أَرَى نَفْحَةً دَلَّتْ عَلَى كَبِدِي الْوَجْدَا

فَمَنْ كَانَ بِالْمِقْيَاسِ أَقْرَبَكُمُ عَهْدَا

I see a breeze blowing, revealing my inner passion,

So who among you is closest in understanding my plight?

مَلاعِبُ آرامٍ وَمَجْرَى جَدَاوِلٍ

وَمُلْتَفُّ أَفْنَانٍ تَقِي الْحَرَّ وَالْبَرْدَا

The meadows of peace and flowing brooks,

And shaded bowers that protect from heat and cold,

إِذَا انْبَعَثَتْ فِيهِ النَّسَائِمُ خِلْتَهَا

تُنِيرُ عَلَى مَتْنِ الْغَدِيرِ بِهِ بُرْدَا

When the gentle winds stir through them,

Cooling the surface of the pond with a chill.

كَأَنَّ الصَّبَا تُلْقَى عَلَيْهِ إِذَا جَرَتْ

مَسَائِل فِي الأَرْقَامِ أَوْ تَلْعَبُ النَّرْدَا

As though the morning breeze tosses questions of numbers,

Or plays a game of chance upon it.

أَقَامَ الرَّبِيعُ الطَّلْقُ فِي حَجَراتِهَا

وَأَسْدَى لَهَا مِنْ نِعْمَةِ النِّيلِ مَا أَسْدَى

Spring has made its home in its chambers,

And provided it generously with the Nile’s bounty.

فَلِلَّهِ كَمْ مِنْ صَبْوَةٍ كَانَ لِي بِهَا

رَوَاحٌ إِلَى حُسَّانَةِ الْجِيدِ أَوْ مَغْدَى

By God, how often I’ve had pleasant times there,

Strolling to the beautiful cheek, or a tryst;

إِذِ الدَّهْرُ لَمْ يُخْفِرْ ذِمَاماً وَلَمْ يَخُنْ

نِظَاماً وَلَمْ يَحْمِلْ عَلَى ذِي هَوىً حِقْدَا

When Fate had not yet slighted a pact, or betrayed

A system, or borne hatred towards a lover.

تَدُورُ عَلَيْنَا بِالأَحَاظِي شُمُوسُهُ

وَتُمْسِي عَلَيْنَا طَيْرُ أَنْجُمِهِ سَعْدَا

Its suns revolve above us auspiciously,

And its stars spend the night in happiness over us.

وَيَا رُبَّ لَيْلٍ لَفَّنَا بِرِدَائِهِ

عِناقاً كَمَا لَفَّ الصَّبَا الْبَانَ وَالرَّنْدَا

O Lord of a night that wraps us in its gown,

Embracing, as the morning wraps mist and dew!

وَلَثْمٍ تَوَالَى إِثْرَ لَثْمٍ بِثَغْرِهَا

كَما شَافَهَ الْبازِي عَلَى ظَمَأٍ وِرْدَا

With kisses following kisses from her lips,

As the thirsty drunkard savors the wine.

فَتَاةٌ كَأَنَّ اللهَ صَوَّرَ لَحْظَهَا

لِيَهْتِكَ أَسْرَارَ الْقُلُوبِ بِهِ عَمْدَا

A girl who seems as though God formed her glance

To wantonly pierce the secrets of hearts.

لَهَا عَبَثَاتٌ عِنْدَ كُلِّ تَحِيَّةٍ

تَسُوقُ إِلَيْهَا عَنْ فَرائِسِها الأُسْدَا

She has coquetries for every greeting,

That drive her prey wild with passion.

إِذَا انْفَتَلَتْ بِالْكَأْسِ خِلْتَ بَنَانَها

تُدِيرُ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ جَنَى خَدِّهَا وَرْدَا

When she struggles playfully with the goblet, her curling tresses

Scatter roses from the apple of her cheek upon us.

وَمَا أَنْسَهُ لا أَنْسَ يَوْماً تَسَابَقَتْ

بِهِ عَبْرَتَاهَا وَالنَّوَى تَصْدَعُ الصَّلْدَا

How delightful the day her tears raced

Against her passions and the spathes burst from the branches!

فَلَمْ أَرَ لَحْظاً كَانَ أَقْتَلَ بَاكِياً

وَأَمْضَى الظُّبَا فِي الْفَتْكِ ما سَالَ إِفْرِنْدَا

I’ve seen no glance so murderously affecting

And no eyelids so deadly in their blows, not even Irfanda’s.

حَرَامٌ عَلَى الْعَيْنَيْنِ إِنْ لم تَسِلْ دَمَاً

عَلَى بَيْنِهَا وَالْقَلْب إِنْ لَمْ يَذُبْ وَقْدَا

It’s a sin if the eyes don’t shed blood

Over separation, and the heart, if it doesn’t melt in agony.

فَيَا قَلْبُ مَا أَشْجَى إِذَا الدَّارُ بَاعَدَتْ

وَيَا دَمْعُ مَا أَجْرَى وَيَا بَيْنُ مَا أَرْدَى

So my heart, how bitter is the parting of home!

And my tear, how copiously it flows! And my beloved, how far she is!

وَيَا صَاحِبِي الْمَذْخُورَ لِلسِّرِّإِنَّنِي

ضَلَلْتُ فَهَلْ مِنْ وَثْبَةٍ تُكْسِبُ الْحَمْدَا

And my companion, keeper of secrets, I have strayed;

Is there a leap that can earn praise?

حَلَفْتُ بِمَا اسْتَوْلَى عَلَيْهِ نِقَابُهَا

وَيَا لَكَ حَلْفاًمَا أَرَقَّ وَمَا أَنْدَى

I swore an oath by that which her veil concealed,

And what an oath! How it burned and glowed!

بِأَلَّا تَفِيئَ الْعَيْنُ عَنْ سُنَّةِ الْبُكَى

وَأَلَّا تَرِيعَ النَّفْسُ إِنْ لَمْ تَمُتْ وَجْدَا

Never to rest my eyes from the ritual of weeping,

Or my breath, if it cannot die of passion.

وَكَيْفَ يُفِيقُ الْقَلْبُ مِنْ سَوْرَةِ الْهَوَى

وَقَدْ مَدَّهُ سِحْرُ الْعُيُونِ بِمَا مَدَّا

How can the heart wake from its lovesick stupor

When the magic of eyes has extended it with all they extend?

وَمَا كُنْتُ لَوْلا الْعَذْلُ أُبْدِي خَفِيَّةً

وَلَكِنْ تَوَالِي الْقَدْحِ يَسْتَرعِفُ الزَّندَا

Were it not for sobriety, I would not reveal a secret,

But the flowing cups make one babble nonsense.

وَمَنْ لِي بِأَنَّ الْقَلْبَ يَكْتُمُ وَجْدَهُ

وَكَيْفَ تُسَامُ النَّارُ أَنْ تَكْتُمَ النَّدَّا

Who can help my heart hiding its passion?

How can fire conceal its heat?

فَلا وَصْلَ إِلَّا ذُكْرَةٌ تَبْعَثُ الأَسَى

عَلَى النَّفْسِ حَتَّى لا تُطِيق لَهُ رَدَّا

No union but a memory that awakens sorrow

In the soul, until it cannot bear rejection.

أَبِيتُ قَرِيحَ الْجَفْنِ لا أَعْرِفُ الْكَرَى

طَوالَ اللَّيَالِي والْجَوانِحُ لا تَهْدَا

Sleepless I stay with burning eyelids, frenzied

All night, while my neighbors sleep.

فَيَأَيُّهَا النُّوَّامُوالشَّوْقُ عَازِرٌ

أَلا أَحَدٌ يَشْرِي بِغَفْوَتِهِ السُّهْدَا

So sleepers, while longing keeps vigil,

Does no one buy wakefulness with reward?

لَقَدْ ذَلَّ مَنْ يَبْغِي مِنَ النَّاسِ نَاصِراً

وَقَد خَابَ مَنْ يَجْنِي مِنَ الأَرْقَمِ الشَّهْدَا

He who seeks a human guardian is humiliated,

And he who expects gain from fate is denied.

فَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُخْدَعْ بِشِيمَةِ صَاحِبٍ

فَمَنْ ظَنَّ خَيْرَاً بِالزَمَانِ فَقَدْ أَكْدَى

Beware being fooled by a friend’s nature,

For he who thinks well of fate, has erred.

فَقَدْ طَالَمَا جَرَّبْتُ خِلاً فَمَا رَعَى

وَحِلْفاً فَمَا أَوْفَى وَعَوْنَاً فَمَا أَجْدَى

For long I tested a confidante, but he did not shelter me,

And oaths, but they were not kept, and help, but it was of no use.

وَمَا النَّاسُ إِلَّا طَالِبٌ غَيْرُ وَاجِدٍ

لِمَا يَبْتَغِي أَوْ وَاجِدٌ أَخْطَأَ الْقَصْدَا

People are but seekers, never finders,

Of what they desire, or finders, misguided from their goal.

فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّ النَّاسَ أَبْنَاءَ شِيمَةٍ

فَمَا كُلُّ مَمْدُودِ الْخُطَا بَطَلاً جَعْدَا

Do not suppose people to be of a virtuous nature,

For not every long-necked one is a heroic camel stallion.