خَلِيلىَّ لَيسَ الشَّوقُ أَن تَشحَطَ النَّوَى
بإِلفَينِ دَهراً ثُمَّ يَلتَقِيانِ
My friend, longing is not that the grit should grind
for two thousand years, then meet again,
ولَكنَّما الهِجرانُ أَن تَجمَعَ النَّوَى
وتُمنَعَ مِنّى أَن أَرَى وتَرَانِى
But separation is that the grit should collect
and I be prevented from seeing and you from seeing me.
وَكُنّا كَرِيمَى مَعشَرٍ حُمَّ بَينَنَا
هَوىً فَحَفِظناهُ بِحُسنِ صِيَانِ
We were generous friends, a group whose love
was lodged between us which we preserved with fair propriety.
وَقالَ زَمِيلِى يَومض سالِفَةِ النَّقا
وَعَيناىَ مِن فَرطِ الهَوَى تَكِكفَانِ
My companion said one day when we recalled the former love
while my eyes were weeping from the excess of passion:
أَمِن أَجلِ دارٍ بَينَ لُوذانَ والنَّقَا
غَداةَ اللِّوَى عَيناكَ تَبتَدِرانِ
"Is it because of a house between Lawdhān and Naqā’
that tomorrow your eyes will rove?”
فَقُلتُ أَلاَ لا بَل قُذِيتُ وَإِنَّما
قَذَى العَينِ مِمّا هَيَّجَ الطَّلَلانِ
So I said: “No! Rather I am sick, though
the sickness of the eye is from what stirred the traces.”
فَيا طَلحَتَى لُوذانَ لا زالَ فِيكُما
لِمَن يَبتَغِى ظِلَّيكُما فَنَنَانِ
O Talehatain, Lawdhān does not cease to be in you both
a refuge for him who seeks your shade.
وَإِن كُنتُما قَد هِجتُما بارِحَ الهَوَى
وَدَنَّيتُما ما لَيسَ بالمُتَدَانِى
If you have turned away from love today
and come near to what is not to be approached,
خَلِيلَىَّ إِنِّى قَد أَرِقتُ ونِمتُما
فَهَل أَنتُما بالمُتَدَانِى
My friend, I have longed and you two have slept.
Are you then to be approached?
فَقالا أَنِمتَ اللَّيلَ ثُمَّ دَعَوتَنا
ونَحنُ غُلاما شُقَّةٍ رَجِفَانِ
They said: “You have slept the night, then called us
while we are fearful, quaking boys.”
فَقُم حَيثُ تَهوَى إِنَّنا حَيثُ نَشتَهِى
وَإِن رُمتَ تَعرِيساً بنا غَرِضَانِ
Rise wherever you wish, we are wherever we desire.
If you shoot at us for a tryst, we will flee.
خَلِيلَىَّ لَيسَ الرَّأىُ فِى صَدرِ واحدٍ
أَشِيرا عَلَىَّ اليَومَ ما تَرَيَانِ
My friend, there is no counsel in one breast.
Advise me today what you two see.
أََأَركَبُ صَعبَ الأَمرِ إِنَّ ذَلُولَهُ
بِنَجرَانَ قَد أَعيا بِكلِّ مَكانِ
Shall I embark on a difficult matter? Its smoothness
is with Najrān but everyplace tires me out.
خَلِيلَىَّ مِن أَهلِ اليَفاعِ شُفِيتُما
وَعُوفِيتُما مِن سَيِّىءِ الحَدَثَانِ
My friends, I am cured of the jaundiced folk,
and cured of evil suspicions.
أَلا يا احمِلانِى بارَك اللهُ فِيكُمَا
إِلَى حاضِرِ القَرعاءِ ثُمَّ ذَرَانِى
Come! Carry me, may God bless you two,
to Hadir al-Qur’ā’, then leave me.
أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللهِ أَن لَستُ ماشِياً
بِذِى الأَثلِ حَتَّى يُحشَرَ الثَّقَلانِ
In truth, servants of God, I do not walk
along the crooked road until the two assemblages are mustered.
ولا لاهِياً يَوماً إِلَى اللّيلِ كُلِّهِ
بِبِيضٍ لَطِيفَاتِ الخُصُورِ غَوانِى
Nor a day given over to sport with slender waisted fair ones,
who seduce us until our minds go astray,
يُمَنِّينَنا حَتَّى تَزِيغَ عُقُولُنا
وَيَخلِطنَ نمَطلاً ظاهِراً بِلَيانِ
and who mix clear lies with thoughtful utterance,
until our minds go astray and who mix clear lies with thoughtful utterance.
مِنَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى تَزِيغَ عقُولُنا
وَيَخلِطنَ مَطلاً ظاهراً بِلَيانِ
My friend, as for Umm ‘Amr, she is one of them,
and do not ask me about the other, they do not treat me fairly,
خَلَيلَىَّ أَمَّا أُمُّ عَمرٍو فَمِنهُما
وَأَمَّما عَنِ الأُخرى فَلا تَسَلانِى
They forbid me, they are unjust, they do not do me justice
for their two sakes while they have tricked me.
مَنُوعانِ ظَلاّمانِ لا يُنصِفانِنِى
بِدَلَّيهما والطَّرفُ قَد خَلَبانِى
Must you roam her lands each day
with two eyes that drowned a man?
أَفِى كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ رامٍ بِلادها
بِعَينَينِإِنساناهُما غَرِقا
Love saw my body other than my frame -
tender, though I speak with my tongue!
بَرَى الحُبِّ جِسمِى غَيرَ جُثمانِ أَعظُمِى
بَلِينَ وَإِنِّى ناطِقٌ بِلِسانِي
