أَفِدَ الرَحيلُ وَحَثَّني صَحبي

وَالنَفسُ مُشرِفَةٌ عَلى النَحبِ

Departure was imminent, and my companions hurried me,

While my soul teetered on the verge of grief.

لَمّا رَأَيتُ الهَمَّ مُجتَنِحاً

في القَلبِ وَالعَينانِ في سَكَبِ

When I saw sorrow perched

In my heart and eyes awash with tears,

وَالبَينُ قَد أَفِدَت رَكائِبُهُ

وَالقَومُ مِن طَرِبٍ وَمِن صَبِّ

And those I loved were far away,

My people distraught and forlorn,

نادَيتُ إِنَّ الحُبَّ أَشعَرَني

قَتلاً وَما أَحدَثتُ مِن ذَنبِكسكس

I cried, “Love has inspired in me

Murder though I’ve done no wrong!”

أَهدى لِعَيني ذِكرُكُم سَهَداً

مِن غَيرِ ما سَقَمٍ وَلا طَبَِّ

The memory of you brought sleeplessness to my eyes

Without sickness or distress.

إِلّا التَمَنّي أَن أَفوزَ بِكُم

فَتَحَرَّجي يا عَبدَ مِن غَضَبي

Save for wishing I might win you -

So rouse yourself, servant, from anger!

لَو تَسمَعينَ وَكُنتِ شاهِدَةً

ما يَقرَأَ الرُهبانُ في الكُتبِ

Had you heard or witnessed

What monks read in their books,

لَوَجَدتِ حُبَّكِ قاتِلي عَجَلاً

إِن لَم يُفَرِّج كاشِفُ الكَربِ

You’d have found your love kills me outright

If the Deliverer of sorrows doesn’t intervene.

وَعَلامَةٌ مِنكُم مُبَيَّنَةٌ

حَسبي بِها مِن حُبِّكُم حَسبي

A sign from you, clear to see,

Would suffice me, from your love suffice me,

أَنّي أُكِبُّ إِذا ذَكَرتُكُمُ

مِن مَجلِسِ القُرّاءِ وَالشَربِ

For I slip away when I recall you

From the gathering of reciters and drinkers,

حَتّى يَقولُ الناسُ بَينَهُمُ

شَغَفُ المُرَعَّثِ داخِلُ الحُبِّ

Until people say among themselves:

“How smitten is the disheveled one with love!”

مازِلتُ أَذكُرُكُم وَلَيلَكُمُ

حَتّى جَفا عَن مَضجَعي جَنبي

I went on recalling you and your nights

Until my ribs were sapped of repose.

وَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ الصَرمَ شيمَتُكُم

في النَأيِ وَالهِجرانَ في القُربِ

And I learned that aloofness was your way -

In absence and estrangement even when near.

فَظَلِلتُ لا أَدري أُقيمُ عَلى ال

هِجرانِ أَو أَغدو مَعَ الرَكبِ

So I wavered, not knowing whether to stay

Estranged or join the caravan.

فَلَئِن غَدَوتُ لَقَد أُصِبتُ بِكُم

وَلِئَن أَقَمتُ لَمُسهَبُ اللُبِّ

For if I depart, I will attain you,

And if I remain, my heart will pine.

قامَت تَراءى لي لِتَقتُلَني

في القُرطِ وَالخَلخالِ وَالإِتبِ

You appeared to me, to kill me outright,

In anklets, bracelets, and cloak.

فَدَعَوتُ رَبّي دَعوَةً جَمَعَت

رَغبَ المُحِبِّ وَشِدَّةَ الرَهبِ

So I prayed to my Lord a prayer that joined

Lover’s desire and dreadful caution:

أَلا تَراكِ بِنا مُتَيَّمَةً

فَأَجابَ دَعوَةَ عاشِقٍ رَبّي

“Do not appear to me possessed!”

And my Lord answered a lover’s prayer.

أَهذي بِكُم ما عِشتُ إِنَّكُمُ

يا حِبُّ وافَقَ شِعبُكُم شِعبي

I rave about you - as long as I live you are

My love, and my path aligns with yours!

وَرَأَت عُجاباً شَيبَتي فَبَكَت

جَزَعاً لَها وَالدَهرُ ذو شَغبِ

And my white hair wept in wonder at me,

Grieving for it, though time is unruly.

لا تُكثِرِنَّ بِشَيبَتي عَجَباً

إِنَّ العَجائِبَ في أَبي حَربِ

Do not overly wonder at my white hair;

Wonders belong to my warring father!

وَلَقَد أَتانا أَنَّ غانِيَةً

أُخرى وَكُنتُ بِهِنَّ كَالنَصبِ

Though we were approached by other singers,

To me they were like adversaries.

يَأمُلنَني وَيَرَينَ مَنقَصَتي

عِندَ الرِضا عَنها وَفي العَتبِ

They hoped I’d notice their flaws

When pleased with them or vexed.

لَمّا مَرَرتُ بِها مُسَتَّرَةً

في الحَيِّ بَينَ خَرائِدٍ عُربِ

When I passed by her covert

Among the dwellings of Bedouin encampments,

قالَت لِنِسوَتِها عَلى عَجَلٍ

أَنّى لَنا بِمُصدَّعِ القَلبِ

She hastily said to her handmaidens:

“Where can we find the heart-pierced one?”

لَسَماعُهُ إِن كانَ يُسمِعُنا

أَشهى إِلى قَلبي مِنَ العَذبِ

“To hear him, if he might hear us,

Would be dearer to my heart than life itself!”

فَأَجَبنَها إِنَّ الفَتى غَزِلٌ

وَأَحَبُّ مَن يَمشي عَلى التُربِ

They replied: “The lad is a flirt,

And I love whoever walks on the soil!”

لا تُعجِلينا أَن نُواعِدَهُ

فَيَكونَ مَجلِسُنا عَلى خِصبِ

“Do not hurry us to meet with him,

So our gathering might be on fertile ground,

وَتَنالَ مِنهُ غَير واحِدَةٍ

إِنَّ السَماعَ لَأَهوَنُ الخَطبِ

And more than one of us attains him -

For hearing is less arduous than discourse!”