أخيَّلَت للصبِّ أشواقُهُ

أخيَّلَت للصبِّ أشواقُهُ

وصلَكَ أم طيفُكَ طراقُهُ

وصلَكَ أم طيفُكَ طراقُهُ

Have his longings conjured up for the lovesick lover

His passion painted fantasies for the youth

union with you, or is your phantom his night visitor?

Did your apparition reach him or just its mirage?

كيفَ ولا جَفنٌ لَه ساعةً

كيفَ ولا جَفنٌ لَه ساعةً

من لَيلةٍ يُمكنُ إِطباقُهُ

من لَيلةٍ يُمكنُ إِطباقُهُ

How, when no eyelid of his, for even an hour

How could it when his eyes know no rest

of a night, can be closed?

From a night whose darkness could envelop him

بكى لَه لمَّا نَأى رَحمةً

بكى لَه لمَّا نَأى رَحمةً

حادِيه للبَينِ وسوَّاقُهُ

حادِيه للبَينِ وسوَّاقُهُ

When he went far away, they wept for him in pity—

He wept for him when he left out of mercy

his camel-chanter at parting and his driver.

His guide to separation and its escort

ودَمعُ عَينَيكَ حَبيسٌ عَلى

ودَمعُ عَينَيكَ حَبيسٌ عَلى

سِرِّكَ لا يَحسُنُ إِطلاقُهُ

سِرِّكَ لا يَحسُنُ إِطلاقُهُ

And your eyes' tears are held captive to preserve

While tears of your eyes are imprisoned in

your secret; it is not fitting to release them.

Your secret that does not allow their release

وعِندَه أنَّ عليلَ الهَوى

وعِندَه أنَّ عليلَ الهَوى

فِراقُ من يَهواهُ إِفراقُهُ

فِراقُ من يَهواهُ إِفراقُهُ

And he believes that, for one sick with love,

To him, the lovesick

parting from the one he loves is his recovery.

Parting from the beloved is utter devastation

حتَّى إِذا ما شَحَطَت دارُه

حتَّى إِذا ما شَحَطَت دارُه

واعتَرضَ العَهدُ ومِيثاقُهُ

واعتَرضَ العَهدُ ومِيثاقُهُ

Until, when his dwelling had grown distant

Until when his abode was razed

and the pledge and its covenant arose before him,

And the covenant was severed, its bond torn

عَنوَن قِرطاساً طَواهُ عَلى

عَنوَن قِرطاساً طَواهُ عَلى

قَوادِحٍ فيهنَّ حُرَّاقُهُ

قَوادِحٍ فيهنَّ حُرَّاقُهُ

he addressed a sheet of paper and folded it around

He penned a scroll, wrapped it around

sparks in which lay his tinder:

Arrows in quivers with burning tips

من مُغرَمٍ تحِمل أَحشاؤه

من مُغرَمٍ تحِمل أَحشاؤه

أَضعافَ ما تَحمِلُ أَوراقُهُ

أَضعافَ ما تَحمِلُ أَوراقُهُ

From a lovesick man whose entrails bear

From a heavily smitten one whose essence bears

many times what his pages bear.

Multiples of what his epistles carry

لَم يَتَمكَّن قَطُّ من قُبلةٍ

لَم يَتَمكَّن قَطُّ من قُبلةٍ

إِلا مَلولُ القَلبِ ذَوَّاقُهُ

إِلا مَلولُ القَلبِ ذَوَّاقُهُ

No one has ever managed to obtain a kiss

He who never attained a kiss

except one whose heart is fickle and forever tasting.

Except the heartsick, ever-craving one

فَما لَه يَخلو وَقَد كانَ مَن

فَما لَه يَخلو وَقَد كانَ مَن

خَلَّفَه يَخلو وعُشاقُهُ

خَلَّفَه يَخلو وعُشاقُهُ

So why does he stay alone, when the one

So why should he be lonesome when he who

he left behind was alone with his lovers?

Abandoned him was lonesome, and his lovers too

يَطمَعُ مِنه في الهَوى بِالوَفا

يَطمَعُ مِنه في الهَوى بِالوَفا

كأنَّهُ المَجدُ وإِسحاقُهُ

كأنَّهُ المَجدُ وإِسحاقُهُ

He hopes for faithfulness from him in love,

He hopes for loyalty from him in passion

as though they were Glory and its Ishaq.

As if it were glory and its bestowal

كِلاهُما صاحبُه عِندَه

كِلاهُما صاحبُه عِندَه

طَوعاً إِلى ما شاءَ يَشتاقُهُ

طَوعاً إِلى ما شاءَ يَشتاقُهُ

Each has his companion beside him,

To him, both his friend

willing to do whatever he wishes and yearning for him.

Obedient to whatever he desired to yearn for

بِلا مَلالٍ مِنهُ يَعتادُهُ

بِلا مَلالٍ مِنهُ يَعتادُهُ

ولا اشتِغالٍ عَنه يَعتاقُهُ

ولا اشتِغالٍ عَنه يَعتاقُهُ

Without tiring of him, he visits him again and again,

Without tiring of him, accustomed to him

and no distraction from him holds him back.

Nor distraction from him that would free him

فَتىً نَفى الإِملاقَ عَن أهلِهِ

فَتىً نَفى الإِملاقَ عَن أهلِهِ

بالجودِ حتَّى خِيفَ إِملاقُهُ

بالجودِ حتَّى خِيفَ إِملاقُهُ

A young man who banished poverty from those it afflicted

A gallant who banished stinginess from his folk

through generosity, until his own poverty was feared.

With generosity, until even its grasp feared him

يَلقَى نَداهُ الدَّهرَ مُستَرزِقاً

يَلقَى نَداهُ الدَّهرَ مُستَرزِقاً

وسائِرَ العافينَ أرزاقُهُ

وسائِرَ العافينَ أرزاقُهُ

His bounty meets Time seeking sustenance,

He meets the days of time as a beggar

and his provisions meet all the other supplicants.

While the privileged get their fill of riches

فقُل لِمَن وافاهُ يَقتادُه

فقُل لِمَن وافاهُ يَقتادُه

من نَكباتِ الدَّهرِ إشفاقُهُ

من نَكباتِ الدَّهرِ إشفاقُهُ

So tell whoever comes to him, led

Tell the one who gave him succor, guiding him

by his fear of Time's calamities:

From the pitfalls of time with compassion

لا يُحسنُ الدَّهرُ وَعيداً أَتى

لا يُحسنُ الدَّهرُ وَعيداً أَتى

إِرعادُهُ فيهِ وإِبراقُهُ

إِرعادُهُ فيهِ وإِبراقُهُ

Time is inept at making a threat that comes

Time knows no gentle threat

with its thunder and lightning.

Its thunderbolts and lightning strike

فإِن تَعالَت عَنكَ هِمَّاتُه

فإِن تَعالَت عَنكَ هِمَّاتُه

فقَد تَدانَت منكَ أَخلاقُهُ

فقَد تَدانَت منكَ أَخلاقُهُ

For if his aspirations soar above you,

If its aspirations are too lofty for you

his manners have drawn close to you.

Then its morals have stooped below you