يُذكِّرني برقُ الحِمى المتألَّقُ

يُذكِّرني برقُ الحِمى المتألَّقُ

زماناً تولَّى بالحمَى وهوَ مُونِقُ

زماناً تولَّى بالحمَى وهوَ مُونِقُ

The gleaming lightning of al-Ḥimā reminds me

The gleaming lightning over the protected grounds reminds me

of a lovely time at al-Ḥimā, now gone.

of a delightful time gone by in those grounds.

ويرتاحُ قلبي للنَّسيم إِذا سَرىَ

ويرتاحُ قلبي للنَّسيم إِذا سَرىَ

ويُطرِبُني ذاك الحمَامُ المطوَّقُ

ويُطرِبُني ذاك الحمَامُ المطوَّقُ

My heart thrills to the breeze when it journeys by night,

And my heart rejoices in the breeze when it blows by night,

and that ring-necked dove enraptures me.

and those ring-necked doves fill me with rapture.

سقَى بانةَ الجرعاءِ إن أَخَلفَ الحَيا

سقَى بانةَ الجرعاءِ إن أَخَلفَ الحَيا

وضَنَّ حَياً من عَبرتي يتدفَّقُ

وضَنَّ حَياً من عَبرتي يتدفَّقُ

May the bāna tree of al-Jarʿāʾ—should the rain fail

May the bān-tree of al-Jarʿāʾ be watered—should the rain fail

and hold back—be watered by a shower streaming from my tears.

and withhold itself—by a shower streaming from my tears.

ولا حادَ عن تلكَ المعاهِدِ صيِّبٌ

ولا حادَ عن تلكَ المعاهِدِ صيِّبٌ

من الُمزنِ أو من مُقلةِ الصَّبِّ مُغدِقُ

من الُمزنِ أو من مُقلةِ الصَّبِّ مُغدِقُ

May no downpour ever turn aside from those beloved haunts,

And may no shower stray from those familiar haunts,

whether from the rainclouds, or poured lavishly from the lover’s eye.

pouring copiously from clouds or from the lovesick lover's eye.

منازلُ تُصبيني إِليها نُسَيمةٌ

منازلُ تُصبيني إِليها نُسَيمةٌ

لَها أرَجٌ أَرجاؤُهَا منهُ تعبَقُ

لَها أرَجٌ أَرجاؤُهَا منهُ تعبَقُ

A little breeze makes me pine for his dwelling places;

Dwellings toward which a gentle breeze draws me in longing,

they bear a fragrance, and all their precincts breathe it.

bearing a fragrance that perfumes their surroundings.

عَدمتُ عّذولي كم يعنِّفُ في الهَوى

عَدمتُ عّذولي كم يعنِّفُ في الهَوى

حليفَ غرامٍ نالَ منهُ التَّشوقُ

حليفَ غرامٍ نالَ منهُ التَّشوقُ

Away with my censor! How harshly he rebukes, for love,

May I be rid of my faultfinder! How often, over love, he rebukes

one bound to passion, whom yearning has overcome.

one bound to passion, whom yearning has worn down.

إِذا لامني أنشدتُهُ متمثِّلاً

إِذا لامني أنشدتُهُ متمثِّلاً

بودِّيَ لو يهَوى العَذول ويعشقُ

بودِّيَ لو يهَوى العَذول ويعشقُ

Whenever he blames me, I quote this verse to him:

Whenever he reproaches me, I recite to him, quoting:

I wish the censor might himself love—and fall passionately in love.

“I wish the faultfinder would love and feel passion.”

كلفتُ بِأحوى من بني التُّركِ أحورِ

كلفتُ بِأحوى من بني التُّركِ أحورِ

لهُ غُصنُ قَدٍّ بالذَّوائبِ مُورقُ

لهُ غُصنُ قَدٍّ بالذَّوائبِ مُورقُ

I am enamored of a dusky, wide-eyed youth of the Turks,

I am enamored of a dusky Turk with eyes of vivid black and white;

his branch-like figure leafed with flowing tresses,

his figure is a branch, leafy with his tresses.

رشيقِ التَّثنِّي والَمعاطفِ ألعَسِ ال

رشيقِ التَّثنِّي والَمعاطفِ ألعَسِ ال

مراشفِ يُصمي طرفُه حينَ يرمُقُ

مراشفِ يُصمي طرفُه حينَ يرمُقُ

graceful in his sway and turns, dusky of—

Graceful in his sway and the curves of his body, he has dusky

—lips; his glance strikes dead whenever it alights.

lips—his gaze kills outright whenever he looks.

حمَى بحسُامِ اللَّحظِ خداً مورداً

حمَى بحسُامِ اللَّحظِ خداً مورداً

غدت عنهُ أكمامُ الشَّقيقِ تَشَقَّقُ

غدت عنهُ أكمامُ الشَّقيقِ تَشَقَّقُ

He guards a rose-red cheek with the sword of his gaze;

With the sword of his glance he guarded a rose-red cheek,

before it, the red anemones’ buds burst open.

which the anemones' calyxes began to split open to reveal.

له ناظرٌ في ضِمنهِ وهوَ أسودٌ

له ناظرٌ في ضِمنهِ وهوَ أسودٌ

عدوٌّ لأربابِ الصَّبابةَ أزرقُ

عدوٌّ لأربابِ الصَّبابةَ أزرقُ

He has an eye within whose depths—though it is black—

He has an eye within which, though it is black,

lurks a blue-steeled foe to every devotee of longing.

lurks a blue-eyed enemy of love's devotees.