جَلَستُ إِلَيها وَالتَرامُ يَعدو
إِلى حَيثُ لا واشٍ هُناك وَلا ضِدُّ
I sat beside her while the tram sped on, toward a place with neither spy nor foe.
These trains are strung across the earth, as though the land were a neck and they its necklace.
قَدِ اِنتَظَت هَذي القِطاراتُ في الثَرى
كَأَنَّ الثَرى جيد وَتِلكَ لَها عَقدُ
Indeed, a necklace—nay, many necklaces! Do you not see the rails winding and stretching across the ground?
It moves, folding up the earth beneath it, as if its wheels were hands and the soil a garment.
بَلى هِيَ عَقدٌ بَل عُقودٌ أَلا تَرى
عَلى الأَرضِ أَسلاكاً تَدورُ فَتَمتَدُّ
Massive as a mountain, save that the mountain stands still; swift as the wind, save that the wind remains unseen.
In its sheer speed, I fancied it stood still, while the world and all upon its back raced by.
يَسيرُ فَيَطوي الأَرضَ طَيّاً كَأَنَّما
دَواليبُهُ أَيدي كَأَنَّ الثَرى بُردُ
Carriages hover about it as if it were a king, and those carriages his attending guard.
Even the wind falls short when racing it, so how could sleek, swift steeds hope to keep pace?
فَكَالطَودِ إِلّا أَنَّ ذَيّاكَ ثابِتٌ
وَكَالريحِ إِلّا أَنَّ هاتيكَ لا تَبدو
Yet its reins lie in the palm of a servant; oh, who has ever seen a king commanded by a serf?
It seems to me, my friend, like a guesthouse: one delegation departs as another arrives.
تَوَهَّمتُهُ مِن سُرعَةِ السَيرِ راكِداً
وَأَنَّ الدُنى فيمَن عَلى ظَهرِها تَعدو
Inside, I secluded myself with my beloved, defying my critics, with no aim for her or me but closeness.
It carried us across the land at a gallop, as if knowing that swift flight was our desire.
تَحومُ عَلَيهِ المَركَباتُ كَأَنَّهُ
مَليك وَتِلكَ المَركَباتُ لَهُ جُندُ
By God, nothing startled me but its sudden halt, for I had feared some wretch might surprise us.
When its journey ended, lo and behold, we stood upon the shore of the boundless sea.
تُقَصِّرُ عَنهُ الريحُ إِمّا تَسابُقاً
فَكَيفَ تُجاريهِ المُطَهَّمَةُ الجُردُ
There we stood, lips sealed in silence, as if struck mute, though not for lack of passion.
We kept silent, yet our eyes spoke volumes; the most tender of conversations is that which the eyes sing.
عَلى أَنَّهُ في كَفِّ عَبدٍ زِمامُهُ
فَيا مَن رَأى مَلِكاً يَصرِفُهُ عَبدُ
We were intoxicated without wine, but rather by love; when it swells in a man's heart, reason fades.
She spoke, tears wandering in her eyes, while the roses on her cheeks had turned to pale yellow.
كَأَنّي بِهِ يا صاحِ دارَ ضِيافَةٍ
يُغادِرُهُ وَفد وَيَقصِدُهُ وَفدُ
"Oh, my companion, how sweet death would be right here, if indeed we must one day taste our end."
What a terrifying and tremendous thought! What a sight to make even solid rock turn soft!
خَلَوتُ بِمَن أَهوى بِهِ رُغمَ عاذِلي
وَلَم يَكُ غَيرُ القُربِ لي وَلَها قَصدُ
I replied to her, "I love whatever you love; indeed, even poison from you is as sweet as honeycomb."
She asked, "Do you long for death for my sake? Cease this jesting; a man's true ornament is his gravity."
فَسارَ بِنا في الأَرضِ وَخداً كَأَنَّما
دَرى أَنَّ ما نَبغيهِ مِنهُ هُوَ الوَخدُ
I told her, "If I were dwelling in Paradise itself, and you were not with me, by God, Paradise would bring me no joy."
"If no cradle beside you is to hold me, then how lovely, O Hind, if a single grave were to hold us both."
فَما راعَني وَاللَهِ إِلّا وُقوفُهُ
فَقد كُنتُ أَخشى أَن يُفاجِأُنا وَغدُ
She said, "By the life of Truth, you speak sincerely; may you remain in love, and may love remain yours."
Had I not adored her beauty before, I would have fallen madly in love with her then, by God—and that is enough for me ever after.
وَلَمّا اِنتَهى مِن سَيرِه وَإِذا بِنا
عَلى شاطِءِ البَحرِ الَّذي ما لَهُ حَدُّ
هُناكَ وَقَفنا وَالشِفاهُ صَوامِتٌ
كَأَنَّ بِنا عِيّا وَليسَ بِنا وَجدُ
سَكَتنا وَلَكِنَّ العُيونَ نَواطِقٌ
أَرَقُّ حَديثٍ ما العُيونُ بِهِ تَشدو
سَكِرنا وَلا خَمر وَلَكِنَّهُ الهَوى
إِذا اِشتَدَّ في قَلبِ اِمرِئٍ ضَعُفَ الرُشدُ
فَقالَت وَفي أَجفانِها الدَمعُ جائِلٌ
وَقَد عادَ مُصفَرّاً عَلى خَدِّها الوَردُ
أَلا حَبَّذا يا صاحِبي المَوتُ هَهُنا
إِذا لَم يَكُن مِن تَذَوُّقِ الرَدى بُدُّ
فَيالَك مِن فِكرٍ مُخيف وَهائِلٍ
وَيا لَكَ مِن مَرأى يُرُقُّ لَهُ الصَلدُ
فَقُلتُ لَها إِنّي مُحِبٌّ لِكُلِّ ما
تُحِبّينَ إِنَّ السُمَّ مِنكِ هُوَ الشُهدُ
فَقالَت أَمِن أَجلي تَحِنُّ إِلى الرَدى
دَعِ الهَزلَ إِنَّ المَرءَ حِليَتُهُ الجَدُّ
فَقُلتُ لَها لَو كُنتُ في الخُلدِ راتِعاً
وَلَستِ مَعي وَاللَهِ ما سَرَّني الخُلدُ
فَإِن لَم يَكُن مَهدٌ طِلَيكِ يَضُمُني
فَيا حَبَّذا يا هِندُ لَو ضَمَّنا لَحدُ
فَقالَت لَعَمرِ الحَقِّ إِنَّكَ صادِقٌ
فَدُمتَ عَلى وُد وَدامَ لَكَ الوُدُّ
فَلَو لَم أَكُن مِن قَبلُ أَعشَقُ حُسنَها
لَهُمتُ بِها وَاللَهِ حَسبِيَ مِن بَعدُ
