بِأَيِّ غَزَالٍ فِي الْخُدُورِ تَهِيمُ

وَغِزْلانُ نَجْدٍ مَا لَهُنَّ حَمِيمُ

With what gazelle in the foliage are you infatuated,

While the does of Najd have no warmth?

يَقُدْنَ زِمَامَ النَّفْسِ وَهْيَ أَبِيَّةٌ

وَيَخْدَعْنَ لُبَّ الْمَرْءِ وَهْوَ حَكِيمُ

They control the reins of the soul when it is rebellious,

And beguile the mind of man though he is wise.

فَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَغْشَى الدِّيَارَ مُخَاطِرَاً

فَدُونَ حِمَاهَا لِلأُسُودِ نَئِيمُ

So beware lest you secretly visit their abodes,

For near their quarters lurk ferocious lions.

فَوَارِسُ لا يَعْصُونَ أَمْرَ حَمِيَّةٍ

وَلا يَرْهَبُونَ الْخَطْبَ وَهْوَ عَظِيمُ

The horsemen do not defy the command of their protector,

Nor do they fear calamity however great.

يَصُونُونَ فِي حُجْبِ الأَكِلَّةِ ظَبْيَةً

لَهَا نَسَبٌ بَيْنَ الْحِسَانِ صَمِيمُ

They guard a doe behind thick veils,

Her lineage—among the virtues—is pure.

مِنَ الْهِيفِ أَمَّا نَعْتُ مَا فِي إِزَارِهَا

فَرَابٍ وَأَمَّا خَصْرُهَا فَهَضِيمُ

As for describing what’s beneath her robes,

Some is slender, some full and plump.

أَنَاةٌ بَرَاهَا اللَّهُ فِي الْحُسْنِ آيَةً

يَدِينُ إِلَيْهَا جَاهِلٌ وَحَلِيمُ

She has, by God’s making, a sign of beauty—

To it bows ignoramus and sage.

يَمِيلُ بِهَا سُكْرُ الشَّبَابِ إِذَا مَشَتْ

كَمَا مَالَ بِالْغُصْنِ الرَّوِيِّ نَسِيمُ

When she walks the intoxication of youth inclines,

As the gentle breeze leans towards a swaying branch.

لَعَمْرُكَ مَا أَدْرِي أَدُمْيَةُ بِيعَةٍ

تَرَدَّدَ فِيهَا الْحُسْنُ أَمْ هِيَ رِيمُ

By your life! I know not if the one circulated in Bay’ah

Is a beautiful idol or an unmarried girl.

يَلُومُونَنِي أَنْ هِمْتُ وَجْداً بِحُسْنِهَا

وَأَيُّ امْرِئٍ بِالْحُسْنِ لَيْسَ يَهِيمُ

They blame me for being infatuated with her beauty,

Yet which man does not become infatuated with beauty?

وَهَلْ يَغْلِبُ الْمَرْءُ الْهَوَى وَهْوَ غَالِبٌ

وَيُخْفِي شَكَاةَ الْقَلْبِ وَهْوَ كَلِيمُ

Can a man defeat passion when it is victorious,

Or hide the agony of his heart though he is determined?

فَإِنْ أَكُ مَحْسُورَاً بِهَا فَلَرُبَّمَا

مَلَكْتُ عِنَانَ الْقَلْبِ وَهْوَ كَظِيمُ

If I am bewitched by her, there may come a day

When I restrain my heart though now it is obstinate.

وَكَابَدْتُ فِيهَا مَا لَوِ انْقَضَّ بَعْضُهُ

عَلَى جَبَلٍ لانْهَالَ مِنْهُ قَوِيمُ

I have endured for her what, were part of it

To beset a mountain, would make sturdy rocks tumble.

فَيَا رَبَّةَ الْبَيْتِ الْمَنِيعِ جِوَارُهُ

أَمَا مِنْ مُسَامٍ عِنْدَكُمْ فَأُسِيمُ

O lady of the impregnable, well-guarded house,

Is there no chink through which I can slip?

بَخِلْتِ عَلَيْنَا بِالسَّلامِ ضَنَانَةً

وَجَدُّكِ مَطْرُوقُ الْفِنَاءِ كَرِيمُ

You denied us your greetings out of miserliness,

While your neighbour's courtyard is open and generous.

فَكَيْفَ تَلُومِينِي عَلَى مَا أَصَابَنِي

مِنَ الْحُبِّ يَا لَيْلَى وَأَنْتِ غَرِيمُ

How could you blame me for what has befallen me,

Of love, O Layla, when you are the cause?

وَقَدْ عِشْتُ دَهْرَاً لا أَدِينُ لِظَالِمٍ

وَلَمْ يَحْتَكِمْ يَوْماً عَلَيَّ زَعِيمُ

I have lived an age enslaved by no tyrant,

No chieftain has ever summoned me before him.

فَأَنْتِ الَّتِي مَرَّهْتِ عَيْنِيَ بِالْبُكَا

وَأَسْقَمْتِ هَذَا الْقَلْبَ وَهْوَ سَلِيمُ

You are the one whose eyes aroused my tears

And made this heart—while it was healthy—sick.

تَنَامِينَ عَنْ لَيْلِي وَعَيْنِي قَرِيحَةٌ

وَتُشْجِينَ قَلْبِي وَهْوَ فِيكِ مُلِيمُ

You sleep heedless of my night though my eyes ache,

And kindle my heart though it is resigned to you.

مَنَحْتُكِ نَفْسِي وَهْيَ نَفْسٌ عَزِيزَةٌ

عَلَيَّ وَمَا لِي مِنْ هَوَاكِ قَسِيمُ

I gave you my soul though it is dear to me

While I have no share in your love.

فَإِنْ يَكُ جِسْمِي عَنْ فِنَائِكِ رَاحِلٌ

فَإِنَّ هَوَى قَلْبِي عَلَيْكِ مُقِيمُ

So if my body departs from your abode

The passion of my heart will remain with you.

شَكَوْتُ إِلَى مَنْ لَيْسَ يَرْحَمُ بَاكِياً

وَمَا كُلُّ مَنْ يُشْكَى إِلَيْهِ رَحِيمُ

I complained to one who does not pity the weeping,

Not every one complained to is compassionate.

فَحَتَّامَ أَلْقَى فِي الْهَوَى مَا يَسُوؤُنِي

وَأَحْمِل عِبْءَ الصَّبْرِ وَهْوَ عَظِيمُ

So, of necessity, I endure the bitterness of passion

And carry the heavy burden of patience.

وَإِنِّي لَحُرٌّ بَيْنَ قَوْمِي وَإِنَّمَا

تَعَبَّدَنِي حُلْوُ الدَّلالِ رَخِيمُ

I am free among my people, though

The sweetness of intimacy has enslaved me.

وَإِنِّي وَإِنْ كُنْتُ الْمُسَالِمَ فِي الْهَوَى

لَذُو تُدْرَإ فِي النَّائِبَاتِ خَصِيمُ

Though I submit to love I can fight adversity,

Repel the blows of fate and subdue them.

أَفُلُّ شَبَاةَ الْخَصْمِ وَهْوَ مُنَازِلٌ

وَأَرْهَبُ كَرَّ الطَّرْفِ وَهْوَ سَقِيمُ

I make the blades of adversity recoil though attacking,

And terrify the glance of the ailing eye.

أَلا قَاتَلَ اللَّهُ الْهَوَى مَا أَلَذَّهُ

عَلَى أَنَّهُ مُرُّ الْمَذَاقِ أَلِيمُ

Curse this passion—how delicious is its taste!

Though bitter it is to the mouth and painful to swallow.

طَوَيْتُ لَهُ نَفْسِي عَلَى مَا يَسُوؤُهَا

وَأَصْبَحْتُ لا يَلْوِي عَلَيَّ حَمِيمُ

I made my soul used to it though it pains her,

And I became friendless, none empathizing with me.

فَمَنْ لِي بِقَلْبٍ غَيْرِ هَذَا فَإِنَّنِي

بِهِ عِنْدَ رَوْعَاتِ الْفِرَاقِ عَلِيمُ

I have tasted of it two flavors: one is sweet,

The other—when parted—is gloomy and foul.

كَأَنِّي أُدَارِي مِنْهُ بَيْنَ جَوَانِحِي

لَظَىً حَرُّهَا يَكْوِي الْحَشَا وَيَضِيمُ

I tried true friends but did not find

One who shared its blessings and was an equal partner.

بَلَوْتُ لَهُ طَعْمَيْنِ أَمَّا مَذَاقُهُ

فَعَذْبٌ وَأَمَّا سُؤْرُهُ فَوَخِيمُ

They have whims, which vary greatly.

Caprice, throughout their friendship, is contemptible.

وَجَرَّبْتُ إِخْوَانَ الصَّفَاءِ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ

صَدِيقاً لَهُ فِي الطَّيِّبَاتِ قَسِيمُ

Whom can man trust when betrayal is an attribute

Of every son of womankind, and loyalty fruitless?

لَهُمْ نَزَوَاتٌ بَيْنَهُنَّ تَفَاوُتٌ

وَعَنٌّ عَلَى طُولِ اللِّقَاءِ ذَمِيمُ

So depend on God alone for what you desire,

For He is compassionate.

بِمَنْ يَثِقُ الإِنْسَانُ وَالْغَدْرُ شِيمَةٌ

لِكُلِّ ابْنِ أُنْثَى وَالْوَفَاءُ عَقِيمُ

Do not grieve at an affliction brought you by fate,

For after misery comes bliss.

فَلا تَعْتَمِدْ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ فِي الَّذِي

تَوَدُّ مِنَ الْحَاجَاتِ فَهْوَ رَحِيمُ

Trees become verdant after losing their leaves,

And the stem of plants turns green though withered.

وَلا تَبْتَئِسْ مِنْ مِحْنَةٍ سَاقَهَا الْقَضَا

إِلَيْكَ فَكَمْ بُؤْسٍ تَلاهُ نَعِيمُ

When God wills to answer a need,

It comes to you in no time though you are staying put.

فَقَدْ تُورِقُ الأَشْجَارُ بَعْدَ ذُبُولِهَا

وَيَخْضَرُّ سَاقُ النَّبْتِ وَهْوَ هَشِيمُ

إِذَا مَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ إِتْمَامَ حَاجَةٍ

أَتَتْكَ عَلَى وَشْكٍ وَأَنْتَ مُقِيمُ