شَمْسُ الضُّحَى فِي الغَمَامِ مُسْتَتِرَهْ

أَمْ دُمْيَةٌ فِي النِّقَابِ مُعْتَجِرَهْ

The sun of morning is hidden in the clouds,

Or is it a doll veiled in robes?

حَنَّتْ فَجَاءَتْ مَجِيءَ مُذْنِبَةٍ

إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا جَنَتْهُ مُعْتَذِرَهْ

She inclined and came like a comet,

To you, apologizing for what she had done.

يَعْتَادُهَا الشَّوْقُ ثُمَّ يَمْنَعُهَا

خَوْفُ العدَا وَالحَسُودَةِ المَكِرَهْ

Longing is wont to visit her, but then prevents her

Fear of foes and hated envy.

حَتَّى إِذَا نَفْحَةُ الصَّبَا نَسَمَتْ

نَمَّتْ عَلَيْهَا الرَّوَائِحُ العَطِرَهْ

Until when a breeze blew from the zephyr,

The scented airs awoke upon her.

أَحْبَبْ بِهَا زَوْرَةً وَزَائِرَةً

لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مِنْ وُشَاتِهَا حَذِرَهْ

Love her with occasional, fleeting visits,

If only she were not so cautious and wary.

تَظَلُّ عَنْ حَالَتِي تُسَائِلُنِي

وَهْيَ بِمَا قَدْ لَقِيْتُهُ خَبِرَهْ

She remains, asking after my state,

While she is aware of what I have endured.

قُلْتُ لَهَا قَدْ قَدَرْتِ فَاغْتَفِرِي

مَا أَحْسَنَ العَفْوَ عِنْدَ مُقْتَدِرَهْ

I said to her, “It was destined, so forgive me,

How excellent is pardon from one able to punish.”

قَالَتْ وَحَتَّى مَتَى تُوَبِّخُنِي

مِنْ دُونِ ذّا مَا هَتَكْتُ مُسْتَتِرَهْ

She said, “How long will you rebuke me

Without that which I have exposed and uncovered?”

الذَّنْبُ فِي الحُبِّ لي فَأَغْفِرُهُ

هَذَا مِنَ الحُكْمِ فِي الهَوَى نَكِرَهْ

Sin in love is mine, so I forgive it;

This is strange judgment in passion’s law.”

وَأَسْمَحَتْ فَاجْتَذَبْتُ مِئْزَرَهَا

يَا حُسْنَهَا حَاسِراً وَمُؤْتَزِرَهْ

She relented, so I drew up her skirt—

Such beauty bared and exposed!

نَاهِيْكَ مِنْ خَلْوَةٍ وَمُلْتَزَمٍ

وَرَشْفِ ثَغْرٍ وَرِيْقَةٍ خَصِرَهْ

No more of trysts and secluded meetings,

Of nipping the lip and sipping the waist.

وَمِنْ مُشَارٍ عَلَى التَّرَائِبِ فِي

صَحِيْحَةِ الصَّدْرِ غَيْرُ مُنْكَسِرَهْ

Of fingers on soft breasts, not broken

And blame that remains chiding me

وَذَاتُ لُوْمٍ تَظَلُّ تَزْجُرُنِي

وَهْيَ عنِ الغَيِّ غَيْرُ مُزْدَجِرَهْ

While she does not forbid wickedness.

I said “O you, listen to a lad

يَا هَذِهِ قُلْتُ فَاسْمَعِي لِفَتًى

فِي حَالِهِ عِبْرَةٌ لِمُعْتَبِرَهْ

Whose state is a lesson for those who reflect.

You ordered patience and resignation—if only

أَمَرْتِ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالسُّلُوِّ وَلَوْ

عَشِقْتِ أُلْفِيْتَ غَيْرَ مُصْطَبِرَهْ

You were in love you would not be so patient.

Give news to my brothers though they are distant

مِنْ مُبْلِغٌ إِخْوَتي وَإِنْ بَعَدُوا

أَنَّ حَيَاتِي لِبُعْدِهِمْ كَدِرَهْ

That my life is unhappy due to their absence.

I yearned to see their faces,

قَدْ هِمْتُ شَوْقَاً إِلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ

تِلْكَ الوُجُوهُ البَهِيَّةُ النَّضِرَهْ

Those radiant and glowing faces,

Sons of a king whose nobility prides them

أَبْنَاءُ مُلْكٍ عُلاَهُمُ بِهِمُ

عَلَى العُلاَ وَالفَخَارِ مُفْتَخِرَهْ

Above all others, gloriously exalted.

A bounty adorned by them, graced

تُزْهَى بِهِمْ نِعْمَةٌ تُزَيِّنُهَا

مُرُوَّةٌ لَمْ تَكُنْ تُرَى زَمِرَهْ

By a gentility that was never seen in others.

This nature never ceased to be victorious

مَا انْفَكَّ ذَا الخَلْقُ بَيْنَ مُنْتَصِرٍ

عَلَى الأَعَادِي بِهِمْ ومُنْتَصِرَهْ

Against enemies, vanquishing and triumphant.

Mountains of forbearance, moons of hospitality,

جِبَالُ حِلْمٍ بُدُورُ أَنْدِيَةٍ

أُسْدُ وَغًى فِي الهِيَاجِ مُبْتَدِرَهْ

Lions in battle, attacking with growls.

Pure white like the hands of the generous, no paleness

بَيْضٌ كِرَامُ الفَعَالِ لاَ لَحِزُ الْ

أَيْدِي وَلَيْسَتْ مِنَ النَّدَى صَفِرَهْ

Of hands not dyed by the dew.

People benefit from them and they benefit

لِلنَّاسِ فِيْهِمْ مَنَافِعٌ وَلَهُمْ

مَنَافِعٌ فِي الأَنَامِ مُشْتَهَرَهْ

People with famed and widespread bounty.

When will I see myself in their Egypt

مَتَى أَرَانِي بِمصْرَ جَارَهُمُ

تَسْمى بِهَا كُلُّ غَادَةٍ خَفِرَهْ

Where each forest is guarded by a lion?

The Nile completes its increase

والنِّيْلُ مُسْتَكْمِلٌ زِيَادَتَهُ

مِثْلَ دُرُوعِ الكُمَاةِ مُنْتَثِرَهْ

Like coats of mail strewn about.

The boats sail up and down,

تَغْدُو الزَّوَارِيْقُ فِيْهِ مُصْعِدَةً

بِنَا وَطَوْرَاً تَرُوحُ مُنْحَدِرَهْ

Ascending with us and cruising down.

The wine cup circulates

والكَأسُ يَسْعَى بِهَا مُذَكَّرَةٌ

أَرْدَانُهَا بِالعَبِيْرِ مُخْتَمِرَهْ

Sealed with fragrance and fermenting,

Maidens, but this one has a hundred,

بِكْرَانِ لَكِنْ لِهَذِهِ مِائَةٌ

وَتِلْكَ ثِنْتَانِ واثْنَتَا عَشَرَهْ

And that one twelve.

Oh would that I never saw Iraq nor

يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَرَ العِرَاقَ وَلَمْ

أَسْمَعْ بِذِكْرِ الأَهْوَازِ وَالبَصَرَهْ

Heard mention of Ahvaz or Basra!

One land elevates me and another

تَرْفَعَنِي بَلْدَةٌ وَتَخْفِضُنِي

أُخْرَى فَمَنْ سَهْلَةٍ وَمِنْ وَعِرَهْ

Debases me—which is easy and which difficult?

Sometimes atop a Salhaba mount,

فَتَارَةٌ فَوْقَ ظَهْرِ سَلْهَبَةٍ

قَطَاتُهَا بِالبِدَادِ مُنْعَقِرَهْ

Its pattering in the desert never stills.

Other times in the Euphrates foundering,

وَتَارَةً فِي الفُرَاتِ طَامِيَةً

أَمْوَاجُهُ كَالْجِبَالِ مُعْتَكِرَهْ

Its waves like mountains closely packed.

As if distance loves me

حَتَّى كَأَنَّ البِعَادَ يَعْشَقُنِي

أَوْ طَالَبتْنِي يَدُ النَّوَى بِتِرَهْ

Or the hand of union lures me back.