هَوَتِ الْعَقيقَ وما هَوَتْ فَكَأَنَّها

وَقَفَتْ وَما وَقَفَتْ بِغَيْرِ الأَجْرَعِ

The carnelian fell, though it seemed as if

It stood still - without having been tripped by precipice or height.

فَتَعُجُّ إنْ جَرَّدْتَها وتَضِجُّ إنْ

حَمَّلْتَها وتَبِيتُ دُونَ الْمَوْضِعِ

So it moans if you strip it bare, and it wails if

You load it, and it spends the night far from its abode.

يا بَرْقُ قَدْ أجْرَيْتَ بَحْرَ مَدامِعِي

وشَبَبْتَ نارَ الْوَجْد بَيْنَ الأَضْلُعِ

O lightning, you have spurred on the sea of my tears,

And ignited the fire of passion in my ribs,

وَأَطَرْتَ باللّمَعانِ طَيْرَ نُزوعِها

فَيُسِفُّ وَهْوَ أَخُو الْجَناحِ الأَقْطَعِ

And fluttered about with gleams the bird of her caprice,

So she swoons, she with the wing of the broken one.

وأَثَرْتَ نَارَ الشَّوْقِ وَهْيَ مناخة

فَتَخِبُّ وَهْيَ عَلَى الْحَضِيضِ الأَوْضَعِ

You have sparked the fire of longing while it was well-established,

So it dwindles while it remains in the lowliest place.

لم تَدْرِ مّما هاجَها ما هاجَها

فَتَعَسَّفتْ أُثْبَاجَ ظَهْرِ الْبَلْقعِ

She did not know what aroused her, what aroused her,

So she was willful upon the back of the long-necked one.

هَجَرَتْ معاهِدَها ولم تَظْفَرْ بِما

طَلَبَتْ وَقَدْ نَكَرَتْ طَرِيقَ الْمَرْجعِ

She shunned her treaties and did not gain what

She sought, and she denied the way back.

ذَهِلَتْ فلا الْمَنْشَاءَ تَأْلَفُهُ وَلا

حَظِيَتْ لَدَى لَيْلَى بِكَشْفِ الْبُرْقُعِ

She was shocked so she finds no joy in companionship

And was not graced at Layla's with the unveiling.

يا مَنْ تَقْطَّعَ في الْغَرامِ فُؤادُهُ

وَغَدا الْغَريقَ بِفَيْض ثَبْجِ الأَدْمُعِ

O you whose heart was torn apart by love

And who became drowned by a torrent of flowing tears,

كَيْفَ السُّلُوُّ عَنِ الْمَلِيحَةِ بَعْدما

هَبَطَتْ إليكَ مِنَ الْمَحلِّ الأَرْفَعِ

How can you find peace away from the beautiful one after she

Came down to you from the highest abode?

يا عمرو دُلَّ عَلَى الْعَقيقِ وأهْلِهِ

فَلَقَدْ تَضَايق كُلُّ فَيْحٍ أَوْسَعِ

O Amr, point the way to the carnelian and its people

For every broad expanse has grown constricted.

واعْذُرْ فَبَثُّ حديثِ لَيْلَى زَلَّةٌ

في شَرْعِها لِمُحبِّها الْمُتَشَرّعِ

And excuse me - telling the tale of Layla was a slip

In her law, by her lover who holds himself bound by it.

كَتَّمْتُهُ فَأَبَى وَذَا شَأْنُ الْهَوَى

يا ناصِحي قَدْ ذَاعَ لُمْنِي أَوْ دَعِ

I concealed it but it refused containment - such is the way of passion,

My friend, so my shame has spread whether I stay silent or speak.

الصَّخْرُ وَهْوَ الصَّخْرُ لا يَقْوَى عَلَى

هَذَا فَكَيْفَ بِقَلْبِيَ المتَصَدِّعِ

The rock, though it be rock, cannot withstand

This - so how can my fragmented heart?