يا طولَ هَذا اللَيلِ لَم أَرقُدِ
إِلّا رُقادَ الوَصِبِ الأَرمَدِ
O long night, I could not sleep
Except the sleep of the sleepless, distressed
مِثلَ اِكتِحالِ العَينِ نَومي بِهِ
بَل دونَ كُحلِ العَينِ بِالمِروَدِ
My sleep was like kohl on the eye
Nay, less than eye kohl, with collyrium
أُراقِبُ الصُبحَ كَأَنّي اِمرُؤٌ
مِن راحَةٍ فيهِ عَلى مَوعِدِ
I watch for dawn as if I were a man
Expecting comfort, as we had agreed
بِتُّ إِلى أَن راعَني ضَوؤُهُ
وَخَلفَ سِنّي إِصبَعي مِن يَدي
I waited until its gleam startled me
And my finger hid behind my tooth
تَعَجُّباً مِمّا دَهاني بِهِ
أَقرَبُ جيراني لِذي الأَبعَدِ
Amazed at what my closest neighbor told me
Though he is the furthest from truth
رَقّى إِلَيها كَذِباً لَم يَكُن
مِنّي عَلى مَمشىً وَلا مَقعَدِ
He climbed to her falsely, it was not
From me, neither my path nor abode
حَتّى أَدَلَّت بَل ثَنى لُبَّها
عَنّي مَقالُ الكاشِحِ المُفسِدِ
Until she turned away, rather she bent her determination
From the words of the slanderous corruptor
في الصَدرِ مِمّا بُلِّغَت حِبَّتي
مِثلُ شِهابِ القابِسِ الموقِدِ
In my chest from what my love was told
Like the spark of the ignited firebrand
إِن بَرَدَت عَن كَبِدي لَوعَةٌ
طالَت عَلى القَلبِ فَلَم تَبرُدِ
If the anguish cooled from my liver
It would last long in the heart and not cool
بَل أَيُّها الواشي بِها عِندَنا
لا زِلتَ لا تُعجِبُني فَاِزدَدِ
Rather, O slanderer, with her among us
Still you do not please me, so do more
أَنتَ لَعَمرُ اللَهِ أَوجَدتَها
عَلَيَّ حَتّى كَدَّرَت مَورِدي
By God, it is you who evoked it against me
Until you dirtied my stream
وَكُنتُ أَسباني بِها صاحِباً
يَعتَلُّ في الأَمرِ وَلَم يوجَدِ
And I thought she was a friend
Who falters in judgment and was not present
لَم تَرَ مِثلي مُغرَماً بِالهَوى
وَمِثلَ عَبّادَةَ لَم تَقصِدِ
You have not seen one so enamored with love
And worship as I have not intended
تَبرو لَدى هَجري وَأَدوى بِهِ
فَلَستُ بِالحَيِّ وَلا بِالرَدي
They shunned me and I was sick with yearning
So I am neither alive nor returning
لَكِنَّني مِثلُ سَبيلِهِما
مِثلُ سَليمِ الحَيَّةِ الأَسوَدِ
But I am like their path
Like the black serpent’s burrow
شَتّانَ ذا مِنها وَإِرسالَها
أَدالِجٌ أَنتَ وَلَم تَعهَدِ
Vast is the difference between her and sending
You are unjust and did not fulfill
غَداةَ زُمَّت إِبلي غُدوَةً
وَالقَومُ مِن باكٍ وَمِن مُسعِدِ
The next morning when my camel was loaded
While the people wept and were joyous
فَقُلتُ إِن آبوا فَأَنتِ الهَوى
وَإِن أَرُح مِنكِ فَلا تَبعُدِ
I said: if they wish then you are my love
And if I depart from you then do not go far
يا عَبدَ لا تَنسَي فَلَم أَنسَهُ
مَمشايَ بَينَ المَسجِدِ المُبتَدي
O slave do not forget, so I did not forget
My walk between the started and ended mosque
يَومَ عُبَيدُ اللَهَ كَالمُعتَدي
عَلَيَّ في حُبِّكِ أَو مُعتَدي
The day Ubaydah was like the aggressor
Against me in your love or an aggressor
يَقولُ إِذ أَبصَرَني مُقبِلاً
في القَومِ مُعتَمّاً وَلَم أَرتَدِ
He said when he saw me approaching
Silent among the people and did not turn back
لِفارِغٍ مِمّا بِهِ شِغلُهُ
لَم يَشجَ بِالحُبِّ وَلَم يَشهَدِ
To one free from what preoccupies him
He was not inspired by love or witnessed it
لَمّا رَآهُ شَهِدَت عَينُهُ
مُشَوَّهَ اللَبسَةِ في المَشهَدِ
When he saw him, his eye witnessed
Distorted clothes in the scene
هَذي الَّتي دَلَّهَهُ حُبُّها
وَكانَ حيناً مِن حَصى المَسجِدِ
It is she who led him astray with her love
And he was once a pebble of the mosque
فَقُلتُ يا صاحِ بِها حَيِّني
كِلني لِما بي لَستُ بِالمُرشَدِ
So I said: O friend of her, give me life
Allow me to what is in me, I am not guided
كُنتُ كَما قُلتَ مِنَ اَبنائِهِ
وَفِتنَتي عَبدَةُ بِالمَرصَدِ
I was, as you said, one of its people
And my sedition was Worshipper of the Watch
بَينا كَذا إِذ بَرَقَت بَرقَةً
بَينَ رِداءِ الخَزِّ وَالمِجسَدِ
While so, suddenly a lightning flashed
Between the robes and pillar
بَيضاءُ حُسناً أُشرِبَت صُفرَةً
تَهتَزُّ في غُصنِ الصِبى الأَغيَدِ
White, beautiful, dyed yellow
Swaying on the youthful twig’s branch
تَحسُدُها الجاراتُ مِن حُسنِها
وَمِثلُ عَبّادَةَ فَليُحسَدِ
The neighbors envy her for her beauty
And worship like her should be envied
يَحسُدنَ مِنها قَصَباً مالِئاً
لِلقُلبِ وَالخَلخالِ وَالمِعضَدِ
They envy her a stalk filled
For the heart, anklet, and arm
وَالدُرُّ وَالياقوتُ يَحسُدنَها
مُناطَةً في الأَوضَحِ الأَجيَدِ
Pearls and rubies envy her
Strung on the purest twine
وَمَضحَكاً مِنها كَما أَومَضَت
صَيفِيَّةُ المُزنِ وَلَم تُرعِدِ
And laughing from her as she flashed
Like summer lightning and did not thunder
وَأَنَّها حَوراءُ مَكحولَةٌ
غانِيَةٌ تَغنى عَنِ الإِثمِدِ
She is a black-eyed nymph
A singing girl who sings without instruments
يَحسُدنَها ذاكَ إِلى صورَةٍ
قامَت بِها عِندي وَلَم تَقعُدِ
They envy her that form
Which stood by me and did not sit
لا عَيبَ فيها غَيرَ تَأخيرِها
كُلَّ صَباحٍ وَعدَنا في غَدِ
No flaw in her but her delay
Each morning she promised and did not come
