دَعَوْتُكَ أَسْتَشْفِي إِلَيْكَ فَوَافنِي

عَلَى غَيْرِ عِلْمٍ مِنْكَ أَنَّكَ لِي آسِي

I called on you to find healing in you, and you came to me

Without my knowing that you are a consoler to me

فَإِنْ تَرَنِي وَالحُزْنُ مِلْءُ جَوانِحِي

أُدَارِيهِ فَلْيَغْرُرْك بِشْرِى وَإِينَاسِي

So if you see me while sorrow fills my being

I pretend it away, do not be fooled by my cheer and consolation

وَكَمْ فِي فُؤَادِي مِنْ جِراحٍ ثَخِينَةٍ

يُحَجِّبُهَا بُرْدَايَ عَنْ أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ

And how many deep wounds in my heart

My robe hides from people's eyes

إِلى عَيْنِ شَمْسٍ قدْ لَجَأْتُ وَحَاجَتِي

طَلاَقَةُ جَوٍّ لَمْ يُدَنَّسْ بِأَرْجَاسِ

To a shining sun I have fled, and my need

Is the openness of an unpolluted atmosphere

أُسَرِّي هُمُومِي بِانْفِرَادِي آمِناً

مَكَايِدَ وَاشٍ أَوْ نمَائِمَ دَسَّاسِ

I confide my worries in my solitude, secure

From the traps of a slanderer or the dozings of a spy

يَخَالُونَ أَنِّي فِي مَتاعٍ حِيَالَهَا

وَأَيُّ مَتَاعٍ فِي جِوَارٍ لِدِيمَاسِ

They think I am distracted by trinkets

Yet what trinket can there be in the company of eternity?

أَرَى رَوْضَةً لكِنْهَا رَوْضَةُ الرَّدَى

وَأُصْغِي وَمَا فِي مَسْمَعِي غيْرُ وَسْوَاسِ

I see a garden but it is the garden of ruin

And I listen, but there is nothing in my hearing save whispers

وَأَنْظُرُ مَنْ حَوْلِي مُشَاةً وَرُكَّباً

عَلَى مُزْجَيَاتٍ مِنْ دُخَانٍ وَأَفْرَاسِ

And I look around me at riders and walkers

On their hybrids of smoke and steeds

كَأَنِّيَ فِي رُؤيْا يَزُفُّ الأَسَى بِهَا

طَوَائِفَ جِنّ فِي مَوَاكِبِ أَعْرَاسِ

As if I am in a dream where sorrow is paraded

By troops of jinn in wedding processions

وَمَا عَيْنُ شَمْسٍ غَيْرُ مَا ارْتَجَلَ النُّهَى

بِقَفْرِ جَدِيبٍ مِنْ مَبَانٍ وَأَغْرَاسِ

And the sun's eye is none but what the prohibition

Has improvised in the emptiness of a barren waste and trees

بَنَوْهَا فَأَعْلوْهَا وَمَا هُوَ غَيْرَ أَنْ

جَرَتْ أَحْرُفٌ مَرْسُومةٌ فَوْقَ قِرْطاسِ

They ascribed it rising and setting, yet it is but

Letters drawn on parchment

بَدَتْ إِرَمْ ذَاتُ الْعِمَادِ كأَنَّهَا

مِنَ الْقاعِ شَدَّتْهَا النُّجُومُ بِأَمْرَاسِ

The pillar constellation manifested as if

The stars had erected it from the depth by ropes

كَفَتْهَا لَيَالٍ نزْرَةٌ فَتَجَدَّدَتْ

ثوَابِتَ أَرْكَانٍ رَوَاسِخَ آسَاسِ

Nights few in number repaired it, so it renewed

Its fixed pillars and firm foundations

وَغَالَطَ فِيهَا الْبَعثُ مَا خَالط الْحِلَى

بِهَا مِنْ ضرُوبٍ مُحْدَثَاتٍ وَأَجْنَاسِ

And in it life confused what fineries have blended

With its essence of novelties and diverse breeds

هُنَاكَ أُبِيحُ الشَّجْوَ نَفْساً مَنِيعَةً

عَلَى الضَّيْمِ مَهْمَا يَفْلُلِ الضَّيْمُ مِنْ بَاسي

There my lamentation of an unassailable soul

Is permitted no matter how potent adversity's might

يَمُرُّ بِيَ الإخْوَانُ فِي خَطَرَاتِهِمْ

أُولَئِكَ عُوَّادِي وَلَيْسُوا بِجُلاَّسِي

My comrades pass by in their risks

They are my visitors but not my intimates

أَهَشُّ إِلَيْهِمْ مَا أَهَشُّ تَلَطُّفاً

إِذَا لَمْ أُطِقْ صَبْراً فَأَطْلَقْتُ أَنْفَاسِي

I clamor to them in clamoring

When I cannot bear patience and loose my breath

ذَرُونِيَ وَانْجُوا مِنْ شَظايَا تُصِيبُكُمْ

إِذَا لَمْ أُطِقْ صَبْراً فَأَطْلَقْتُ أَنْفَاسِي

Leave me and escape the shards that strike you

When I cannot bear patience and loose my breath

فَإِنِّي عَلَى مَا نَالَنِي مِنْ مَسَاءَةٍ

لأَرْحَمُ صَحْبِي أَنْ يُلِمَّ بِهِمْ بَاسِي

For in spite of the harm that has come to me

I would spare my companions being battered by my affliction

ذَرُونِيَ لاَ يَمْلِكْ وَجِيفِي قُلُوبَكُمْ

إِذَا مَرَّ ذَاكَ الطَّيْفُ وَادَّكَرَ النَّاسِي

Leave me, my carcass does not possess your hearts

When that phantom passes and reminds people of the forgetful one

فَتَاللهِ لَوْلاَ ذَلِكَ الطَّيِفُ وَالهَوَى

لَهُ مُسْعِدٌ لَمْ يَمْلِكِ الدَّهْرُ إِتْعَاسِي

By Allah, were it not for that phantom and passion

He would have been happy, time would not have ruined him

ذَرُونِي أُحْسُ الخَمْرَ غَيْرَ مُنَفَّرٍ

عَنِ الْوِرْدِ مِنْهَا نِفْرَةَ الطَّائِرِ الحَاسِي

Leave me be, I do not abhor wine

Like a wary bird abhors the roses therein

فرُبَّتَ كَاسٍ عَنْ شِفَاهِي رَدَدتُهَا

وَقَدْ قَتلَ الدَّمْعُ السَّلاَفَةَ فِي الْكاسِ

Many a cup have I pushed away from my lips

As tears had ruined its drinkability

ذَرُونِي أُنكَّسْ هَامَتِي غَيْرَ مُتَّقٍ

مَلاَمَة رُوَّادٍ وَشُبْهَةَ جُوَّاسِ

Leave me to hang my head without caution

Fearing the blame of visitors or the doubt of spies

فبِي حُرَّةٌ بِكْرٌ ضُلُوعِي سِيَاجُهَا

أَرَاشَ عَلَيْهَا سَهْمَهُ مُعْتَدٍ قَاسِ

For in me is a breachable sanctuary, its ribs fenced

By arrows from the bow of a transgressor who shot

أُعِيدُ إِلَيْها كُلَّ حِينٍ نَوَاظِرِي

وَأُخْفِضُ مِنْ عَطْفٍ عَلَى جُرْحِهَا رَاسِي

I return my sight to it every moment

And lower from affection my head to its wound

يَكَادُ يَبُث المَجْدُ مَا لاَ أَبُثهُ

مِنَ السَّقْمِ العَوَّادِ وَالسَّأَمِ الرَّاسِي

Glory almost publicizes what I do not spread

Of chronic illness and lasting fatigue

أَنَا الأَلَمْ السَّاجِي لِبُعْدِ مَزافِرِي

أَنا الأَمَلُ الدَّاجِيَ وَلَمْ يَخْبُ نِبْرَاسِي

I am the persistent pain of distant processions

I am the lingering hope though my torch has not gone out

أَنَا الأَسَدُ الْبَاكِي أَنَا جَبَلُ الأَسَى

أَنا الرَّمْسُ يَمْشِي دَامِياً فَوْقَ أَرْمَاسِ

I am the roaring lion, I am the mountain of sorrow

I am the firm pillar walking steadily above its bases

فَيَا مُنْتَهَى حُبِّي إِلى مُنْتَهَى المُنَى

وَنعْمَةَ فِكْرِي فَوْقَ شِقْوَةِ إِحْسَاسِي

So my love's apogee and the bounty of my thought

Above the wretchedness of my feelings

دَعَوْتُك أَسْتَشْفِي إِلَيْكَ فَوَافِنِي

عَلَى غَيْرِ عِلْمٍ مِنْكَ أَنَّكَ لِي آسِي

I called on you to find healing in you, and you came to me

Without my knowing that you are a consoler to me