سرى بفؤادي الوجد نحوك هائم

فعرضني حتفا من القرب قاصم

Yearning stole through my heart toward you, wandering in love;

So it exposed me to a crushing death from nearness.

فنجم الدياجي قد أعار جفونه

لصب لدى الأطلال سهده دائم

For the star of dark nights has lent its eyelids

To a lovesick lover by the ruins, whose sleeplessness is unending.

أرقت لشجو الورق والنجم شاهد

لدي وقاضي العشق فيه جرائم

I lay awake at the gray doves' lament, while the star stood witness

Before me; and the judge of love is guilty of crimes.

أريد هجوعا عل طيفك ينجلي

فترصد لي جفنا لديه صوارم

I seek slumber—perhaps your phantom will appear;

But an eyelid bearing keen swords lay in wait for me.

إذا هبت النكباء دب بجسمنا

لذيذ ليالي الوصل فيها مواسم

When the crosswind blows, there steals through our body

The sweetness of nights of union, with their festive seasons,

كما دبت الصهباء لما تجوهرت

بجسم صريع فيه غنّت حمائم

Just as tawny wine crept, once it became jewel-like,

Through the body of one laid low, where doves sang.

تصحف لي أجفانه لين غصنه

فواكبدي حنت لصخر تهادم

I misread his eyelids as the suppleness of his bough;

So alas for my liver—it yearned for crumbling rock!

وكل جمال في البرية أصله

جمال له كل القلوب تراجم

And every beauty in creation has its source

In a beauty for which all hearts are interpreters.

ومن لم يكن يوم الزحام ملبيا

لنيل سهام الجفن فيه تراكم

And whoever did not answer the call on the day of the throng

To receive the eyelid's arrows, as they pile up there,

فما ذاق من طعم الغرام لذاذة

وليس له في العشق سهم يساهم

Has tasted no sweetness in the flavor of passionate love,

And has no share in love with which to partake.