أَمَعلَمُها بَينَ العَذيبِ وَبارِقِ

أَمَعلَمُها بَينَ العَذيبِ وَبارِقِ

تَغَزَّلتُ مِن غَزلانِهِ بِالحَقائِقِ

تَغَزَّلتُ مِن غَزلانِهِ بِالحَقائِقِ

Is her abode between al-ʿUdhayb and Bāriq?

Do I know her between Al-Adheeb and its lightening?

I sang love-verses of truths among its gazelles.

I became infatuated with her from her gazelle-like eyes and truths

فَدَيتُكَ رَبعاً قَد تَرَحَّلَ آلَهُ

فَدَيتُكَ رَبعاً قَد تَرَحَّلَ آلَهُ

بِكُلِّ إِمامٍ لِلمَآثِرِ سابِقِ

بِكُلِّ إِمامٍ لِلمَآثِرِ سابِقِ

I would ransom you, dwelling whose people have departed,

I sacrifice myself for an abode that its God has moved on

with every leader foremost in noble deeds.

With every imam preceding in glorious deeds

عَفا وَخَلَت مِنهُ المَنازِلُ بَعدَ ما

عَفا وَخَلَت مِنهُ المَنازِلُ بَعدَ ما

لَقَد كانَ زَيناً لِلنُهى وَالمَناطِقِ

لَقَد كانَ زَيناً لِلنُهى وَالمَناطِقِ

It was effaced, and its dwellings lay empty, after

It excused and its dwellings became vacant after they

it had indeed been an ornament to minds and speech.

Were decorations of integrity and logic

وَأَقوى وَأَقوى ما حَوى مِن مَعاقِلٍ

وَأَقوى وَأَقوى ما حَوى مِن مَعاقِلٍ

أَناخَت عَلَيهِ عادِياتُ البَوائِقِ

أَناخَت عَلَيهِ عادِياتُ البَوائِقِ

And it lay deserted; the strongest of the fortresses it held—

And the strongest and strongest of what it contained of fortresses

the raiding hosts of calamity encamped upon it.

Wild cows mooing anchored upon it

وَأَجدَبَ بَعدَ الخَصبِ إِذ كانَ زاهِراً

وَأَجدَبَ بَعدَ الخَصبِ إِذ كانَ زاهِراً

بِكُلِّ كِتابٍ لِلفَوائِدِ واسِقِ

بِكُلِّ كِتابٍ لِلفَوائِدِ واسِقِ

And it grew barren after abundance, having once flourished

And it became barren after being fertile when it was flowering

with every book laden with useful knowledge.

With every consistent and useful book

سَلامٌ عَلى تِلكَ الرُبوعِ فَإِنَّها

سَلامٌ عَلى تِلكَ الرُبوعِ فَإِنَّها

رِياضُ المَعالي وَالمَعاني الدَقائِقِ

رِياضُ المَعالي وَالمَعاني الدَقائِقِ

Peace upon those abodes, for they are

Peace be upon those meadows, for they are

gardens of noble attainments and subtle meanings.

Gardens of sublime meanings and subtle significances

لَكُم قَد حَوَت تِلكَ الخِيامُ عَقائِلاً

لَكُم قَد حَوَت تِلكَ الخِيامُ عَقائِلاً

يُضيءُ سَناها مِن خِلالِ السِرادِقِ

يُضيءُ سَناها مِن خِلالِ السِرادِقِ

For you, those tents have sheltered noble ladies,

For you, those tents contained families

whose radiance shines through the pavilion's curtains.

Whose radiance shines through the curtains

رَواشِقُ قَلبي عَن قِسِيِّ جُفونِها

رَواشِقُ قَلبي عَن قِسِيِّ جُفونِها

أَلا بِارَكَ الباري بِتِلكَ الرَواشِقِ

أَلا بِارَكَ الباري بِتِلكَ الرَواشِقِ

They shoot at my heart from the bows of their eyelids;

My heart's yearning from the hardness of their eyelids

ah, may the Creator bless those archers!

Isn't it that the Creator has blessed those yearnings?

تُبيحُ لَنا أَلحاظُها حَيثُما رَنَت

تُبيحُ لَنا أَلحاظُها حَيثُما رَنَت

بِسِحرِ بَيانٍ صادِقٍ كُلَّ صادِقِ

بِسِحرِ بَيانٍ صادِقٍ كُلَّ صادِقِ

Their glances disclose to us, wherever they turn,

Their glances permit for us wherever they chime

through the magic of truthful eloquence, all that is true.

With sincere, truthful magic every truthful one

وَإِن خَطَرَت سَكرى فَمِن كُلِّ رائِقٍ

وَإِن خَطَرَت سَكرى فَمِن كُلِّ رائِقٍ

مِنَ اللَفظِ وَالمَعنى وَمِن كُلِّ شائِقِ

مِنَ اللَفظِ وَالمَعنى وَمِن كُلِّ شائِقِ

And if they sway in drunkenness, it is from all that is exquisite

And if intoxication crossed my mind, it is from every gentle

in word and meaning, and from all that enchants.

Of diction, meaning and everything provocative

لَقَد أَطَلَعَت مِن تَحتِ لَيلٍ فُروعُها

لَقَد أَطَلَعَت مِن تَحتِ لَيلٍ فُروعُها

هِلالَ مُحَيّاها بِأَسنى المَشارِقِ

هِلالَ مُحَيّاها بِأَسنى المَشارِقِ

Indeed, their tresses have brought forth from beneath a night

Their branches certainly emerged from beneath a night

the crescent of their faces at the brightest of eastern horizons.

Crescent of their smiles with the rising of the east

فَلَيلٌ وَبَدرٌ عِندَها ما هُما سِوى

فَلَيلٌ وَبَدرٌ عِندَها ما هُما سِوى

سَوادِ مِدادٍ في بَياضِ مَهارِقِ

سَوادِ مِدادٍ في بَياضِ مَهارِقِ

So, in them, night and a full moon are nothing but

So for them night and full moon are nothing but

the blackness of ink on the whiteness of writing sheets.

Ink blackness in the whiteness of oriental brilliance

بِروحي هاتيكَ الثَنايا فَإِنَّها

بِروحي هاتيكَ الثَنايا فَإِنَّها

زَهَت في رِياضِ الفَضلِ زَهوَ الشَقائِقِ

زَهَت في رِياضِ الفَضلِ زَهوَ الشَقائِقِ

I would ransom those teeth with my soul, for they

By my soul, those curves, for they have blossomed

blossomed in the gardens of excellence as anemones blossom.

In the gardens of virtue, blossoming of anemones

أَتَلحونَني يا أَيُّها الناسُ وَيَحكُمُ

أَتَلحونَني يا أَيُّها الناسُ وَيَحكُمُ

عَلى الحُبِّ ما أَنتُم لَهُ بِالعَوائِقِ

عَلى الحُبِّ ما أَنتُم لَهُ بِالعَوائِقِ

Do you reproach me, O people—woe to you—

Do you force me, O people, while you are not

for love? You are no hindrance to it.

Barriers for love over me?