مِن أَينَ يا ريحَ الصَبا هَذا الشَذا

إِن كانَ من حَيِّ الحَبيبِ فحبَّذا

Where does this fragrance come from, oh breeze of the morning?

If it is from the dwellings of the beloved, how delightful!

باللَه هَل يمَّمتَ شَرقيَّ الحِمى

ووردتَ مَنهَلَه المصون عن القَذى

By God, have you passed by her eastern abode

And stopped by her sheltered drinking place, safe from dust?

أَم هَل سحبتَ الذَيلَ بين أَراكِهِ

فأَخذتَ من تلك الشَمائِل مأخَذا

Or have you drawn out your train between her houses

And taken from those traits a way?

أَم هَل حَظيتَ بلثم مَسحب بُردِه

فكسبتَ من أَنفاسِه طيبَ الشَذا

Or have you been fortunate to kiss her veiled cheek

And gained from her breath this fragrant scent?

وَبمُهجَتي إِن كانَ يَرضاه فِدىً

رشأ على كُلِّ القُلوب اِستَحوَذا

And by my life, if that pleases her, it is my ransom -

Revive through it all hearts she has conquered.

لَمّا رأَت منه المحيّا عُذَّلي

فدّاه كُلٌّ بالنُفوس وعوَّذا

When her shy eyes saw him

All souls ransomed him and consecrated themselves to him.

وَغَدا يَقولُ مكلِّفي بسلوِّه

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ من كُلِفتَ به كَذا

And tomorrow he will say to those charged with his night visit:

I did not expect to be tasked with this.

لَمّا جلا ياقوتَ صفحةِ خَدِّه

أَبدى لنا من عارضَيه زُمرُّذا

When the ruby of his cheek appeared

He showed us from his cheeks a reddish tint.

وَرَمى القُلوبَ فكانَ سَهمُ لحاظِهِ

أَمضى من السَهم المُصيب وأَنفَذا

And he shot hearts, so the arrow of his glance

Was more piercing than the arrow hitting its mark.

لَيتَ الَّذي أَورى بِقَلبي حُبَّه

أَنجاه من نارِ الصُدود وأَنقَذا

Would that he who set my heart on fire with his love

Save it from the hell of rejection and deliver it!

وَعلى جَفاهُ ما أَلَذَّ غَرامَهُ

لَو كُنتُ أَسلمُ في هَواهُ من الأَذى

And despite his aloofness, how sweet is his passion!

If only I could surrender to his love free of harm.

ظنَّ العذولُ بأن هَداني نصحُه

بعدَ الضَلال وما هدى لكن هَذى

The censurers thought their advice guided me

After my misguidance, but it did not guide me, only led me astray.