أَنّى دَعاهُ الشَوقُ فَاِرتاحا
مِن بَعدِ ما أَصبَحَ جَمّاحا
How did yearning call him to find comfort
After he had become downcast
ذَكَّرَهُ عَهدَ الصِبى صاحِبٌ
كانَ لَهُ إِذّاكَ مِفتاحا
A friend reminded him of the days of his boyhood
When he had the key
أَيّامَ عَبّادَةُ مِن شَأنِهِ
إِن لَم يَزُرها باكِراً راحا
The days of serving at Abaddah
It was his habit, if he didn’t go early, to go in the evening
القَلبُ مَشغوفٌ بِما قَد مَضى
يَلقى مِنَ الأَحزانِ أَتراحا
The heart is obsessed with what has passed
He meets with more and more sorrows
وَكَيفَ لا يَصبو إِلى غادَةٍ
تَكفيكَ في الظَلماءِ مِصباحا
How could he not yearn for Ghadah
Who in the darkness is lamp enough
سَحّارَةُ العَينِ لَها صورَةٌ
جادَ عَلَيها الحُسنُ سَحّاحا
Magic of the eye, hers is a picture
On which beauty has lavished its artistry
كَأَن ثَلجاً بَينَ أَسنانِها
مُستَشرِكاً راحاً وَتُفّاحا
As though snow were lodged between her teeth
Mingling fragrance and apple
كاتَمتُ ما أَلقى إِلى وَجهِها
حَتّى إِذا عَذَّبَني باحا
I concealed what I was going through because of her
Until when she tormented me I gave vent
كَفى خَليلَيَّ هَوىً شَفَّني
لا يَعدِمُ الناصِحُ أَنصاحا
Enough, my friend, to the love that cured me
No well-wisher lacks advice
قولا لِمَن لَم تَرَيا مِثلَهُ
في مَحفَلٍ جِسماً وَأَلواحا
Say to him whom you never saw the like of
In a gathering, in body and mind
كُرّي لَنا العَيشَ الَّذي قَد مَضى
ما كانَ ذاكَ العَيشُ ضَحضاحا
Give us back the life that used to be
That life was not mere make-believe
لا كُنتُ إِن كُنتُ تَناسَيتُكُم
لِهائِجٍ بَعدَكُمو ناحا
If I forgot you, which I did not,
I’d pine for you, and sigh
في حُلَّتي جِسمُ فَتىً ناحِلٍ
لَو هَبَّتِ الريحُ لَهُ طاحا
In my gown is the body of a haggard youth
A gust of wind would blow him over
كانَ الشَقا حُبّي مَدينِيَّةً
راحَت بِها دارٌ وَما راحا
It was my misfortune that the one I loved in Madinah
Her house perished and she did not perish
أَرعى بِها النَجمَ وَما رَغبَتي
نَجماً بِطَرفِ العَينِ لَمّاحا
I solace myself with her, but not out of desire
I do not ogle the stars
أَذابِحي الشَوقُ إِلى قُربِها
ما كانَ ذاكَ الشَوقُ ذَبّاحا
Yearning for her company is consuming me
But that yearning was no butcher
لَم أَنسَ ما قالَت وَأَترابُها
في مَعرِكٍ يَنظِمنَ مِسباحا
I’ve not forgotten what she and her companions said
As they strung the prayers together
أَقلِل مِنَ الطيبِ إِذا زُرتَنا
إِنّي أَخافُ المِسكَ إِن فاحا
Use less perfume, when you visit us
I’m afraid musk, if it spreads, will give us away
لا تَترُكَنّا غَرَضاً لِلعِدى
إِن كُنتَ لِلأَهوالِ سَبّاحا
Do not leave us exposed to enemies
If you are wont to make light of terrors
لَم أَدرِ أَنَّ المِسكَ واشٍ بِنا
إِنَّ حارَ بابُ الدارِ مِسباحا
I did not know musk had given us away
The threshold of the house was redolent with perfume
فَسَمَّحَت أُخرى وَقالَت لَها
لا تَحرِما ما كانَ إِصلاحا
Then another woman relented and said to her
Do not forbid what would set things right
لا بُدَّ مِن طيبٍ لِمُعتادِهِ
يَغدو بِهِ نَفساً وَأَرواحا
He needs perfume, being used to it
With which he starts the day, himself and his spirits
كَم لَيلَةٍ قَد شَقَّ إِصباحُها
عَنّا نَعيماً كانَ زَحزاحا
How many a night whose daybreak
Sundered pleasure that would have gone on and on
لَم نَنبَسِط فيهِ إِلى مُحرَمٍ
حَتّى رَأَينا الصُبحَ وَضّاحا
We were not immoderate, not until
Dawn showed things plainly
إِلّا حَديثاً مُعَجِباً أُنسُهُ
أَكبَرتُهُ غُنماً وَأَرباحا
Apart from marvelous conversation, delighting me,
At which I rejoiced, counting it pure profit
