صبّ برته لواعجُ الش

شوق الذي أغرى الحسان

A lovesick one, worn down by the burning pangs of

longing, which beguiled the beautiful women,

من شاذن عنج أغن

ن أدعج روح الدنان

from a coquettish fawn with a soft, nasal voice,

dark-eyed, the spirit of the wine-jars.

أضحى يرى كالبدر في

داج بدت حور الحنان

He came to be seen like the full moon in

darkness; the dark-eyed maidens of tenderness appeared.

ما الشمس ما البدر المني

ر بطالع طول الزمان

Neither the sun nor the shining full moon

rises throughout all time.

شمس على شمس بدت

فكأنها قرط الآذان

A sun appeared above a sun,

so it seemed an earring for the ears.

خلقت على وفقي بصق

وة لؤلؤ كقلائد العقيان

She was fashioned to my liking from the choicest [reading uncertain]

pearls, like necklaces of pure gold.

حكت الرياض بعنجها

لما وشت راح البنان

In her coquetry she mirrored the gardens,

when the fingers' palms embroidered.

فتكت جيوب الضر من

حر الهوى دون السنان

The recesses of affliction wrought havoc through

the heat of passion, without a spear-point.

ذرني ودع عنك النقا

ب فإنني بستان

Leave me, and put aside the veil,

for I am a garden.

مهلا على سرب الظبا

فإنه عقد الجمان

Be gentle with the herd of gazelles,

for it is a necklace of pearls.

جسم العليل أذابه

الحي الذي أرحى العنان

The ailing one's body was melted away

by the living one who [apparently] loosened the reins.

ملك القلوب بجفنه

لما بدا يوم الرهان

He captured hearts with his eyelid

when he appeared on the day of the race.

ما السحر ما هاروت ما

نيل السهام بلا توان

What is magic? What is Harut? What is

the arrows' reach, without delay?

حكم الغرام بأنه

مهما رأى صب الأغان

Love decreed that

whenever a lover sees [perhaps: the songs],

إلا وذب بجسمه

مل لتنين بلا توان

he invariably wastes away in body,

weary for a dragon, without delay [wording unclear].

من حامه ألأقى له

شرك الجمال بأوبة الأجفان

Whoever circled him—he cast for him

beauty's snare with the eyelids' return.

ولطالما قد كنت من

وجد الصبا ريح اليمان

And how often I would, from

longing for the east wind, the Yemeni breeze,

أغدو وعلى شوقي ببط

ن شماله بيني دعان

go forth, still yearning, within

his left hand—“between me ... called me” [wording unclear].

ليت الزمان بوصلنا

افتر لي يوم البيان

If only time, through our union,

would smile for me on the day of disclosure.

حيي وكاسي والرضاب

وراحنا في غيهان

My clan, my cup, and the lips' nectar,

and our wine in [ghayhān: meaning unclear].

ولقد رأيتك في المنا

م معانقي دون العيان

And indeed I saw you in a dream,

embracing me, though not in waking sight.

وكأن ظلم اللعس من

شهد اللما حول اللسان

And as though the dark lips' sheen were from

the honey of dusky lips around the tongue.

فطفقت أرجو العين بع

د خيالها عرج أوان

So I began to hope for the real presence, after

its image—“turned aside; a time” [wording unclear].

لا أكتفي لا أكتفي

بوصاله دهري معان

I am not content, I am not content

with union with him; I suffer all my life.

يأبى الوصال لكثرة ال

واشي به شرى مكان

He refuses union because of the many

tale-bearers about him—“bought a place” [wording unclear].

يا جنح لا تسري على

ليلي بقد حبي حبان

O nightfall, do not pass over

my night, with my beloved's stature—“two beloveds” [wording unclear].

يا صبح لا تسري على

ليلي بقد الخيزران

O dawn, do not pass over

my night, with bamboo's stature.

برزت بدور السعد في

أفق الدجى بالرقمتان

The full moons of good fortune emerged in

the horizon of darkness at al-Raqmatan.

وإذا هممت فطالب سع

د الذي

And when you resolve, seek the good fortune

of the one who—

وجزت على فكري ول

كن طالبا أغرى الحسان

and you passed through my thoughts; but

a seeker beguiled the beautiful women.