لا تَخَف ما صَنَعَت بِكَ الأَشواقُ
فَالعَينُ قَد تُبديهِ وَالآَماقُ
Do not fear what longing has done to you,
For the eye reveals it though depths conceal.
فَاِثبِت جَواكَ وَلا تُحاوِل كَتمَهُ
وَاِشرَح هَواكَ فَكُلُّنا عُشّاقُ
Stand firmly and do not try to hide it,
Lay bare your passion for we are all lovers.
فَعَسى يُعينُكَ مَن شَكَونَ لَهُ الهَوى
وَيُهَوِّنَنَّ عَلَيكَ ما تَشتاقُ
Perhaps one who complained of love to Him,
Will make lighter for you what you yearn for,
أَو يُشرِكَنَّكَ ما اِستَطاعَ بِجُهدِهِ
في حَملِهِ فَالعاشِقونَ رِفاقُ
Or share with you the burden he bears
As lovers join forces in camaraderie.
لا تَجزِ عَن فَلَستَ أَوَّلَ مُغرَمٍ
ضاقَت عَلَيهِ مِنَ الجَوى أَخلاقُ
Do not despair though you are not the first
Whose nature was straitened by ardent love.
كَم عاشِقٍ فينا عَلى ضَعفٍ بِهِ
فَتَكتَ بِهِ الوَجتاتَ وَالأَحداقُ
How many a weak lover there is among us,
Whose eyelids and pupils spoke of him.
وَاِصبِر عَلى هَجرِ الحَبيبِ فَرُبَّما
خافَ الرَقيبُ وَطَبَعَهُ الإِشفاقُ
Be patient with your beloved's estrangement,
Perhaps shyness or care has restrained him.
فَلَرُبَّما بَعدَ التَباعُدِ وَالجَفا
عادَ الوِصالُ وَلِلهَوى أَخلاقُ
For after avoidance and aloofness,
Reunion may come as passions subside.
كَم لَيلَةً أَسهَرَت أَحداقي بِها
أَرعى النُجومَ وَأَدمُعي تَهراقُ
How many are the nights my eyes have spent
Watching the stars while tears flow freely.
بَل كُلَّ أَوقاتي وَحَقُّكَ ذائِبٌ
وَجداً وَلِلإِنكارِ بي أَحداقُ
Indeed, all my time is yours in truth,
My eyelids deny it though longing speaks.
يا رَبِّ قَد بَعُدَ الَّذينَ أَحَبَّهُم
وَالجِسمُ بَرَحَهُ الضَنى لا ذاقوا
O Lord, those I loved are now distant,
While my body, untouched by their love, pines.
وَأَراهُم قَد أَصبَحوا في رَغبَةٍ
عَنّي وَقَد أَلِفَ الفِراقَ فِراقُ
I see them now content in separation,
As parting itself has parted from parting.
وَاِسوَدَّ حَظّي عِندَهُم لَمّا سَرى
يَبغي الضِياءَ وَخانَهُ الأَمحاقُ
My fortune has darkened in their eyes,
Seeking light but betrayed by blindness.
وَالرَأسُ أَحرَقَهُ المَشيبُ كَأَنَّما
فيهِ بِنارِ صَبابَتي أَحراقُ
Grayness has scorched my head as if
The fires of my youth had burned it.
عَرَبٌ رَأضيتُ أَصبَحَ ميثاقٌ لَهُم
كَوَميضِ بَرقٍ لِلغُرورِ يُساقُ
Arabs whose pact I cherished at dawn
Vanish like lightning led astray.
وَهَلُّمَ عَهدي بِالمِلاحِ جَميعُهُم
أَن لا يَصِحَّ لَدَيهِم ميثاقُ
Come, all their covenants with me
Are invalid, no pact can they make.
