هل للقلوب من العيونِ خلاصُ

هل للقلوب من العيونِ خلاصُ

أم لا فإن عزاءها معتاصُ

أم لا فإن عزاءها معتاصُ

Is there escape for hearts from the eyes,

Do hearts have salvation through eyes,

or none? For their solace is hard to attain.

Or not, for their solace is unobtainable.

حرصتْ نفوسُ ذوي الهوى منها على

حرصتْ نفوسُ ذوي الهوى منها على

ما ليس يُدرَكُ والنفوس حِراصُ

ما ليس يُدرَكُ والنفوس حِراصُ

Lovers’ souls have eagerly sought from them

The souls of those in love have strived for

what cannot be attained—and souls are covetous.

What cannot be attained, while souls are greedy.

كيف السبيلُ إلى اقتناص غرائرٍ

كيف السبيلُ إلى اقتناص غرائرٍ

يدمى بأسهم لحظها القُنَّاص

يدمى بأسهم لحظها القُنَّاص

How can one capture guileless maidens,

How is the path to obtain the secrets

whose glances’ arrows make the hunters bleed?

Whose glances wound with arrows of the hunter?

بيضُ السوالف عذبة أفواهُها

بيضُ السوالف عذبة أفواهُها

ريّا الروادف والبطونُ خمِاص

ريّا الروادف والبطونُ خمِاص

White-necked, their mouths are sweet;

The cheeks of the beauties have sweet discourse,

full in the haunches, their bellies slender.

Pleasant is their speech, and waists are delicate.

يجْرحْنَنَا بنواظرٍ ما إن لنا

يجْرحْنَنَا بنواظرٍ ما إن لنا

منهن عند جراحهنّ قصاص

منهن عند جراحهنّ قصاص

They wound us with their eyes, yet we have no

They wound us with glances, though for us

redress from them when they wound us.

There is no retribution for their wounds.

قلصتْ بمن لا صبر دون لقائه

قلصتْ بمن لا صبر دون لقائه

نوقٌ تراهَقُ في البُرى وقِلاص

نوقٌ تراهَقُ في البُرى وقِلاص

They sped away with one whose absence is unbearable:

She who lacks patience without seeing him

she-camels driven hard at their nose-rings, and young she-camels.

Has a camel wasting away in the wilds and thickets.

وحدا ينُصُّ رِكابه وجهَ الضحى

وحدا ينُصُّ رِكابه وجهَ الضحى

يأْبى الكرى لمطيّه نصَّاص

يأْبى الكرى لمطيّه نصَّاص

And he chanted, urging his mounts at the onset of forenoon:

Alone he guides his riding beast at dawn,

a hard driver who denies his mounts sleep,

Refusing the caravans a guide.

خرقٌ لأهوال الدجى مُتدرِّعٌ

خرقٌ لأهوال الدجى مُتدرِّعٌ

في بحر كلِّ هجيرةٍ غوّاص

في بحر كلِّ هجيرةٍ غوّاص

a daring man, armored against the terrors of night,

A tear in the horrors of night, armored,

a diver in the sea of every midday’s heat.

In an ocean where each billow is a diver.

فعِراصُ قلبك بالصِبى معمورةٌ

فعِراصُ قلبك بالصِبى معمورةٌ

لما خلتْ ممن تُحبُّ عراص

لما خلتْ ممن تُحبُّ عراص

So your heart’s courtyards are inhabited by youthful passion,

So the desolation of your heart is inhabited

now that the courtyards are empty of those you love.

By those you love who have left it desolate.