أَتلكُ قُدودٌ أَم غصونٌ مَوائدُ

أَتلكُ قُدودٌ أَم غصونٌ مَوائدُ

ونَورُ نضيدٌ فوقَها أم قلائدُ

ونَورُ نضيدٌ فوقَها أم قلائدُ

Are those figures, or swaying boughs?

Are those slender branches or dining tables laid,

And are those clustered blossoms above them, or necklaces?

And is that gentle light shining above them garlands?

وهاتيكَ غيدٌ آنساتٌ نواعمُ

وهاتيكَ غيدٌ آنساتٌ نواعمُ

بدت أَم ظباءٌ نافراتٌ شَواردُ

بدت أَم ظباءٌ نافراتٌ شَواردُ

And are those supple, companionable, tender maidens

And are these maidens, delicate and tender,

who have appeared, or skittish, straying gazelles?

Or wild gazelles, shy and fleeing?

خَليليَّ ما ملَّت سَقامي عَوائدي

خَليليَّ ما ملَّت سَقامي عَوائدي

لَوَ انَّ اللَّيالي السَّالفاتِ عوائدُ

لَوَ انَّ اللَّيالي السَّالفاتِ عوائدُ

My two friends, my sickbed visitors have not tired of my illness;

My beloved, though the old ways no longer please me,

if only the nights gone by would return!

If only past nights would return as before!

وبالجِزعِ من ميثاءَ دونَ مُحجَّرٍ

وبالجِزعِ من ميثاءَ دونَ مُحجَّرٍ

رُسومٌ نأىَ عَهدي بها ومَعاهدُ

رُسومٌ نأىَ عَهدي بها ومَعاهدُ

And at the valley bend of Maythāʾ, this side of Muḥajjar,

In sorrow for the pact near the sacred stones -

lie traces—long has it been since I knew them—and familiar haunts,

Customs from which my people have strayed.

وملعبُ ريمٍ رامَ رامي جُفونهِ

وملعبُ ريمٍ رامَ رامي جُفونهِ

هَلاكي فَأضحى القدُّ وهو مُساعدُ

هَلاكي فَأضحى القدُّ وهو مُساعدُ

and the playground of a white gazelle whose eyelids' archer sought

The glances of Rim still play and dart about,

my ruin; his figure then became an accomplice.

Though they were my ruin - how strange that they aid!

مَريضُ مجَالِ الطَّرفِ أمَّا لحاظهُ

مَريضُ مجَالِ الطَّرفِ أمَّا لحاظهُ

أُسودُ وأمَّا شَعرهُ فأساودُ

أُسودُ وأمَّا شَعرهُ فأساودُ

Languid is the sweep of his gaze; as for his glances,

Sick from the blow of his gaze is my state,

they are lions; and as for his hair, it is black serpents.

His hair raven dark, his cheek jet black in its shade.

يزيدُ به سُقمي ودمعيَ جعفَرٌ

يزيدُ به سُقمي ودمعيَ جعفَرٌ

وَيحيى به حُزني ووجدَي خالدُ

وَيحيى به حُزني ووجدَي خالدُ

Through him my sickness grows, and my tears are a river;

Ja'far adds to my sickness, my tears overflow,

through him my sorrow lives, and my longing is everlasting.

While Khalid's sorrow and passion relieve my pain.

أفاضحَ بَدرِ التِّمِّ والبَدرُ مُشرقٌ

أفاضحَ بَدرِ التِّمِّ والبَدرُ مُشرقٌ

ومُخجلَ غُصنِ البانِ والغُصنُ مائدُ

ومُخجلَ غُصنِ البانِ والغُصنُ مائدُ

O you who put the full moon to shame while the moon shines,

The full moon shines though shamed is its brilliance,

and make the bān-tree's bough blush while the bough sways,

And the slender bough though humbled its fruits remain.

بحقِّ الهوَى إِلاَّ رثيتَ لعاشقٍ

بحقِّ الهوَى إِلاَّ رثيتَ لعاشقٍ

تُقسمُه الأَفكارُ والنَّجمُ شاهدُ

تُقسمُه الأَفكارُ والنَّجمُ شاهدُ

for love's sake, will you not pity a lover

For love's sake lament for a lover whose being

whom thoughts tear apart, while the star bears witness?

Is sworn by the stars, the thoughts bear witness the same.

لهُ أضُلعٌ حرَّى عليكَ وأدمعٌ

لهُ أضُلعٌ حرَّى عليكَ وأدمعٌ

مُورَّدةٌ في الخدِّ منها مَواردُ

مُورَّدةٌ في الخدِّ منها مَواردُ

He has ribs burning for you, and tears

With ribs aflame for you, and tears down his cheeks streaming,

rose-red, with watering places on his cheek fed by them.

My defenders draw near to you, as my envoys they came.