وافى يطوف بشمس كاسه
قمرٌ تلثم في نواسه
A crescent moon whispers in his chalice
As the radiant sun circles round
طاب الصبوح فخذ على
وردٍ بوجنته واسه
The morn is sweet, so pluck
A rose, offering its cheek
تكسو الحميّا خده
قبساً هدينا باقتباسه
The sun dresses his cheek
With rays borrowed from its glow
حلو اللمى لكنهُ
ولّى الجفون على احتراسه
Sweet is the glance, though
He shields his eyes in caution
أبداً يجور بلحظهُ
من جفنه سيف افتراسه
His gaze always wanders
Like a preying sword from his eyelid
ظبيٌ تملك حبهُ
قلب المتيم مع حواسه
A gazelle captivates his heart
With senses entranced
فتن الخواطر جفنه
لما تنبه من نعاسه
His thoughts tempt his eyelids
When awakened from slumber
وغدا الفؤاد كناسه
فعلام يفتك في كناسه
And the heart turns into his chalice
Why wreak havoc in his chalice?
أفدي بروحي أهيفاً
ما دمت حيّا لم أناسه
I'd sacrifice myself for a lovesick one
As long as I live, I'll not forget him
من قاس بالأغصان قا
متهُ توهمّ في قياسه
He who judges branches
Deceives himself in his judgement
جاذبته بيد الهوى
حتى غدوت أعز ناسه
Passion seized him in its hand
Until he became its most beloved
أتراه قاسي ما لقيتُ
من النوى أو لم يقاسه
Does he resent what I have endured
Or has he not suffered the same?
مذ غاب عني لم يرق
لي مؤنسٌ بعد ائتناسه
Since he left, I have not
Found a companion like his company
قد كان لي كبدٌ بها
ألقى النوى وشديد بأسه
I once had a liver in me
Where I unloaded my woes and mighty sorrows
لكنني قد بعتها
بالوصل أيام اختلاسه
But I sold it
For union in our days of secret love
لم انسَ يوم لقائه
لم أنسه وحياة راسه
I'll never forget the day we met
I'll not forget him for my life
يا در مبسم ثغرهِ
لا زلت ترشف من لعاسه
O beauty of his smiling lips
You still sip from his cup
أصبحت تحكي نظم منشي النظم
من بعد اندراسه
You now recite the poems of Nashī the poet
After his passing
حسن الثنا العطار
صدر الفضل بل مولى أناسه
Hasan the perfume-seller, chief of merit, rather my soul's companion
His sea of knowledge never ceased its flow
حبرٌ سحاب علومهِ
لم يرم يوماً باحتباسه
Each refined person is humbled
By his refinement without boasting
ومهذب ينحط كلّ
مهذبٍ دون اقتعاسه
As for wit, it is
Sharper and more eloquent than despair
أما الذكاءُ فإنهُ
أذكى وأبرع من أياسه
Ornamentation turned delicate
When singled out in its rhyming
أضحى البديع رقيقه
لما تفرّد في جناسه
No complex problem remains obscure
Except it's clarified and confusion removed
لم يلتبس من مشكلٍ
إلا جلا وجه التباسه
In whichever art you desire him
It's as if he laid its foundation
في أي فنٍ شئتهُ
فكأنهُ باني أساسه
O you whose eloquence told
The story of life's gushing at its onset
يا من بلاغته حكت
سيل الحيا عند انبجاسه
Take the daughter of a thought who came
To bestow poetry when her beauty shone
خذ بنت فكرٍ أقبلت
تهدي القريض لبان اسه
Seeking forgiveness and pardon
Without pretense she came to implore
ترجو نوال تسامحٍ
لم تأتِ إلا بالتماسه
Greet and wish well one who is lovesick
The crescent moon whispers in his chalice
واسلم ودم ما أهيفٌ
وافى يطوف بشمس كاسه
