إِذا لاحَ بَرقٌ مِن جنابِكَ لامِعُ

إِذا لاحَ بَرقٌ مِن جنابِكَ لامِعُ

أَضاءَ لِواشٍ ما تجِنُّ الأَضالِعُ

أَضاءَ لِواشٍ ما تجِنُّ الأَضالِعُ

When gleaming lightning flashes from your quarter,

When lightning flashes from your side, radiant,

It lights up for a tale-bearer what my ribs conceal.

It illuminates for a fond one what ribs conceal.

تَتابَعَ لا يَحتَثُّ جَفني فإِنَّهُ

تَتابَعَ لا يَحتَثُّ جَفني فإِنَّهُ

بَدا فَتلاهُ دَمعيَ المُتَتابعَ

بَدا فَتلاهُ دَمعيَ المُتَتابعَ

It flashed repeatedly, without spurring my eyelid, for

Unceasing, it allows no rest to my eyelids, for it

It appeared, and my unceasing tears followed it.

Appeared and straightaway my ensuing tears pursued it.

فان يَكُنِ الخِصبُ اطَّباكُم إِلى النَوى

فان يَكُنِ الخِصبُ اطَّباكُم إِلى النَوى

فَقَد أَخصَبَت مِن مُقلَتيَّ المَرابِعُ

فَقَد أَخصَبَت مِن مُقلَتيَّ المَرابِعُ

So if abundance has lured you into separation,

If fertility has directed you to purpose,

The spring pastures have indeed grown lush from both my eyes.

Then my eye's pupil has been rendered fertile by the deluge.

مطالعُ بَدرٍ منذُ عامين عُطِّلَت

مطالعُ بَدرٍ منذُ عامين عُطِّلَت

وَما فَقَدت بَدراً لِذاكَ المطالِعُ

وَما فَقَدت بَدراً لِذاكَ المطالِعُ

A full moon’s rising-places have lain deserted for two years,

The rising of a full moon kept from me for two years

Yet the rising-places have not thereby lost a full moon.

And never did I want that rising luminary.

وَسِرُّ هَوىً هَمَّت باظهاره النَوى

وَسِرُّ هَوىً هَمَّت باظهاره النَوى

فَأَمسى وَقَد نادَت عليهِ المَدامِعُ

فَأَمسى وَقَد نادَت عليهِ المَدامِعُ

And a secret of love that separation sought to reveal

The secret of a love which purpose strove to divulge

Came to be proclaimed aloud by tearful eyes.

Has by nightfall been proclaimed aloud by my streaming tears.

وَلَمّا بَرَزنا لِلوَداعِ وَأَيقَنَت

وَلَمّا بَرَزنا لِلوَداعِ وَأَيقَنَت

نُفوسٌ دَهاها البَينُ ما اللَهُ صانِعُ

نُفوسٌ دَهاها البَينُ ما اللَهُ صانِعُ

And when we came forth to bid farewell, and certainty came

When we went forth to bid farewell, souls convinced

To souls assailed by parting about what God would do,

That, once parted, God alone knows what He will ordain,

وَقفنا وَرُسلُ الشَوقِ بَيني وَبَينَها

وَقفنا وَرُسلُ الشَوقِ بَيني وَبَينَها

حَواجِبُ أَدّت بثَّنا وَأَصابِعُ

حَواجِبُ أَدّت بثَّنا وَأَصابِعُ

We stood, and longing’s messengers between me and her

We stopped, while messengers of longing stood between me and her,

Were brows that conveyed our anguish, and fingers.

Eyebrows, fingers, relaying messages twixt us.

فَلا حُزننا غَطّى عليه تَجلُّدٌ

فَلا حُزننا غَطّى عليه تَجلُّدٌ

وَلا حُسنُها غَطَّت عَلَيهِ البَراقِعُ

وَلا حُسنُها غَطَّت عَلَيهِ البَراقِعُ

So no show of fortitude concealed our sorrow,

Neither could our sorrow cloak itself in patience,

Nor did the face-veils conceal her beauty.

Nor her beauty shield itself with veils.

أَتَنسين ما بَيني وَبينك وَالدُجى

أَتَنسين ما بَيني وَبينك وَالدُجى

غِطاءٌ عَلَينا وَالعُيونُ هَواجِعُ

غِطاءٌ عَلَينا وَالعُيونُ هَواجِعُ

Will you forget what passed between me and you, while darkness

Do you forget what lay twixt me and you when darkness

Was a covering over us, and eyes lay asleep?

Enshrouded us and spies' eyes kept vigil?

وَهبكِ أَضعتِ القَلبَ حين مَلكتِه

وَهبكِ أَضعتِ القَلبَ حين مَلكتِه

تَقى في العُهودِ اللَهَ فَهيَ وَدائِعُ

تَقى في العُهودِ اللَهَ فَهيَ وَدائِعُ

And suppose you squandered the heart when you possessed it:

You who stole my heart when you possessed it,

Fear God concerning pledges, for they are trusts.

Feared the pledge to God? But pledges are trusts.

تَمادى بِنا في جاهليّةِ بُخلها

تَمادى بِنا في جاهليّةِ بُخلها

وَقَد قامَ بِالمَعروف في الناس شارِعُ

وَقَد قامَ بِالمَعروف في الناس شارِعُ

We have lingered in the age of ignorance of her stinginess,

With me it persisted in the ignorance of its stinginess,

Though a lawgiver of benevolence has arisen among the people.

While open-handedness openly prevailed among men.

وَتَحسَبُ لَيلَ الشُحِّ يَمتَدُّ بَعدَما

وَتَحسَبُ لَيلَ الشُحِّ يَمتَدُّ بَعدَما

بَدا طالِعاً شَمسُ السَخاء طَلائِعُ

بَدا طالِعاً شَمسُ السَخاء طَلائِعُ

And she thinks the night of stinginess will stretch on after

You thought the night of meanness would extend after

The heralds of generosity’s sun have appeared, rising.

The dawn of bounty rose heralding the day.