ما في وقوفِكَ في الجرعاءِ من عارِ

ما في وقوفِكَ في الجرعاءِ من عارِ

إن لم تكن من سَقامِي والضنَّى عاري

إن لم تكن من سَقامِي والضنَّى عاري

There is no shame in your stopping at al-Jarʿāʾ,

There is no shame in your standing in the desolate valley

If you are not free of my sickness and wasting.

If you are not afflicted by my illness and poverty, you have no shame

هذي ملاعبُ ذاكَ الرِّيمِ فارمِ بِها

هذي ملاعبُ ذاكَ الرِّيمِ فارمِ بِها

معي لحاظَكَ دون الرَّكبِ يا حارِ

معي لحاظَكَ دون الرَّكبِ يا حارِ

These are that gazelle’s playgrounds; cast upon them

These are the playing fields of that gazelle, so throw with them

Your glances with me, apart from the caravan, O Ḥār.

Take your bedroll away from the caravan with me, O freeman

قِف لي فلي في وقوفي بالحمى أَرَبٌ

قِف لي فلي في وقوفي بالحمى أَرَبٌ

واكتُم لَقيتَ سروراً ثمَّ أَسراري

واكتُم لَقيتَ سروراً ثمَّ أَسراري

Stop for me: I have a purpose in stopping in the protected grounds.

Stop for me, for in my stopping at the sanctuary are wonders

And conceal my secrets there—may you find joy.

Conceal that you found joy, then my secrets

وانظر مغازلَتي ذاكَ الغزالَ إذا

وانظر مغازلَتي ذاكَ الغزالَ إذا

رنا وماسَ بعسَّال وبتَّارِ

رنا وماسَ بعسَّال وبتَّارِ

And watch my wooing of that gazelle when

And watch my flirting with that gazelle when

He gazes and sways, with a supple spear and a keen sword.

He rang and touched the horseman and the knight

رمي فؤادي وما عندي لهُ تِرَةٌ

رمي فؤادي وما عندي لهُ تِرَةٌ

بأسهمٍ فُوِّقت من غيرِ أوتارِ

بأسهمٍ فُوِّقت من غيرِ أوتارِ

He shot my heart, though I owed him no blood-debt,

I cast my heart and I have no quiver for it

With arrows nocked without bowstrings.

With arrows that flew without bowstrings

فحيَّرَ الفَرقَ ما بينَ الدُّجى وضُحىً

فحيَّرَ الفَرقَ ما بينَ الدُّجى وضُحىً

وحيَّر الخدَّ بينَ الماءِ والنارِ

وحيَّر الخدَّ بينَ الماءِ والنارِ

He left his hair’s parting bewildered between darkness and morning light,

So he confused the difference between dusk and dawn

And his cheek bewildered between water and fire.

And confused the cheek between water and fire

من ضلَّ في شَعرهِ يُهدَي بمبسمهِ

من ضلَّ في شَعرهِ يُهدَي بمبسمهِ

وثغرهِ البارقِ الشاري بهِ شاري

وثغرهِ البارقِ الشاري بهِ شاري

Whoever is lost in his hair is guided by his smile,

Whoever is lost in his poetry is guided by his smile

And his gleaming mouth—whoever sells himself for it is a buyer.

And his radiant, captivating mouth

رفعتُ قصَّةَ دمعِ العينِ لي وَقِعٌ

رفعتُ قصَّةَ دمعِ العينِ لي وَقِعٌ

لا ينقطع رسمُ هذا المدمعِ الجاري

لا ينقطع رسمُ هذا المدمعِ الجاري

I submitted the petition of my eye’s tears; endorse it for me:

I raised the story of the tear of the eye, and it was continuously flowing

Let the allowance of these streaming tears never cease.

Never ceasing, the flow of this streaming tear

ويحَ المعرَّجِ بالأطلالِ يندبُها

ويحَ المعرَّجِ بالأطلالِ يندبُها

ماذا يفيدُ سؤالُ الرَّسمِ والدارِ

ماذا يفيدُ سؤالُ الرَّسمِ والدارِ

Alas for the one who stops at the ruins, lamenting them!

Woe to whoever climbs the ruins, lamenting them

What good is questioning the traces and the dwelling?

What use is asking about the imprint and the house?