نَهَضُوا وَقَدْ جَنَّ االدُّجَى وَتَخَالَفَتْ

سُبُلُ الرَّدَى فَمُسَدَّدُونَ وَضُلَّلُ

They rose when night's darkness fell, and the paths

Of ruin diverged, so some were guided, some misled.

سَلْلنِي عَنِ الْمُنْبَتِّ حِينَ تَقَطَّعَتْ

أَسْبَابُهُ تِيهاً وَلاَ مَنْ يَسْأَلُ

Ask me not about the flowering field when ties

To it were severed, wandering lost, none to question.

قَوْمٌ سَطَتْ بِهِمُ السِّبَاعُ وَفِرْقَةٌ

عَطِشُوا وَأَيْنَ مِنَ الظِّمَاءِ الْمَنْهَلُ

Some tribes the beasts of prey made captive; a band

Grew thirsty, and where was a spring for the thirsty?

لَفَحَ الْهَجِيرُ وَجُوهَهَمْ بِسَعِيرِهِ

فَتَهَافَتُوا بِبُلاَلَةٍ وَتَعَلَّلُوا

The hot wind lashed their faces with its flames,

So they crumbled feebly, and sought pretexts.

وَجَمَاعَةٌ رَكِبُوا الْمَفَازَةَ دَائِماً

عَثَرُوا عَلَى أَثَرٍ فَشَطَّ الْمَنْزِلُ

A group kept riding the wasteland constantly;

They stumbled on a trace, so the halt was too long.

وَرَكَائِبٌ جَعَلُوا الدَّلَيِلَ أَمَامَهُمْ

وَسَرَوْا فَفَازُوا بِالَّذِي قَدْ أَمَّلُوا

Some bands placed the guide ahead of them

And travelled on, winning what they had wished.

وَاللَّيْلُ مَتْلَفَةٌ وَمَدْرَجَةُ الْهَوَى

لاَ يَسْتَقِلُّ بِهَا الْمَطِيُّ الذُّلَّلُ

The night was winding, desire's course

Could not be travelled easily by the humble.

وَالْوَاصلُونَ هُمُ الْقَلِيلُ وَكَيْفَ لاَ

قَفرٌ وَمَسْبَغَةٌ وَلَيْلٌ أَلْيَلُ

The successful ones were few. How not?

Emptiness, a murky night, they were remote.

يَا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَاشِقِينَ تَقَحَّمُوا

خَطَرَ النَّوَى وَعَلَى الشَّدَائِدِ عَوَّلُوا

O mercy for lovers who dared to penetrate

Perilous passes, relying on difficulties!

طَارَتْ بِهِمْ أَشْوَاقُهُمْ فَعُقُولُهُمْ

مَعْقُولَةٌ عَنْ شَأْنِهَا لاَ تَعْقِلُ

Their passions carried them off, so their minds

Grew reasonable, not reasoning as minds do.

عُذْراً لكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ عُذْرَةَ شَأْنُكُمْ

سَلَّمْتُ فِيهِ لكُمْ فَقُولُوا وَافْعَلُوا

Forgive me, people of passion! Your affair—

I have surrendered to it. So speak and act.