1. أنَوماً وَقَد بَانَ الخَليطُ تَذُوقُ

    ودار كزعم العادلات مذيق

    Do you taste sleep, when the beloved company has departed,

    and a dwelling is faithless, like the just women's claim? [Text unclear.]

  2. وَهَبكَ التَمَست الطَّيفَ مِن السُّها

    أرَدّاهُ غَيمٌ أم جلاهُ شُروقُ

    And suppose you sought the phantom from Suha:

    did a cloud cloak it, or did sunrise reveal it?

  3. وَمَن ذَا يُجَارِي الشُّهبَ فِي حَلَبَاتِهَا

    إذا حَثّها نَحوَ المَغِيبِ خَفوقُ

    And who can race the bright stars on their courses,

    when flickering spurs them toward their setting?

  4. لَقَد سَاقَ نَحوِي كُلّ سُهدٍ وَلَوعَةٍ

    بُرَيقٌ إلَى ثَغرِ الحَبِيبِ يَشوقُ

    Indeed, every sleepless vigil and burning ache was driven toward me

    by a little flash that stirs longing for the beloved's mouth.

  5. سرَى بَعد وخطِ الشَّيبِ في لِمّةِ الدُّجَى

    يُخَضّبُ فَودَ اللَّيلِ مِنهُ خَلُوقًُ

    It stole forth after gray had streaked the tresses of darkness,

    its saffron perfume dyeing the temple of night.

  6. جَفَا وَصَفا فَاعتَزّ واكتنّ لَاعِباً

    كَمَا نَبَضَت تَحتَ البَنانِ عُرُوقُ

    It withdrew, shone clear, grew elusive, and hid in play,

    like veins pulsing beneath the fingertips.

  7. وَجَالَ عَلَى مِسكِ الظّلامِ عَبِيرُهُ

    كَمَا ذَابَ فَوقَ الآبنوسِ عقيقُ

    Its fragrance swept over the musk of darkness,

    like carnelian melting over ebony.

  8. أَامرِي بِهِ طَرفِي مَحَلٌ مَدامِعِي

    وَلا غَروَ أَن تَمرِي الغَمَامَ بُرُوقُ

    Do I coax tears from my eye with it, though my tear ducts are parched?

    No wonder that lightning coaxes rain from clouds.

  9. وََإنِّي بِشَيمِ البَرقِ مِن جَانِبِ الحِمَى

    وشمّ الصّبا مِن حَرِّه لَخَلِيقُ

    And I am surely fitted to watch lightning from the sanctuary's side

    and to breathe the east wind, because of its heat.

  10. ذَكَرتُ بِهِ الأحبًابًَ إذ أنَا يَافِعٌ

    وإذ غُصُنِي لَدنُ الفُرُوعِ وَرِيقُ

    Through it I recalled my loved ones, when I was young,

    when my bough had supple, leafy branches;

  11. وَإِذا أنًا مَغرورٌ عَلَى الجَهلِ فِي الهَوَى

    وَشَأوُ ارتِكَاضِي في النََّشَاطِ عَمِيقُ

    when, in my ignorance, I was beguiled in love,

    and my exuberant galloping ranged far;

  12. وَإِذ هِمَّتِي تُثنَى إلى غَيرِ هَمِّها

    وَلا أنا مأخُوذٌ عَلَيَّ طَرِيقُ

    when my resolve was turned toward concerns other than its own,

    and no road was barred against me.

  13. ولا شَيءَ إلا مَا أُرِيدُ وَأشتَهِي

    ولا عَائِقٌ مِن دُونِ ذَاكَ يَعُوقُ

    There was nothing but what I wished and desired,

    and no obstacle stood in the way to hinder me.

  14. فَجُوزيَ خَيراً من زمَانٍ مَضَى بِهِ

    أخٌ لِوِصَالِ الغَانِيَاتِ شَقِيقُ

    So may that time be well rewarded, through which there passed

    a true brother to union with beautiful women.

  15. فَإن أنَأ لَم أُتبِعهُ لَهفاً وَعَبرَةً

    فَمَأ تِلك إلا جَفوَةٌ وَعُقُوقُ

    For if I do not follow it with longing and a tear,

    that is nothing but coldness and ingratitude.

  16. وَإِني لِمَاءِ اللّهوِ والزَّهوِ وَالصِّبَا

    وَمَاءِ شُؤُونِي بَعدَه لَمُرِيقُ

    I pour away the waters of pleasure, pride, and youth,

    and, after it, the water of my tear ducts.

  17. فَوجدِي بِهِ كاسمِي عَلِيٌّ زَفِيرُه

    وَجَدِّيَ مِن نَعتِ الفُؤَادِ حَرِيقُ

    The sigh of my longing for it is lofty—Ali, like my name;

    and my forebear is Hariq—'burning,' my heart's own description.

  18. وَأحسَنُ مِن ذِكرَى شَبَاب طَوَيتُهُ

    ثَناءٌ بآفاقِ البلادِ طَلِيقُ

    Better than recalling a youth I have folded away

    is praise set free across the horizons of the land.

  19. تَخُبّ بِهِ تَحتَ الرُّوَأةِ نََائِبٌ

    عَلِيهنَّ من دُر الكلام وُسُوق

    Camels trot with it beneath the reciters,

    bearing loads of the pearls of speech.

  20. تَسيرُ بِهِ شَرقاً وَغَربا فَدَأبُهَا

    رَحيلٌ وَنَصٌّ دَائِم وَخَِفيقُ

    They carry it east and west; their habit is

    travel, ceaseless haste, and swift motion.

  21. أحَيّي بهِ مِن وَجهِ يوسُفَ قِبلَةً

    أحنُّ إلَى استِقبالِها وَأتوقُ

    With it I salute a direction of prayer in Yusuf's face,

    which I yearn and long to face.

  22. يُصلِّي إلَى مِحرَابِهَا الأمَلُ الَّذِي

    بِهِ ألمٌ من غَيرِها فيُفِيقُ

    Hope prays toward its prayer-niche—hope

    that aches from all else and there revives.

  23. مَحيّاًَ يُعِيدُ اللَّيلَ أبيَضَ ناصِحاًَ

    وَتَبدُو لَهُ شَمسُ الضُّحَى فَيَفُوقُ

    A countenance that makes night pure, unblemished white;

    the morning sun appears before him, and he outshines her.

  24. مَطِلٌّ عَلَى نيقِ العلا لم يًَزل لَهُ

    بِكُلِّ فِجاجٍِ المعلًُواتِ طَرِيقُ

    He towers above glory's pinnacle, and has always had

    a road through every pass among the heights.

  25. إِذَا صالَ أو سارَ انتِقاماً وَعَزمَةً

    تَجَرّدَ صَمصامٌ وَصالَ فَنيقُ

    When he attacks or marches in vengeance and resolve,

    a keen blade is drawn, and a prized male camel charges.

  26. يُسدِّدُ مِن آرائهِ سَهمَ فِطنَةٍ

    لَهُ من رَمَايا المُشكلاتِ مُرُوقُ

    From his judgments he aims an arrow of discernment

    that passes clean through the targets of difficult problems.

  27. تَطيرُ بِهِ حِين البهديهَةِ قُذّةٌ

    وَيَحفِزه بَعدَ الرَّوِيَّةِ فُوقُ

    A feather sends it flying at the moment of intuition,

    and after reflection a nock drives it onward.

  28. وَمهمَا يَغص معنًى دقيقٌ يحيلُه

    عَلَيه افتِكَارٌ فِي الغُيُومِ دَقيقُ

    Whenever a subtle meaning plunges deep, it is brought

    to him by thought that is subtle amid the clouds.

  29. وَوَكّلَ بالأيام من فَضلِ سَيبِهِ

    نَدىً لِفُتوقِ النّائباتِ رَتُوقُ

    From his abundant bounty he has set over the days

    a generosity that mends the rents of calamities.

  30. ظَنَنّا بِهِ من كَثرة البذلِ أنّنا

    لَنا إرثُ مالٍ عِندًَهُ وحُقوقُ

    Such was his lavish giving that we imagined

    we had an inheritance of wealth with him, and rightful claims.

  31. عَمِيدٌ عَمِيدٌ بالمَحامِدِ والعُلَى

    وَمُغرىً ببنتِ المَكرُمَات مَشُوقُ

    A chieftain, lovesick for noble deeds and high glory,

    enamored of nobility's daughter, yearning for her.

  32. مَنَزِلُهُ وَقفٌ عَلَى الزَّدِ والقِرى

    يَحُلُّ فَرِيقٌ إِذ يَسِيرُ فِريقُ

    His home is devoted to provisions and hospitality:

    one company alights as another departs.

  33. فدونَكَها بِكراً مُوَفّىً صَدَاقُهَا

    بِعُذرَتِها دونَ الأنامِ حَقِيقُ

    So take her, a virgin whose bridal gift is paid in full;

    you, above all mankind, are worthy of her maidenhood.

  34. لَهَا إمرَة عندَ الكلامِ مُطاعَةٌ

    وَمُنتَسَبٌ يَومَ القَرِيضِ عَرِيقُ

    She holds an authority that all speech obeys,

    and, in verse, a lineage of ancient stock.

  35. فَهَنَّأكَ الأَعياد مَن زادَ حُسنَها

    بِوَجهِك مَا وَالَى الظَّلامَ شُرُوقُ

    May He grant you joyful feasts, He who enhanced their beauty

    with your face, as long as sunrise follows darkness.

  36. فَما أَخفَقَت لِلسَّفرِ نَحوَكَ رِحلَةٌ

    وَلا كَسَدَت لِلحَمدِ عِندَك سوقُ

    For no travelers' journey toward you has failed,

    nor has the market for praise ever languished with you.