أَرَأَيتَني فيما أَراكَ طَروقا

أَرَأَيتَني فيما أَراكَ طَروقا

إِلا كَما أَشكو إِلَيكَ مَشوقا

إِلا كَما أَشكو إِلَيكَ مَشوقا

Have you seen me, when I see you visiting by night,

Do you see me as I see you, an alluring sight

other than yearning, just as I lament to you?

Except as I complain to you full of longing?

أَم كانَ شَوقي مثلَ طَيفِكَ كاذِباً

أَم كانَ شَوقي مثلَ طَيفِكَ كاذِباً

فعمَرتَ بَينَ الكاذِبينَ طَريقا

فعمَرتَ بَينَ الكاذِبينَ طَريقا

Or was my longing false, like your phantom,

Was my yearning like your phantom, lying

so you built a path between the two liars?

So you lived between liars a path?

احبِس عليكَ فلَيسَ تَخفقُ غيرَها

احبِس عليكَ فلَيسَ تَخفقُ غيرَها

عَينايَ مادامَ الفُؤادُ خَفوقا

عَينايَ مادامَ الفُؤادُ خَفوقا

Hold back; they flutter for none but her—

Restrain my eyes upon you, for none other flutter

my eyes—as long as the heart keeps throbbing.

My eyes as long as my heart is throbbing

يا طرفُ كَيفَ جسَرتَ تَسرقُ نَظرَةً

يا طرفُ كَيفَ جسَرتَ تَسرقُ نَظرَةً

وعليكَ والٍ يُظهِر المَسروقا

وعليكَ والٍ يُظهِر المَسروقا

O eye, how dared you steal a glance,

O eyelids, how dare you steal a glance

with a guardian over you who reveals what was stolen?

When a jealous guardian reveals what's stolen?

بينَ البُكاءِ إِلى السُّهادِ مقامَةٌ

بينَ البُكاءِ إِلى السُّهادِ مقامَةٌ

تَتَعمَّدُ التَّغريقَ والتَّحريقا

تَتَعمَّدُ التَّغريقَ والتَّحريقا

Between weeping and sleeplessness lies a dwelling

Between crying and wakefulness is a sojourn

intent on drowning and burning.

That purposely seeks drowning and burning

ومُهَفهَفٍ حَبَس الحياء بِخدِّه

ومُهَفهَفٍ حَبَس الحياء بِخدِّه

دمَه فصارَ دَمي بِذاكَ طَليقا

دمَه فصارَ دَمي بِذاكَ طَليقا

And a slender beauty—modesty imprisoned in his cheek

With cheeks that modesty has held back

his blood, and thereby my blood was set free.

His blood, so by that mine was set free

هَذا يَروقُ وذا يُراقُ وإنَّما

هَذا يَروقُ وذا يُراقُ وإنَّما

هَذا يَروقُ صَفاؤهُ ليُريقا

هَذا يَروقُ صَفاؤهُ ليُريقا

This delights, and that is spilled; and it is only

This is pleasing and that provoking, but

to spill the other that this one's clarity delights.

This, its clarity pleases to make one melt

يَبكي كَما أَبكي إِذا عايَنتُه

يَبكي كَما أَبكي إِذا عايَنتُه

عَمداً لِكَيلا تعرفَ المَعشوقا

عَمداً لِكَيلا تعرفَ المَعشوقا

He weeps as I weep when I behold him,

He cries as I cry when I see him

deliberately, so you cannot tell which is the beloved.

Deliberately, lest the beloved be known

وإِذا نَظرتَ إِلى الصَّبابَةِ والأَسى

وإِذا نَظرتَ إِلى الصَّبابَةِ والأَسى

والصدِّ والشَّكوى رأيتَ فُروقا

والصدِّ والشَّكوى رأيتَ فُروقا

And if you look at passionate longing and grief,

And when you look to innocence and sorrow

and rejection and complaint, you will see differences.

Barrier and complaint, you see differences

يا مَن تُحاكي الراحُ مِن أَوصافِه

يا مَن تُحاكي الراحُ مِن أَوصافِه

لَوناً وطَعماً وَجنَتَين وَريقا

لَوناً وطَعماً وَجنَتَين وَريقا

O you whose qualities wine imitates—

O you whose traits the breeze copies

color and taste, two cheeks and saliva—

In color, taste, and two gardens and saliva

قُم فَاسقِنيها حينَ طارَ شَرارها

قُم فَاسقِنيها حينَ طارَ شَرارها

في الكَأسِ فانقَلَبَ الرَّحيقُ حَريقا

في الكَأسِ فانقَلَبَ الرَّحيقُ حَريقا

rise and pour it for me, when its sparks have leapt

Arise and serve it to me when its embers have flown

within the cup, and the pure wine has turned to fire.

In the cup and the wine has turned to cinder

كَأَبي الخَصيبِ وأنتَ مَرزوقٌ بِه

كَأَبي الخَصيبِ وأنتَ مَرزوقٌ بِه

تَدعوهُ عِندَ ندائِه مَرزوقا

تَدعوهُ عِندَ ندائِه مَرزوقا

Like Abu al-Khasib—though you are provided for through him,

Like my father al-Khasib while you are sustained by Him

you call him Marzuq when you call his name.

You call Him when He calls sustained

أمَّا رَفيقُ المالِ مِنه إِلى العُلى

أمَّا رَفيقُ المالِ مِنه إِلى العُلى

والمَجد معتَزِمٌ فساءَ رَفيقا

والمَجد معتَزِمٌ فساءَ رَفيقا

As for wealth's companion in him, he is set on eminence

As for the companion of money to supremacy

and glory, and thus proves a poor companion.

And glory, determined, so an evil companion

وكأنَّما صَحِبَ النَّدى يَده عَلى

وكأنَّما صَحِبَ النَّدى يَده عَلى

تَفريقِها شرطاً بِذاكَ وَثيقا

تَفريقِها شرطاً بِذاكَ وَثيقا

And it is as though generosity joined his hand upon

As if the companion of blessings shook his hand

the binding condition that it scatter its gifts.

On parting with it, conditional by that bond

لا تَستَبين بِموعدٍ لفظاتُه

لا تَستَبين بِموعدٍ لفظاتُه

حتَّى تَراهُ بفعلِه مَسبوقا

حتَّى تَراهُ بفعلِه مَسبوقا

His words reveal no promise

You do not distinguish his words with a promised time

until you see it already preceded by his deed.

Until you see him in his action preceded

فتَكادُ أَن تَهمي سَحائبُ جودِه

فتَكادُ أَن تَهمي سَحائبُ جودِه

مِن قَبل أَن تُبدي لهنَّ بُروقا

مِن قَبل أَن تُبدي لهنَّ بُروقا

So the clouds of his bounty are almost pouring rain

You almost think the clouds of his generosity

before any lightning is shown for them.

Rain the rights before showing them lightning

حتَّى مَطرنَ لهُ الحقوقَ وإنَّما

حتَّى مَطرنَ لهُ الحقوقَ وإنَّما

لَتَخالُه يَقضي بهنَّ حُقوقا

لَتَخالُه يَقضي بهنَّ حُقوقا

They even rained down dues owed to him; yet

Until they rained the rights for him, but

you would surely think he was simply discharging obligations through them.

You think he fulfils them rightfully

شَغَلَت مَحاسِنُه الصُّدورَ ولَم يَكن

شَغَلَت مَحاسِنُه الصُّدورَ ولَم يَكن

في الكُتبِ تَخريجاً ولا تَعليقا

في الكُتبِ تَخريجاً ولا تَعليقا

His virtues filled hearts, and were not

His virtues preoccupied hearts and there was not

citations or annotations in books.

In books an interpretation or commentary

وزكَت مَودَّتُه وأثمرَ غَرسُها

وزكَت مَودَّتُه وأثمرَ غَرسُها

عَيشاً عَلى طولِ الزمانِ أنيقا

عَيشاً عَلى طولِ الزمانِ أنيقا

And his affection flourished, and its planting bore

His love thrived and its plantation fruited

a delightful life throughout the years.

A life for the length of time elegant

فَجعلتُ أَطمعُ في الأنامِ بِمِثلِها

فَجعلتُ أَطمعُ في الأنامِ بِمِثلِها

أُخرى فأتخذُ العدوَّ صَديقا

أُخرى فأتخذُ العدوَّ صَديقا

So I began to hope among humankind for its like—

I thus began to covet the likes of it from people

another friendship—and so to take the enemy as a friend.

And took the enemy as a friend

أَفنى نَداكَ الأَرض قبلَ فَنائِها

أَفنى نَداكَ الأَرض قبلَ فَنائِها

لكِن أَراهُ عَلى السَّماءِ شَفيقا

لكِن أَراهُ عَلى السَّماءِ شَفيقا

Your bounty exhausted the earth before its extinction,

Your help exhausted the land before its exhaustion

yet I see it concerned for the sky,

But I see it in the sky compassionate

مِما يعلِّقُ همَّه في همَّةٍ

مِما يعلِّقُ همَّه في همَّةٍ

لتَعوقَ طَرفاً أن يَرى العَيوقا

لتَعوقَ طَرفاً أن يَرى العَيوقا

because he fixes his concern on an ambition

From what attaches its concern to a concern

to keep an eye from seeing al-Ayyuq.

To distract a glance from seeing perversion