لِي صَاحِبٌ في مُهْجَتي وَقَرَارِي
نُورٌ يُضَاهِي جَذْوَةَ الأنْوارِ
I have a bosom friend who brings me joy
A light as brilliant as the glow of lamps
إِنْ قُمْتُ فِي صَدَحٍ يُغَرِّدُ صَادِحًا
أَكْرِمْ بِهِ مِنْ مُؤْنِسٍ نَوَّارِ
When I'm relaxing, he sings merrily
Honor him, a delightful companion
فِي عُسْرَةِ الأَحْدَاثِ يُشْرِق بَاسِمًا،
عِنْدَ الكُرُوبِ كَمُقْدِمٍ مِغْوَارِ
In difficult times he shines optimistically
Consoling me when gloom prevails
أَبْغِيهِ فِي ضَرَمٍ فَيُسْرِعُ حَامِلاً
بَرْدَ النَّسِيمِ بِضَوْعِهِ المِعْطَارِ
I seek him in sickness, he comes quickly
With the cool breeze in his sweet-scented robe
يَسْتَلُّنِي مِنْ كُلِّ أدْهَمَ غَائِرٍ
سَنَدًا يُجَابِهُ ثَوْرَةَ الأَخْطَارِ
He rescues me from every deep gloom
A support against the raging storms
تِلْكَ المَوَدَّةُ لَيْسَ يَنْضُو ثَوْبُهَا
وَيْحِي إِذَا فَتِئَتْ بِغَيْرِ سِتَارِ
Such affection has no veil or cover
That could conceal it from the eyes of strangers
فِي لَيْلَةٍ دَهْمَاءَ لُمْلِمَ شَمْلُنَا
فِي مَجْلِسٍ دَسِمٍ مِنَ الأفْكَارِ
On a dark night, our circle gathered intimately
In a session rich with ideas
نَتَبَادَلُ الأَسْمَارَ نَبْغِي فُسْحَةً
وَنَحُوكُهَا نَسَقًا مِنَ الأَخْبَارِ
We exchange tales, seeking entertainment
And news streams forth steadily
تَتَسَابَقُ السَّاعَاتُ نَرْجُو وَقْفَهَا
فَنُحِيلُهَا ذِكْرَی مِنَ الإِسْرارِ
The hours race by, we wish they'd linger
To turn them into intimate conversation
فَإِذَا فَتَاةُ الغَيْبِ تَظْهَرُ خِلْسَةً
تَدْنُو، بَهَاهَا قِبْلَةُ الأَنْظَارِ
Then the ghost of absent ones appears
Drawing close the kisses of every eye
وَاللَّحْظُ يَخْتَرِقُ الفُؤَادَ كَأَسْهُمٍ
وَالأَنْفُ حُدَّ كَصَارِمٍ بَتَّارِ
Gazes pierce the heart like arrows
Noses keen as unsheathed blades
تَرْنُو إِلَى نَحْوٍ بِطَرْفٍ سَاكِنٍ
مِنْ سَاحِرٍ بَلْ فَاتِكٍ قَهَّارِ
Eyes turn to a still glance
Of a sorcerer, nay, a formidable conqueror
يَبْدُو عَلَى يَدِهَا سِوَارٌ نَاعِمُ
وَإِنِ اِكْتَفَتْ بِالحُسْنِ دُونَ سِوَارِ
On her hand shines a delicate bracelet
Though beauty alone would suffice, lacking jewelry
والقَدُّ مَيَّاسٌ كَأَخْضَرَ يَافِعٍ
فِي أَبْطَحٍ قَفْرٍ وَفَيْضِ ثِمَارِ
The figure slim as the tender sapling
In an arid expanse now bearing fruit
جَلَسَتْ تُجَاذِبُنَا الحَدِيثَ كَأَنَّهَا
مَلِكٌ عَلَى عَرْشٍ ونَهرٍ جَارِ
She sits conversing, as though a queen
On a throne by a flowing river
تَتَرَبَّصُ الهَمَسَاتِ مِنْ أفْوَاهِنَا
كَتَرَبُّصِ النَّحْلَاتِ بِالأَزْهَارِ
Awaiting whispers from our mouths
As bees wait for flowers to open
ضَرَبَتْ بأَطْرَافِ الحَدِيثِ تُحِيكُهُ
بِغِوَايَةِ الهَاوِي وَنَجْوَى السَّارِي
She spins her talk with the guile of the obsessed
The murmur of the infatuated, the secret tale
تَسْتَنْطِقُ الرَّغَبَاتِ مِنْ أَفْكَارِنَا
وَإِذَا نَطَقْنَا أَعْرَضَتْ بِجِهَارِ
Prompting desires from our fiery imaginations
Yet when we speak, she turns away blatantly
تَرْمِي إِلَى غَزْلِ الحَدِيثِ ولُطْفِهِ
مَا هَمَّهَا مِنْ عِبْرَةٍ وَحِوَارِ
She lingers on the flirtation and charm of talk
Caring not for moral lessons or discourse
حِينَ استَقَرَّ نِصَابُهَا وَتَوَجَّسَتْ
ظَفَراً بِلُبِّ خَيَالِنَا الفَوَّارِ
When she feels her bait has been taken
And our fanciful minds lie exposed
أَخَذَتْ تُحَاكِي حُسْنَها وَبَهاءَهَا
نَطَقَتْ بِلَا خَجَلٍ، وبِاسْتِهْتَارِ:
She proceeds presuming her beauty and charm
Speaking shamelessly, arrogantly:
نَسْتَلُّ أَفْئِدَةَ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ الهَوَى
وَخَيَالَكمْ مِنْ فَيْضِنَا المِدْرارِ
"We steal the hearts of men through love
And your visions, from our ceaseless overflowing
تَرمِي العُيونُ قُلُوبَكُمْ مِنْ نَظْرَةٍ
كَالفَاتِكَاتِ بِمشْعَلٍ من نَارِ
Eyes defeat your hearts with a glance
Like warriors with flames of fire
مِنْ عَذْبَةٍ، مِنْ حُلْوَةٍ مَيَّاسَةٍ
نَسْبِي القُلُوبَ بِسِحْرِنَا الجَبّارِ
With sweetness and melting softness
We capture hearts by our supreme sorcery
مِنْ فَاتِنَاتٍ قَدْ أَبَحْنَ بِزِينَةٍ
أو يَحتَجِبْنَ بِساترٍ وَخِمَارِ
Beauties who show their glittering adornment
Or veil it in modesty's cloak and headscarf
نَقْتَاتُ مَا نَقْتَاتُ مِنْ عُشَّاقِكُمْ
وَنَصُدُّكُمُ هَدَرًا كَنَثْرِ غُبَارِ
We thrive on the passion of your love
Repelling you as scattered dust
وَإِذَا أَصَابَ العِشْقُ مِنَّا مَقْتَلاً
تُهْنَا هَوًى فِي لُجَّةٍ وقِفارِ
And when love strikes down with death
We indifferently wander in desolation and ruins"
أخَذَا بِشَوْقٍ يَسْمَعَانِ حَدِيثِهَا
وَالتَفَّتِ الأَفْكَارُ بِالأَفْكَارِ
The two listen spellbound to her words
Thoughts racing to thoughts
يَتَسَابَقَانِ عَلَى رُبىً وَرْدِيَّةٍ
وَسُفُوحُهَا ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الأَسْرَارِ
Competing to reach a rosy hill
Whose slopes are veiled in mystery
وَمَضَتْ فَتَاةُ الغَيْبِ تُمْطِرُ وَابِلًا
وَتَفَرَّقَ الأَصْحَابُ فِي الإعْصَارِ
The phantom girl unleashes a flood
And friends disperse in the storm's fury
مَا هَمَّها أَنْ يَسْتَمِيتَا رَغْبَةً
فِيهَا.. فَيَا لقَسَاوَةِ الْأَقْدَارِ!
Caring not if they die longing for her
Oh, the cruelty of fate!
