أَأَسمَعُ ما قالَ الحَمامُ السَواجِعُ
وَصايَحَ بَينٌ في ذُرى الأَيكِ واقِعُ
Do I hear what the doves, the lovers, cooed?
And the cries of a separated lover fallen in the thicket?
مَنَعنا سَلامَ القَولِ وَهوَ مُحَلَّلٌ
سِوى لَمَحاتٍ أَو تُشيرُ الأَصابِعُ
We forbade the greeting of words, though it was permitted,
Other than hints or fingers signaling.
تَأبى العُيونُ البُخلَ إِلّا نَميمَةً
بِما كَتَبَت مِن خَدِّهِنَّ البَراقِعُ
The eyes refuse to be miserly except with gossip
Of what their veils have written on their cheeks.
وَإِنّي لَمَغلوبٌ عَلى الصَبرِ إِنَّهُ
كَذَلِكَ جَهلُ المَرءِ لِلحُبِّ صارِعُ
And I am overcome with impatience, for indeed,
Such is a man’s ignorance in confronting love.
كَأَنَّ الصَبا هَبَّت بِأَنفاسِ رَوضَةٍ
لَها كَوكَبٌ في ذَروَةِ الشَمسِ لامِعُ
As if the morning breeze blew into a garden,
In whose summit shines an unfailing star.
تَوَقَّدَ فيها النورُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
وَبَلَّلَها طَلٌّ مَعَ اللَيلِ دامِعُ
Light kindles in it from every side,
And the predawn moisture makes it weep.
وَشَقَّ ثَراها عَن أَقاحٍ كَأَنَّها
تَهادَت بِمِسكٍ نَفحُها وَالأَجارِعُ
And it burst its carpets with fragrant meadowsweet as if
It heaved with musk whose scent the trees diffuse.
أَلا أَيُها القَلبُ الَّذي هامَ هَيمَةً
بِشُرَّةَ حَتّى الآنَ هَل أَنتَ راجِعُ
O heart that passionately loved to distraction!
To this day, will you return?
إِذِ الناسُ عَن أَخبارِنا تَحتَ غَفلَةٍ
وَفي الحُبِّ إِسعافٌ وَلِلشَملِ جامِعُ
When people are heedless of our news
And for love there is succor, and for union, a uniter.
وَإِذ هِيَ مِثلُ البَدرِ يَفضَحُ لَيلَهُ
وَإِذ أَنا مُسوَدُّ المَفارِقِ يافِعُ
When she is like the full moon revealing its night,
While I am blackened by separation, O burnished one!
وَغاصَت بِأَعناقِ المَطِيِّ كَأَنَّها
هَياكُلُ رُهبانٍ عَلَيها الصَوامِعُ
Into the necks of mounts she plunged as if
They were monks’ cells with their domes.
وَراحَت مِنَ الدَيرَينِ تَستَعجِلُ الخُطى
كَأَنَّ ذُفاراها جِفارٌ نَوابِعُ
And she rode out from the two abbeys quickening her pace
As if their pack saddles were platforms.
إِذا لَيلَةٌ ظَلَّت عَلَيهِ مَطِرَةً
تَجافَت بِهِ حَتّى الصَباحِ المَضاجِعُ
When a rainy night hangs over it
Drying those it touches to the dawn.
غَدا يَلمَحُ الأُفقَ المُريبَ بِطَرفِهِ
وَفي قَلبِهِ مِن خَيفَةِ الإِنسِ رائِعُ
At daybreak he glimpses the gloomy horizon with his eye,
While in his heart there stirs dread of mankind.
لَعَمري لَئِن أَمسى الإِمامُ بِبَلدَةٍ
وَأَنتَ بِأُخرى شائِقُ القَلبِ نازِعُ
By my life! If the imam is in one town
While you are in another, your heart longing, drawn asunder!
لَقَد رُمتَ ما يُدنيكَ مِنهُ وَإِنَّما
أَتى قَدَرٌ وَاللَهُ مُعطٍ وَمانِعُ
You aspired to what would bring you near to him though
Fate came, and God gives and denies.
وَإِنِّيَ كَالعَطشانِ طالَ بِهِ الصَدى
إِلَيكَ وَلَكِن ما الَّذي أَنا صانِعُ
I am like the thirsty one, whose echo to you grew long,
But what am I to do?
أَيَذهَبُ عُمري وَالعَوائِقُ دونَهُ
عَلى ما أَرى إِنّي إِلى اللَهِ راجِعُ
Will my life expire though obstacles block it?
As I see, I will return to God.
وَما أَنا في الدُنيا بِشَيءٍ أَنالُهُ
سِوى أَن أَرى وَجهَ الخَليفَةِ قانِعُ
I have nothing to gain in this world
Save that I see the face of the Caliph, content.
وَهَبني أَرَيتُ الحاسِدينَ تَجَلُّداً
فَكَيفَ بِحُبٍّ ضُمِّنَتهُ الأَضالِعُ
And He granted me - Have you seen the envious pretend patience? -
How is that with a love which ribs harbor!
وَإِنّي لِنُعماهُ القَديمَةِ شاكِرٌ
وَراءٍ بِعَينِ النُصحِ فيهِ وَسامِعُ
I am thankful for past bounties, hearing
With the eye of honesty regarding him.
وَما أَنا مِن ذُكرِ الخَليفَةِ آيِسٌ
وَما دامَ حَيّاً عَلَّلَتهُ المَطامِعُ
I do not despair of mentioning the Caliph;
As long as he lives, hopes tie me fast.
وَأَقعَدَني عَنهُ اِنتِظارٌ لِإِذنِهِ
وَما قالَ مِن شَيءٍ فَإِنِّيَ طائِعُ
Expectation that he will permit me has kept me
From him, and whatever he says, I obey.
صُراطُ هُدىً يَقضي عَلى الجورِ عَدلُهُ
وَنورٌ عَلى الدُنيا مِنَ الحَقِّ ساطِعُ
The path of guidance which justice rules
And light upon the world from truth emanating.
وَسَيفُ اِنتِقامٍ لا يَخافُ ضَريبَةً
وَما شاءَ مِن ذي إِحنَةٍ فَهوَ قاطِعُ
And sword of vengeance fearing no blow,
Doing what it desires to the curved of stature.
وَإِن يَعفُ لا يَندَم وَإِن يَسطُ يَنتَقِم
فَهَل عادِلٌ فيها بِما أَنتَ واقِعُ
If he pardons, he regrets not, and if he is harsh, he takes revenge.
So is there one more just that you have met?
