مَا لِلْهَوى إلا الرُّصافَةَ مأرَبُ
بَعدَ الغَدير فكيفَ يصْفو مشرَبُ
The passion yields nothing but purity, my beloved
After ecstasy, how can the drink be clear?
كانا مراداً للنّعيم وَمَوْرِداً
إذْ كُنْت بَيْنَهُما أجيءُ وأذهَبُ
They were the object of my delight and the place
Where I would go to and fro between them
والإلْف لِلْميعادِ بي مُتَرَقّبٌ
والدّهر بالإسْعادِ لي مُتَقَرِّبُ
And longing for the tryst was ever awaiting me
While time through blessings drew nearer to me
وَتلاعَبت أيدي النوى بِهما وَبي
حتى انقضى لَعِبٌ وأقْفَر مَلْعبُ
And the hands of purpose toyed with them and me
Until a game ended and the playground lay empty
وللّهِ أسْحَارٌ بها وأصائلٌ
كانتْ تُفَضّضُ صبْغَةً وَتُذَهّبُ
By Allah, it had dawns by which and nights
That would peel color and rub it away
وكأنّ كافوراً ومِسكاً لَيْلُها
ونهارُها ممّا يَروق وَيُعْجِبُ
As if its night were camphor and musk
And its day was pleasing and delightful
يزداد حُسْناً صبحُها بِرُوائِها
ويكادُ يُشْرقُ من سناها الغَيْهَبُ
Its morning grows more beautiful in its meadows
And almost shines from the brilliance of its sun
تلكَ المَغاني لا حُجِبنَ كأهلِها
عَني فَوَجْدي سافِرٌ لا يُحجَّبُ
Those songs never hid from me so I found
My passion unrestrained and unhindered
وَلعَمْرُ ما أنْفَقْت مِن عُمري بِها
وجَنيْت مِن ثَمَراتِ عَيش يَعْذُبُ
By my life, I gained from the sweet fruits
Of the life I spent with them and harvested
وَلأَغلِبَنّ عَلى السلوّ صَبابتي
والشّوْقُ في كُل المواطن أغْلبُ
I will overcome inclination with my youthfulness
And longing dominates all places for me
ولأندُبَن بها الشّباب وشَرْخَه
إنّ الشباب أحَقُّ فَانٍ يُنْدَبُ
I will lament with it the bloom of youth and its vigor
For youth is the most deserving transient to mourn
ساحاتُ حُسْنٍ طَرّزَتْ أوقَاتَها
ساعاتُ أنسٍ رَدُّها مُسْتَصْعَبُ
The fields of beauty embroidered its moments
Hours of intimacy, to regain them is formidable
وأجرُّ أذْيال الهَوَادَة والهوى
يَقْتَادُني دَلُّ الحِسَان فَأُصْحبُ
I trail the skirts of intimacy and passion
Guided by the one I love so I accompany
كم جِئْتُ بينَ خَمائلٍ وجَداول
مِنها أصعّد في المُنى وأصوِّبُ
How often I came between flirtations and streams
And ascended in wishes and took aim
ومُغازلاً فَتَيَاتها في فِتْية
ما منهمُ إلا أغَرُّ مُهَذّبُ
And courted its maidens with its youths
Who were all gentle and refined
بينَ الأباطحِ والرُّبى مُتَصَرّفٌ
ومَع الصّبابة والصّبَا مُتَقَلّبُ
Moving between the sand dunes and grasslands
And fluctuating with the youth and the morning draughts
خَلَعوا على زَهْرِ الرّياضِ حُلاهُم
فَغدا بهم خَيْريُّها يتأدَّبُ
They took off their garments upon the garden’s blossoms
And so it became well-mannered with them
نَسَبَتْه للكرم الصريح شَمائِلٌ
أدَبيّةٌ عنها يَنِمُّ وَيُنْسَبُ
Attributes ascribed it to sincere generosity
Civilized qualities from which it grows and is attributed
فَمَعَ الصّباح تبتُّلٌ وتَقَلّصٌ
ومع الظلام تبذُّلٌ وتَسحّبُ
With the morning coyness and withdrawal
And with the night openness and pull
كانتْ مآنسَ بل نفائسَ أصبحْت
مَسْلوبَةً وكذا النّفَائسُ تُسلبُ
They were intimacies, nay treasures, but became
Plundered, and thus treasures are seized
أين المذانِبَ لا تزال تأسُّفا
تَجري عليها من دُموعيَ مذنبُ
Where are the resting places that still sorrow
My tears run down them, blamed
من كُلّ بسّام الحَبابِ كأنّه
ثغرُ الحَبيبِ وريقهُ المُسْتَعذَبُ
From every smiling lip as if it were
The mouth of the beloved and his sweet sip
كالنّصلِ إلا أنّه لا يُتَّقى
كالصّلِّ إلا أنّه لا يُرْهَبُ
Like a blade but it cannot be feared
Like an arrow but it cannot be warded
تَقتادُنا أقْدامُنا وجِيادنا
لجنابهِ وهوَ النّضيرُ المُعشِبُ
Our feet and steeds lead us
To its side, it is the lush pasture
لَهَجاً بِدُولاب تَرَقّى نهره
فَلَكا ولكنْ مَا ارْتَقاهُ كَوْكَبُ
Burbling in its wheel though it ascended
As a planet but did not rise as a star
نَصَبَتْهُ فَوْقَ النّهْر أيْدٍ قَدّرت
ترويحَه الأرْواح سَاعَةَ يُنْصَبُ
Erected over the river by hands that destined
To refresh spirits when erected
فَكَأنّه وهو الطّليقُ مقيّد
وكأنه وهوَ الحبيسُ مُسيَّبُ
As if it were free yet constrained
And as if imprisoned yet released
للماءِ فيهِ تصعُّدٌ وتحَدُّرٌ
كالمُزنِ يَسْتَسْقي البحار ويسكُبُ
The water in it rises and descends
Like scales weighing the seas and pouring
يُعْلي ويُخْفِضُ رنَّتَيْهِ كَما شدا
غَرِدٌ وتابعَ في زئيرٍ أغْلَبُ
It rises and lowers its ringing
As the singing bird and succeeding conqueror
شَاقَتْهُ ألحانُ القِيان وشاقها
فيبوحُ من كَلَفٍ بهِنّ ويطْربُ
The melodies of the lutes clashed with it and it clashed with them
So it expresses from restraint, bent and elated
أبَداً على وِرد ولَيْسَ بقانِعٍ
من غُلّة في صدرِهِ تَتَلّهبُ
Always on a flower but not content
With a flame in its chest flaming
كالعاشِقِ الحَرّان يرتَشفُ اللّمى
خَمرا ولا يرويه ريقٌ أشْنَبُ
Like a passionate lover sipping the wine
But no sip quenches his parched lips
هَامَتْ بهِ الأحْداق لمّا نادَمت
منهُ الحَدائقُ ساقِيا لا يشربُ
The gazes craved it when the gardens
Called it a water-bearer who does not drink
هَلْ تُرْجعُ الأيّامُ عَصْرَ شييبة
مازلتُ فيها بالحسانِ أشَبّبُ
Will the days restore the age of my oldness
When I was youthful in charm?
حيثُ النسيم بما يَمُرّ عليهِ من
حقّ الرّياضِ مُضمّخٌ وَمُطَيّبُ
Where the breeze, saturated with
The gardens' right, comes scented and perfumed
أيّام يُرْسَل من شبابيَ أدْهَمٌ
أرنٌ ويُشكِلُ من مَشيبيَ أشهَبُ
Days when my youthfulness sends out the dark one
And he forms from my grey hairs the blond
أمّا الرُّصافة فهيَ سَمْتي لا الحِمى
ولِوى الصريمُ ولا العُذَيبُ وغُرّبُ
As for purity, it is my way, not zealotry
Nor the barren valley, nor torture, rebellion
ربَّى الهوى منها مكانٌ طيّب
وَلَد السُّرور به زَمانٌ مُنْجِبُ
Love nurtured from it a good place
And joy gave birth at it to a fruitful time
تاللّهِ ما أنْصَفْتُ أهْلَ مَوَدّتي
شرّقت أشرَق بِالبِعاد وغرّبوا
By Allah I was not fair to the people of my affection
They shone radiantly while distance made me gloomy
وأعيذُهُم إذْ لَمْ يُلقِنا جَانِبٌ
مِنْ أن تَطولَ قَطيعَةٌ وتجنُّبُ
And I protect them when no company
Reminds us lest estrangement and avoidance grow
فعلام ضَنُّوا بالتّحيّة رغبَة
عنّي كأنّي عَن هواهُمُ أرغَبُ
Why were they stingy with greetings, desiring
To turn away from me as if I spurned their love?
هَذا فُؤادي قَد تَصَدّع بعدهُم
من يَرْأبُ القَلبَ الصديع ويشعبُ
Who can mend the heart when riven and cleft?
And disappointment tempts me so I obey it
ولَقد تَغُرُّنيَ المُنى فأطِيعُها
سَفَهاً وبَارقَةُ الأماني خُلّبُ
Foolishly while the hopes of safety are torn
I conceal the lighter burden of passion
وأخفُّ ما حُمّلتُ من عِبْءِ الهوى
أنْ أسْتريحَ إلى مَطامع تُتْعبُ
To rest through hopes that wear me out
O dwelling, protectiveness had revered it
يا منْزلاً كانَ الحِفاظُ يُجِلُّهُ
والجودُ بالضِّيفَانِ فيهِ يُرَحّبُ
And hospitality in it welcomed guests
I desire your arrival but passion then deprives me
أَهوى حلولَك ثُم يسلبُني الهوى
أنّ العَدُوّ بِجانبَيْك مطنِّبُ
That the foe is at your side, harboring enmity
I became tormented and tortured in you
أصْبَحْتُ فيك مُعَذَّلاً ومُعذَّبا
وكذا المُحِبُّ مُعَذَّلٌ ومعذَّبُ
And thus the lover is tormented and tortured
