ما بَينَ قَلبي وَبرقِ المُنحنى نَسبُ

كِلاهُما من سَعير الوَجد يَلتَهِبُ

The kinship between my heart and the zigzagging lightning,

Both aflame with the fires of passion.

قَلبي لِما فاته من وصل فاتِنِه

وَالبَرقُ إِذ فاتَه من ثغره الشَنَبُ

My heart for what eludes it of the beauty of the beloved,

And lightning for what escapes it of rain.

بَدرٌ أَغارَ بُدورَ التمِّ حين بَدا

لَيلاً تحفُّ به من عقده الشُهبُ

The full moon was envious of the rising moons,

When it appeared at night adorned with its lights.

مُهفهفٌ إِن ثَنى عِطفاً على كَفَلٍ

أَثنَت عَلى قَدِّه الأَغصانُ والكثُبُ

Swaying gracefully when leaning on a soft cheek,

The branches and shrubs praised its stature.

قَضى هَواهُ على العُشّاق أَنَّ له

سَلبَ القُلوبِ الَّتي في حُبِّه تَجِبُ

It decreed upon the lovers that it alone

Could capture the hearts enthralled by its love.

راقَت لعينيَ إِذ رقَّت محاسنُهُ

وَراقَ لي في هَواهُ الوَجدُ والوصَبُ

My eyes grew tender when its beauty grew tender,

And passion and ecstasy grew tender within its love.

فالجَفنُ بالسُهد أَمسى وهو مكتحلٌ

وَالدَمعُ أَصبحَ يَجري وهو مُختَضِبُ

So the eyelids slept outlined in kohl,

While the tears flowed tinted in the morn.

ظَبيٌ من العُرب تَحميه محاسنُهُ

عمَّن يؤَمِّلُه وَالسمرُ والقُضبُ

A gazelle protected by its beauty,

From those who hope and the dark night and brambles.

لكنَّه ما رَعى في الحُبِّ لي ذِمماً

وَكَم رعت ذِمماً في حيِّها العربُ

But it never grazed in love for me loyally,

While how many loyalties I grazed in its abode, O Arabs!

لَو لَم يكن بالحمى الشرقيِّ منزلُهُ

ما هزَّني للحمى شَوقٌ ولا طَربُ

Had its dwelling not been in the Eastern sanctuary,

Love and joy for it would not have shook me so.

لا زالَ صَوبُ الحَيا يُحيي معاهدَه

وَتسحبُ الذيلَ في أَرجائها السُحُبُ

The quarters of life still honor their pact,

With clouds trailing their fringes about them.

معاهدٌ نِلتُ فيها مُنتهى أَرَبي

وَلَيسَ لي في سِوى مَن حَلَّها أَربُ

A pact I attained the utmost of my hopes in,

And nothing outside of it can please me anymore.

أَيّامَ غصنُ شَبابي يانعٌ نَضِرٌ

وَالعمرُ غضٌّ وأَثوابُ الصبا قُشُبُ

The branch of my youth still fresh and verdant,

Yet life is still green and the clothes of youth ragged.

أَصبو إِلى كُلِّ بَدرٍ طَوقُه أفقٌ

وَكُلِّ شَمسٍ لها من ضوئِها حُجُبُ

I yearn for every full moon ringed by the horizon,

And every sun veiled in its resplendence.

أَستودُع اللَه غزلاناً بذي سَلَم

بانَت بهنَّ دواعي البَينِ والنوَبُ

I entrust our gazelles to the One of Peace -

The causes of separation and departure appeared through them.

شَكَوتُ جورَ النَوى من بعدها وشكت

وَكُنتُ لم أَدرِ ما الشَكوى ولا العَتَبُ

I complained of the tyranny of distance after them, and complained -

When I did not know what complaining or blaming was before.

يا راحِلاً بِفؤادي وهو قاطنُهُ

وَساكِناً بِضُلوعي وهيَ تَضطَرِبُ

O you who carried away my heart while residing in it,

And settled in my ribs while they trembled!

قطعتَ حبلَ الوَفا من غير ما سَبَبٍ

فَهَل إِلى الوَصل من بعد الجَفا سَبَبُ

You severed the cord of loyalty without cause,

Then is there a way back to union after disloyalty?

أَمّا النفوسُ فَقَد ذابَت عليك أَسىً

وهيَ الَّتي من مَجاري الدَمعِ تَنسَكِبُ

As for the souls, they have melted in sorrow over you,

Pouring from the springs of tears.

فإِن سلبتَ الَّذي أَبقيتَ من رَمَقٍ

أَحييتها ولك المَسلوبُ وَالسَلبُ

So if you deprive what life you left me,

You give me life, and yours are the spoils and the taking.

وإِن قضيتَ بأَن تَقضي على كمَدٍ

فإِنَّها في سَبيل اللَه تُحتَسبُ

And if you decide to finish off an extinguished wick,

Know it is sacrificed in the way of God.