هَل أَنتَ إِن بَكَرَ الأَحِبَّةُ غادي
أَم قَبلَ ذَلِكَ مُدلَجٌ بِسَوادِ
Will you leave if lovers depart at dawn,
Or were you cloaked in darkness before then?
كَيفَ الثَواءُ بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما
هَمَّ الَّذينَ تُحِبُّ بِالإِنجادِ
How fares your abode in Mecca's belly, now that
Those you love scheme to abandon and flee?
هَمّوا بِبُعدٍ مِنكَ غَيرِ تَقَرُّبٍ
شَتّانَ بَينَ القُربِ وَالإِبعادِ
They plot to leave you, no thought of return-
Worlds apart, nearness and distance to be!
لا كَيفَ قَلبُكَ إِن ثَوَيتَ مُخامِراً
سَقَماً خِلافَهُمُ وَحُزنُكَ بادي
What of your heart if you remain, lovesick,
Ill with grief while they gladly take their leave?
قَد كُنتَ قَبلُ وَهُم لِأَهلِكَ جيرَةٌ
صَبّاً تُطيفُ بِهِم كَأَنَّكَ صادي
Once neighbors of your family, caring as kin-
A spring shower that used to come and weave
هَيمانُ يَمنَعُهُ السُقاةُ حياضَهُم
حَيرانُ يَرقُبُ غَفلَةَ الوُرّادِ
Through them-but shepherds now deny you rills,
As you watch for the water-bearers to thieve
فَالآنَ إِذ جُدَّ الرَحيلُ وَقُرِّبَت
بُزلُ الجِمالِ لِطِيَّةٍ وَبِعادِ
A moment's neglect. Exile looms, the camels
Are loaded, your friends begin to take their leave.
وَلَقَد أَرى أَن لَيسَ ذَلِكَ نافِعي
ما عِشتُ عِندَكِ في هَوىً وَوِدادِ
I see it helps me not, what I have lived
Loving you, enjoying your friendship's reprieve.
وَلَقَد مَنَحتُ الوُدَّ مِنّي لَم يَكُن
مِنكُم إِلَيَّ بِما فَعَلتُ أَيادي
The affection I gave was not returned-
No act of yours resembled my naïve
إِنّي لَأَترُكُ مَن يَجودُ بِنَفسِهِ
وَمُوَكَّلٌ بِوِصالِ كُلِّ جَمادِ
Gifts. I leave those who boast of generosity
While Fate controls all meetings, each eve.
يا لَيلَ إِنّي واصِلي أَو فَاِصرِمي
عَلِقَت بِحُبِّكُمُ بَناتُ فُؤادي
O night, join me to them or keep us apart!
For love of them pierces my soul, I do grieve.
كَم قَد عَصيتُ إِلَيكِ مِن مُتَنَصِّحٍ
خانَ القَرابَةَ أَو أَعانَ أَعادي
How often I ignored well-meaning advice
Shunned kin, aided hostile hands to weave
وَتَنوفَةٍ أَرمي بِنَفسي عَرضَها
شَوقاً إِلَيكِ بِلا هِدايَةِ هادي
Ruin. Desire draws me to Teenova, though it
May destroy me, lacking a guide to relieve
ما إِن بِها لي غَيرَ سَيفي صاحِبٌ
وَذِراعُ حَرفٍ كَالهِلالِ وِسادي
My madness. With me only my sword and the strength
Of one hand, slender as the moon's curving glaive.
بِمُعَرَّسٍ فيهِ إِذا ما مَسَّهُ
جِلدي خُشونَةُ مَضجَعٍ وَبِعادِ
My resting place pricks my skin when I lie down,
Now that longing and exile my mind do cleave.
قَمنٍ مِنَ الحَدَثانِ تُمسي أُسدُهُ
هُدءَ الظَلامِ كَثيرَةَ الإيعادِ
My camel hides snarling lions in her womb,
Who haunt the darkness with promises to thieve
بِالوَجدِ أَغدَرُ ما يَكونُ وَبِالبُكا
وَبِرِحلَةٍ مِن طِيَّةٍ وَبِلادِ
My soul. With passion, tears and distant roads
I rave.
