هَلْ مِنْ طَبِيبٍ لِدَاءِ الْحُبِّ أَوْ رَاقِي

يَشْفِي عَلِيلاً أَخَا حُزْنٍ وَإِيرَاقِ

Is there a doctor for the disease of love, or a healer

Who can heal a brother, sad and tearful?

قَدْ كَانَ أَبْقَى الْهَوَى مِنْ مُهْجَتِي رَمَقاً

حَتَّى جَرَى الْبَيْنُ فَاسْتَوْلَى عَلَى الْبَاقِي

Love had been the most lasting thing in my bosom,

Until separation flowed and took over the rest.

حُزْنٌ بَرَانِي وَأَشْوَاقٌ رَعَتْ كَبِدِي

يَا وَيْحَ نَفْسِيَ مِنْ حُزْنٍ وَأَشْوَاقِ

Sorrow has afflicted me and longing has grazed my liver.

Oh, woe to my soul from sorrow and longing!

أُكَلِّفُ النَّفْسَ صَبْرَاً وَهْيَ جَازِعَةٌ

وَالصَّبْرُ فِي الحُبِّ أَعْيَا كُلَّ مُشْتَاقِ

I obligate myself to patience while it despairs,

But patience in love has tired every lover.

لا فِي سَرَنْدِيبَ لِي خِلٌّ أَلُوذُ بِهِ

وَلا أَنِيسٌ سِوَى هَمِّي وَإِطْرَاقِي

I have no friend in Serendib to take refuge with,

And no intimate but my worries and my vigilance.

أَبِيتُ أَرْعَى نُجُومَ اللَّيْلِ مُرْتَفِقَاً

فِي قُنَّةٍ عَزَّ مَرْقَاهَا عَلَى الرَّاقِي

I spend the night grazing the stars, anxious,

In a reed bed that getting to is hard for one who would ascend.

تَقَلَّدَتْ مِنْ جُمَانِ الشَّهْبِ مِنْطَقَةً

مَعْقُودَةً بِوِشَاحٍ غَيْرِ مِقْلاقِ

As if the star Althurayya while it wavers

Below the crescent were a lamp shining in an arch.

كَأَنَّ نَجْمَ الثُّرَيَّا وَهْوَ مُضْطَرِبٌ

دُونَ الْهِلالِ سِرَاجٌ لاحَ فِي طَاقِ

O Nile bank blooming with none to pick it

Nor sky with clouds returning to water it,

يَا رَوْضَةَ النِّيلِ لا مَسَّتْكِ بَائِقَةٌ

وَلا عَدَتْكِ سَمَاءٌ ذَاتُ أَغْدَاقِ

Nor ceasing to be in gowns of leaves

In silk of fragrant crimson sheen dazzling bright!

وَلا بَرِحْتِ مِنَ الأَوْرَاقِ فِي حُلَلٍ

مِنْ سُنْدُسٍ عَبْقَرِيِّ الْوَشْيِ بَرَّاقِ

What bliss if a gentle breeze bore fragrance

Drifting along a stream gurgling and rippling.

يَا حَبَّذَا نَسَمٌ مِنْ جَوِّهَا عَبِقٌ

يَسْرِي عَلَى جَدْوَلٍ بِالْمَاءِ دَفَّاقِ

But greater bliss still is a thirsty she-camel

There at dawn with tinkling bell and bright necklace.

بَلْ حَبَّذَا دَوْحَةٌ تَدْعُوالْهَدِيلَ بِهَا

عِنْدَ الصَّبَاحِ قَمَارِيٌّ بِأَطْوَاقِ

Pasture of my steeds, abode of my neighbors and haven

Of my clan, cradle of my manners and boughs.

مَرْعَى جِيَادِي ومَأْوَى جِيرَتِي وَحِمَى

قَوْمِي وَمَنْبِتُ آدَابِي وَأَعْرَاقِي

I yearn for it from afar and I love

That with it I live dressed in an unsewn cloak.

أَصْبُو إِلَيْهَا عَلَى بُعْدٍ وَيُعْجِبُنِي

أَنِّي أَعِيشُ بِهَا فِي ثَوْبِ إِمْلاقِ

How can I forget a land where I left

Kinsmen I treasure, for whom my affection and care?

وَكَيْفَ أَنْسَى دِيَارَاً قَدْ تَرَكْتُ بِهَا

أَهْلاً كِرَاماً لَهُمْ وُدِّي وَإِشْفَاقِي

When I recall days I spent among them

My tears flow at sunset in torrents.

إِذَا تَذَكَّرْتُ أَيَّامَاً بِهِمْ سَلَفَتْ

تَحَدَّرَتْ بِغُرُوبِ الدَّمْعِ آمَاقِي

Ho, carrier pigeon, give my family my greetings

And say that still I keep my vow and my pact.

فَيَا بَرِيدَ الصَّبَا بَلِّغْ ذَوِي رَحِمِي

أَنِّي مُقِيمٌ عَلَى عَهْدِي وَمِيثَاقِي

And if you pass by the Nilometer bear him

From me the greeting of a soul deep and sincere,

وَإِنْ مَرَرْتَ عَلَى الْمِقْيَاسِ فَاهْدِ لَهُ

مِنِّي تَحِيَّةَ نَفْسٍ ذَاتِ أَعْلاقِ

While you, ho crested lark that mourns what is past

May yourself be redeemed from one bough to the next!

وَأَنْتَ يَا طَائِرَاً يَبْكِي عَلَى فَنَنٍ

نَفْسِي فِدَاؤُكَ مِنْ سَاقٍ عَلَى سَاقِ

You made me recall days gone when still we were

Gathered in Egypt, though war had not marched.

أَذْكَرْتَنِي مَا مَضَى وَالشَّمْلُ مُجْتَمِعٌ

بِمِصْرَ وَالْحَرْبُ لَمْ تَنْهَضْ عَلَى سَاقِ

Days I roamed trailing the train

Of my robe amongst the noblest youths vying to win.

أَيَّامَ أَسْحَبُ أَذْيَالَ الصِّبَا مَرِحاً

فِي فِتْيَةٍ لِطَرِيقِ الْخَيْرِ سُبَّاقِ

Ah, what memories - passion kindled among them,

A fire that crept among flesh, nerves, bones and brains!

فَيَا لَهَا ذُكْرَةً شَبَّ الْغَرَامُ بِهَا

نَاراً سَرَتْ بَيْنَ أَرْدَانِي وَأَطْوَاقِي

An era gone by, but it left in my heart a love

That almost consumes my insides and sets them aflame.

عَصْرٌ تَوَلَّى وَأَبْقَى في الْفُؤَادِ هَوىً

يَكَادُ يَشْمَلُ أَحْشَائِي بِإِحْرَاقِ

We are subject to the nights in all their vicissitudes

And wield no power over fortune or mishap.

وَالْمَرْءُ طَوْعُ اللَّيَالِي فِي تَصَرُّفِهَا

لا يَمْلِكُ الأَمْرَ مِنْ نُجْحٍ وَإِخْفَاقِ

Upon me is the wont of the shimmering lightning,

Whenever it gleams, regardless what miser denies.

عَلَيَّ شَيْمُ الْغَوَادِي كُلَّمَا بَرَقَتْ

وَمَا عَلَيَّ إِذَا ضَنَّتْ بِرَقْرَاقِ

So let no envious critic vex himself over a fate

Decreed inevitable - my God alone guides my steps.

فَلا يَعِبْنِي حسُودٌ أَنْ جَرَى قَدَرٌ

فَلَيْسَ لِي غَيْرُ مَا يَقْضِيهِ خَلَّاقِي

I yielded myself to a Guardian unfailing -

Truly He shields from the world and is its Preserver.

أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي لِمَوْلَىً لا يَخِيبُ لَهُ

رَاجٍ عَلَى الدَّهْرِ وَالْمَوْلَى هُوَ الْوَاقِي

That thought has lightened my burden since I am a man

Meeting with the days all that every soul will meet.

وَهَوَّنَ الْخَطْبَ عِنْدِي أَنَّنِي رَجُلٌ

لاقٍ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ مَا كُلُّ امْرِئٍ لاقِي

Heart, patience! Sweet patience! All is fore-ordained

To touch man with fortune and freedom alike.

يَا قَلْبُ صَبْراً جَمِيلاً إِنَّهُ قَدَرٌ

يَجْرِي عَلَى الْمَرْءِ مِنْ أَسْرٍ وَإِطْلاقِ

No escape from relief after straits end

For all dark nights and the dawn must break.

لا بُدَّ لِلضِّيقِ بَعْدَ الْيَأْسِ مِنْ فَرَجٍ

وَكُلُّ دَاجِيَةٍ يَومَاً لإِشْرَاقِ