هَجَعتَ يا طَيرُ وَلَم أَهجَعِ
ما أَنتَ إِلّا عاشِقٌ مُدَّعي
You slept, O bird, but I did not sleep
You are but a pretentious lover
لَو كُنتَ مِمَّن يَعرِفونَ الجَوى
قَضَيتَ هَذا اللَيلَ سُهداً مَعي
Had you known true love's pain
You would have spent this night awake with me
يا مَن تَحامَيتُم سَبيلَ الهَوى
أُعيذُكُم مِن قَلَقِ المَضجَعِ
O you who avoid love's path
I protect you from a restless bed
وَحَسرَةٍ في النَفسِ لَو قُسِّمَت
عَلى ذَواتِ الطَوقِ لَم تَسجَعِ
And from regrets that, if divided
Among those in shackles, would not make them sleep
وَيا بَني الشَوقِ وَأَهلَ الأَسى
وَمَن قَضَوا في هَذِهِ الأَربُعِ
O people of longing and sorrow
Who spent this night in misery
عَلَيكُم مِن واجِدٍ مُغرَمٍ
تَحِيَّةُ الموجَعِ لِلموجَعِ
To you from a passionate lover
The greeting of the suffering to the suffering
لِلَّهِ ما أَقسى فُؤادَ الدُجى
عَلى فُؤادِ العاشِقِ المولَعِ
By God, how harsh is the heart of one in anguish
To the heart of the passionate lover
هَذا غَليظٌ لَم يَرُضهُ الهَوى
ما بَينَ جَنبَي أَسوَدٍ أَسفَعِ
This one is rough, dissatisfied with love
Not gentler than a rugged black rock
وَذاكَ في جَنبَي فَتىً مُدنَفٍ
عَلى سِوى الرِقَّةِ لَم يُطبَعِ
That one has the sides of an unkempt lad
Whose nature lacks gentleness
وَأَغيَدٍ أَسكَنتُهُ في الحَشا
وَقُلتُ يا نَفسُ بِهِ فَاِقنَعي
I housed a songbird in the courtyard
And said O soul, be content with it
نِفارُهُ أَسرَعُ مِن خاطِري
وَصَدُّهُ أَقرَبُ مِن مَدمَعي
Its cooing faster than my thoughts
Its rejection closer than my tears
وَخَدُّهُ لا تَنطَفي نارُهُ
كَأَنَّما يَقبِسُ مِن أَضلُعي
Its cheek whose fire is not extinguished
As if it kindles from my ribs
تَساءَلَت عَنّي نُجومُ الدُجى
لَمّا رَأَتني دانِيَ المَصرَعِ
The stars of nightfall asked about me
When they saw me close to death
قالَت نَرى في الأَرضِ ذا لَوعَةٍ
قَد باتَ بَينَ اليَأسِ وَالمَطمَعِ
They said: We see one in agony on earth
Who spent the night between despair and hope
يَئِنُّ كَالمَفؤودِ أَو كَالَّذي
أَصابَهُ سَهمٌ وَلَم يُنزَعِ
Moaning like one abandoned or one
Struck by an arrow that wasn't pulled out
إِن كانَ في بَدرِ الدُجى هائِماً
أَما لِهَذا البَدرِ مِن مَطلَعِ
If he pined for the full moon at night
Does this moon have no rising?
أَو كانَ في ظَبيِ الحِمى مُغرَماً
أَما لِهَذا الظَبيِ مِن مَرتَعِ
If he loved a gazelle in the sanctuary
Does this gazelle have no pasture?
هَيهاتَ يا أَنجُمُ أَن تَعلَمي
مُثيرَ أَشجاني أَو تَطمَعي
Alas O stars you cannot know
What stirs my sorrows or gives me hope
إِنّي لَضَنّانٌ بِذِكرِ اِسمِهِ
ضَنّي بِوُدِّ الكاتِبِ الأَلمَعي
I am stingy in mentioning his name
My friend, the brilliant writer
الضارِبِ الجِزيَةِ مُنذُ اِنتَشى
عَلى يَراعِ الشاعِرِ المُبدِعِ
Who has taxed the mind of the poet
Since he began to grow
وَالحامِلِ الأَقلامَ مَشروعَةً
كَأَنَّها بَعضُ القَنا الشُرَّعِ
And carries the pens legitimately
As if they are some unfurled spears
إِذا دَعا القَولُ أَتى طائِعاً
وَإِن دَعاهُ العِيُّ لَم يَسمَعِ
If words call him he comes willingly
And if the blind call he does not hear
صَحِبتُهُ دَهراً فَأَلفَيتُهُ
فَتىً كَريمَ الأَصلِ وَالمَنزِعِ
I accompanied him for a time and knew him
A noble and excellent man
مَوَدَّةٌ كَالخَمرِ إِن عُتِّقَت
جادَت وَفَضلٌ باسِمُ المَشرَعِ
A friendship like wine, if set free
Flows generously in the name of the lawful
وَعَزمَةٌ لَو قُسِّمَت في الوَرى
باتوا مِنَ الشِعرى عَلى مَسمَعِ
And a resolve that if divided among the people
They would fall asleep hearing poetry
