1. أَبَتِ الوِصالَ مَخافَةَ الرُقَباءِ

    وَأَتَتكَ تَحتَ مَدارِعِ الظُلَماءِ

    She refused union for fear of the watchers,

    and came to you beneath the robes of darkness.

  2. أَصَفَتكَ مِن بَعدِ الصُدودِ مَوَدَّةً

    وَكَذا الدَواءُ يَكونُ بَعدَ الداءِ

    She bestowed pure affection on you after turning away,

    and so the cure comes after the ailment.

  3. أَحيَت بِزَورَتِها النُفوسَ وَطالَما

    ضَنَّت بِها فَقَضَت عَلى الأَحياءِ

    She revived souls with her visit, though for so long

    she had withheld it, bringing death upon the living.

  4. أَنتَ بِلَيلٍ وَالنُجومِ كَأَنَّها

    دُرَرٌ بِباطِنِ خَيمَةٍ زَرقاءِ

    You are in the night, and the stars seem

    like pearls inside a blue tent.

  5. أَمسَت تُعاطيني المُدامَ وَبَينَنا

    عَتبٌ غَنيتُ بِهِ عَنِ الصَهباءِ

    At evening she offered me wine, and between us

    was reproach that left me no need for tawny wine.

  6. أَبكي وَأَشكو ما لَقيتُ فَتَلتَهي

    عَن دُرِّ أَلفاظي بَدُرِّ بُكاءِ

    I weep and lament what I have suffered, so she is distracted

    from the pearls of my words by the pearls of weeping.

  7. آبَت إِلى جَسَدي لِتَنظُرَ ما اِنتَهَت

    مِن بَعدِها فيهِ يَدُ البُرَحاءِ

    She returned to my body to see how far

    the hand of anguish had reached within it since her departure.

  8. أَلفَت بِهِ وَقعَ الصَفاحِ فَراعَها

    جَزَعاً ما نَظَرَت جَراحَ حَشائي

    She found sword-blows upon it, and was terrified

    with dismay by the wounds she saw in my innermost heart.

  9. أَمُصيبَةً مِنّا بِنَبلِ لِحاظِها

    ما أَخطَأَتهُ أَسِنَّةُ الأَعداءِ

    O woman who strikes us with the arrows of her glances,

    where the enemies' spearheads missed!

  10. أَعَجِبتِ مِمّا قَد رَأَيتِ وَفي الحَشا

    أَضعافُ ما عايَنتِ في الأَعضاءِ

    Were you amazed at what you saw, though within my heart

    lies many times what you witnessed in my limbs?

  11. أُمسي وَلَستُ بِسالِمٍ مِن طَعنَةٍ

    نَجلاءَ أَو مِن مُقلَةٍ كَحلاءِ

    I pass the evening, never safe from a wound

    gaping wide, or from a kohl-darkened eye.

  12. إِنَّ الصَوارِمَ وَاللِحاظَ تَعاهَدا

    أَن لا أَزالَ مُزَمَّلاً بِدِمائي

    Indeed, sharp swords and glances have made a pact

    that I shall always be swathed in my blood.

  13. أَجَنَت عَليَّ بِما رَأَيتِ مَعاشِرٌ

    نَظَروا إِلَيَّ بِمُقلَةٍ عَمياءِ

    Have groups inflicted on me what you saw,

    those who looked at me with a blind eye?

  14. أَكسَبتُهُم مالي فَمُذ طَلَبوا دَمي

    لَم أَشكُهُم إِلّا إِلى البَيداءِ

    I enriched them with my wealth; then, when they sought my blood,

    I complained of them to none but the desert.

  15. أَبعَدتُ عَن أَرضِ العِراقِ رَكائِبي

    مُتَنَقِّلاً كَتَنَقُّلِ الأَفياءِ

    I drove my riding camels far from the land of Iraq,

    wandering like the shifting shadows.

  16. أَرجو بِقَطعِ البيدِ قَطعَ مَطامِعي

    وَأَرومُ بِالمَنصورِ نَصرَ لِوائي

    I hope, by crossing deserts, to cut off my desires,

    and seek through al-Mansur victory for my banner.

  17. أَدرَكتُهُ فَجَعَلتُ أَلثَمُ فَرحَةً

    بِوُصولِهِ أَخفافَ نوقِ رَجائي

    I reached him and began to kiss, rejoicing

    at reaching him, the padded feet of my hope's she-camels.

  18. أَضحى يُهَنّيني الزَمانُ بِقَصدِهِ

    وَيُشيرُ كَفُّ العِزِّ بِالإِيماءِ

    Time began congratulating me on seeking him,

    and the hand of glory beckons with a gesture.

  19. أَومَت إِلَيَّ مُشيرَةً أَن لا تَخَف

    وَابشِر فَإِنَّكَ في ذُرى العَلياءِ

    It motioned to me, signaling: Do not fear,

    and rejoice, for you are on the heights of glory.

  20. أَبِمارِدَينَ تَخافُ خَطفَةَ مارِدٍ

    وَشِهابُها في القَلعَةِ الشَهباءِ

    Do you fear a demon's snatch in Mardin,

    when its shooting star is in the gray citadel?

  21. أُلهيتُ عَن قَومي بِمَلِكٍ عِندَهُ

    تَنسى البَنونَ فَضائِلَ الآباءِ

    I was diverted from my people by a king in whose presence

    sons forget their fathers' virtues.

  22. إِنّي تَرَكتُ الناسَ حينَ وَجَدتُهُ

    تَركَ التَيَمُّمِ في وُجودِ الماءِ

    Indeed, I left other people when I found him,

    as one abandons dust ablution when water is available.

  23. المُرتَقي فَلَكَ الفَخارِ إِذا اِغتَدى

    وَإِذا بَدا فَالناسُ كَالحِرباءِ

    He ascends the sphere of glory when he sets out in the morning,

    and when he appears, people are like chameleons.

  24. أَفنى جُيوشَ عُداتِهِ بِخَوافِقِ ال

    راياتِ بَل بِسَواكِنِ الآراءِ

    He annihilated his enemies' armies with the fluttering

    banners—rather, with unwavering counsels.

  25. أَسيافُهُ نِقَمٌ عَلى أَعدائِهِ

    وَأَكَفُّهُ نِعَمٌ عَلى الفُقَراءِ

    His swords are punishments for his enemies,

    and his palms are blessings for the poor.

  26. إِن حَلَّ حَلَّ النَهبُ في أَركانِهِ

    أَو سارَ سارَ الخُلفُ في الأَعداءِ

    If he settles, booty settles within his quarters;

    or if he marches, discord marches among his enemies.

  27. أُمُجَندِلَ الأَبطالِ بَل يا مُنتَهى

    الآمالِ بَل يا كَعبَةَ الشُعَراءِ

    O feller of champions—rather, O ultimate goal

    of hopes—rather, O Kaaba of poets!

  28. أَقبَلتُ نَحوَكَ في سَوادِ مَطالِبي

    حَتّى أَتَتني بِاليَدِ البَيضاءِ

    I came toward you amid the darkness of my quests,

    until they came to me with the white hand of favor.

  29. أُرقي إِلى عَرشِ الرَجا رَبَّ النَدى

    فَكَأَنَّ يَومي لَيلَةُ الإِسراءِ

    I raise the lord of bounty to the throne of hope,

    so my day seems like the night of the Night Journey.