لا تَصُدُّوا فرُبَّما ماتَ صَدا
مُستَهامٌ لِسَلْوَةٍ ما تَصَدّى
Do not reject, for perhaps rejection leads to death,
While the rejected was seeking solace, undeterred by rejection.
جَعَلَ السهْدَ في رضاكُم كراهُ
واكْتَسى في هَواكُمُ السُّقم بُرْدا
He found disfavor in your pleasure and dressed
In the garb of sickness due to your love's coldness.
رامَ أن يُخْفِيَ الغَرام ولَكِن
لَمْ يَجِدْ مِن إبْداء خَافِيه بُدّا
He wanted to hide his passion yet
He could find no escape from revealing his secret.
كُلّما هبّت الصَّبا ذَكَرَ الشّوْ
قَ ففاضَت عَيْناهُ شَوْقاً وَوَجْدا
Whenever the breeze blew, memories of passion
Flooded his eyes with yearning and ardour.
وإِذا بارِقٌ تَألّق فِي المُزْ
نِ حكى ذا وذاك وَدْقاً ووَقْدا
When lightning flashed in the cloud,
It told of this and that, kindling and flames.
يا سقَى اللّه للرُّصافَة عَهْداً
كَنَسيم الصَّبا يَرِقُّ ويَنْدى
O Allah, grant the land of Rusafa pleasant days
Like the gentle breeze, soft and dewy.
وَجِنَاناً فيها أهيمُ حنَاناً
بَيْدَ أني حُرمْتُ فِيهِنّ خُلْدا
And gardens where I wander, infatuated,
Although I am deprived of dwelling in them forever.
مُسْتَهِلاً كأدْمُعي يَوْم ودّعْ
تُ ثَرَاها النّفّاحَ مِسْكاً ونَدا
Setting out while my tears, like drops of musk and amber,
Were shed by the puffing wind the day we parted.
ليتَ شِعري هل يَرْجِعُ الدّهرُ عَيْشاً
يَشْهَدُ الطيبُ أنه كانَ شُهْدا
I wonder, will time bring back the days
When sweet life bore witness that it was bliss?
وَمَجَالاً لِرَوضَةٍ من غَدير
تَبْتَغِي لِلْمرادِ فيها مَرَدا
And open space in a meadow with a stream
Where our wishes could find respite?
حَيْثُ كُنّا نُغَازِلُ النّرجِسَ الغَض
ضَ جُفُوناً ونَهْصُر الآسَ قَدّا
Where we would flirt with the narcissi, their lids still dewy,
And gingerly step over the myrtle's branches.
وتُناغي الحَدائِقُ العَيْنَ آدا
باً كَما تُنْضَد الأزاهرُ نَضْدا
The gardens would wink at the eye
As flowers are piled up in a heap.
تَحْتَ ليلٍ من حُسْنِه كَنَهارٍ
قُطَّ من صيغَة الشّباب وَقدا
Under a night as lovely as daylight,
When youth was clipped of its bloom and prime.
والثرَيا بجانِب البَدْرِ تحْكي
راحَةً أوْمَأَتْ لِتَلْطِمَ خَدا
And Pleiades beside the moon telling
Of comforts, signalling the waves to surge.
