِ لا تَصابى وَتُصبي
I will clarify my affection for thee, then excuse thee the need to heed any crime.
Favor me with a union like mine, lasting, be not thou one who tastes all manner of unions.
أَيُّها الناصِحُ الرَسولُ إِلَيها
قُل لَها عَن مُتَيَّمِ القَلبِ صَبِّ
Would that I knew if thou hast renewed when we met or if thou repellest one who toys with thee.
We have doubted what thou didst pledge us and thirsted: direct us then to the watering place.
حَدِّثيني فَأَنتِ قُرَّةُ عَيني
هَل تُحِبّينَني فَهَل نِلتِ حُبّي
Would that I had lived until I saw him among lovers of you, beyond lovers,
Who sings privately your name in truth and spies upon the foe, a mother and a gift,
أَبهَمَت دونَكَ الفِجاجُ فَلا أَل
قى سَبيلاً إِلَيكِ في غَيرِ تُربِ
And ransoms you, except for him, in the assembly of the tribe, and aids you with his ransom, by my Lord!
You are to me among lovers a like, nay, beyond the like. Open your door to a pleading one.
ما عَلى النَومِ لَو تَعَرَّضتِ فيهِ
فَبَلَوناكِ في سِخابٍ وَإِتبِ
Should absence come between us, its term will see me keeping the pledge.
When your glances alight, grace covers the country, without need for rain.
أَنا مِن حُبِّكِ الضَعيفُ الَّذي لا
أَستَطيعُ السُلُوَّ عَنكِ بِطِبِّ
The full moonsborrow from your face; through you God shows favor.
With you is the perfect gentleness that revives the troubled soul.
وَلَوَ اَنَّ الهَوى تَزَحزَحَ عَنّي
شَيَّعَتني فَيا فِدا كُلِّ حَنبِ
فَاِذكُريني ذُكِرتِ في ظُلَّةِ العَر
شِ بِخَيرٍ تُفَرِّجي بَعضَ كَربي
ما دَعاني هَواكِ مُنذُ اِفتَرَقنا
بِاِشتِياقٍ إِلّا نَهَضتُ أُلَبّي
أَشتَهي قُربَكِ المُؤَمَّلَ وَاللَ
هِ قَريباً فَهَل تَشَهَّيتِ قُربي
سَوفَ أُصفي لَكِ المَوَدَّةَ مِنّي
ثُمَّ أُعفيكِ أَن تُراعي بِذَنبِ
فَصِليني وِصالَ مِثلي وَدومي
لا تَكوني ذَوّاقَةً كُلَّ ضَربِ
لَيتَ شِعري جَدَدتِ يَومَ اِلتَقَينا
أَم تَصُدّينَ مَن لَقيتِ بِلِعبِ
قَد شَكَكنا فيما عَهِدتِ إِلَينا
وَظَمِئنا فَوَجِّهينا لِشِربِ
لَيتَني قَد حَيِيتُ حَتّى أَراهُ
في مُحِبٍّ لَكُم وَفَوقَ المُحِبِّ
يَتَغَنّى إِذا خَلا بِاِسمِكِ الحَ
قِ وَيَكنيكِ في العِدى أُمَّ وَهبِ
وَيُفَدّي سِواكِ في مَجلِسِ القَو
مِ وَيَعنيكِ بِالتَفَدّي وَرَبّي
