بَرقٌ بَدا جَنح الدُجى يَتَأَلَقُ

بَرقٌ بَدا جَنح الدُجى يَتَأَلَقُ

حَتّى أَضاءَ لَهُ الغَضا وَالإِبرقُ

حَتّى أَضاءَ لَهُ الغَضا وَالإِبرقُ

A lightning flash appeared, gleaming beneath darkness's wing,

A lightning flashed, unveiled the wings of darkness sparkling,

Until the ghada trees and stony ridge shone in its light.

Illuminating for it the verdant and the drenched.

يَسري فَيَقدَح زِندَهُ نار الجَوى

يَسري فَيَقدَح زِندَهُ نار الجَوى

وَيَبيت يَصلاها الفُؤاد الشَيقُ

وَيَبيت يَصلاها الفُؤاد الشَيقُ

It travels by night; the fire of longing strikes its fire-stick,

It flows striking its flint, the fire of passion,

And the yearning heart spends the night scorched by it.

And stays overnight, igniting it - the fervent heart.

يَحكي كَما زَعموهُ ثَغر مُعَذِبي

يَحكي كَما زَعموهُ ثَغر مُعَذِبي

هَيهات أَينَ رِضابِهِ وَالمَنطقُ

هَيهات أَينَ رِضابِهِ وَالمَنطقُ

It resembles, so they claim, my tormentor's mouth.

It tells, as they claimed, the mouth of my tormentors:

Far from it! Where are his sweet saliva and speech?

Alas! Where is its acceptance and speech?

فَلِذاكَ يَغمد في فُؤادي سَيفُهُ

فَلِذاكَ يَغمد في فُؤادي سَيفُهُ

فَاضمُّ أَحشائي عَلَيهِ وَأَطبقُ

فَاضمُّ أَحشائي عَلَيهِ وَأَطبقُ

For that reason he sheathes his sword within my heart,

Thus it sheaths in my heart its sword,

So I clasp my entrails around it and close them tight.

So I suppress my insides upon it and shut.

وَحَمامة بِالجذع تَندب الفَها

وَحَمامة بِالجذع تَندب الفَها

حَتّى يَكاد دُموعَها تَتَرقرقُ

حَتّى يَكاد دُموعَها تَتَرقرقُ

And a dove on the tree trunk mourns her mate,

And a dove, hitting her chest, grieving for her loved one,

Until her tears almost well up.

Until her tears almost stream down her neck.

باتَت يَعنُّ لَها إِدكار أَليفها

باتَت يَعنُّ لَها إِدكار أَليفها

فَترن في اللَيل البَهيم وَتَقلق

فَترن في اللَيل البَهيم وَتَقلق

All night the memory of her mate comes to her,

She stayed up missing her beloved mate,

So she coos in the pitch-black night and frets.

So she moans in the night, distressed and restless.

أَعدي حَنينك بِالَّذي تَبكينهُ

أَعدي حَنينك بِالَّذي تَبكينهُ

فَسَأَبتَغي قَلباً لَهُ يَتَمَزَق

فَسَأَبتَغي قَلباً لَهُ يَتَمَزَق

Let your yearning infect me, by the one you mourn;

Stop your yearning for the one you cry over,

Then I shall seek a heart to be torn apart by it.

For I will seek a heart for him that ruptures.

وَمَعشق الحَركات كَالخوط الَّذي

وَمَعشق الحَركات كَالخوط الَّذي

لَعبت بِهِ ريح الصِبا بَل أَرشقُ

لَعبت بِهِ ريح الصِبا بَل أَرشقُ

And one adored in his movements, like the slender shoot that

And a lover of gestures like lines,

The east wind toyed with—nay, more graceful still.

Which the Zephyr of youth played with, or drew.

ظَبيٌ صَفا ماء النَعيم بِخَده

ظَبيٌ صَفا ماء النَعيم بِخَده

حَتّى يَكاد يَسيلُ مِنهُ الرَونَقُ

حَتّى يَكاد يَسيلُ مِنهُ الرَونَقُ

A gazelle, the water of bliss limpid upon his cheek,

A gazelle purified the water of bliss with his cheek,

Until radiance almost flows from it.

Until grace almost drips from it.

مِن حُسنِهِ وَجَمالِهِ وَصُدودِهِ

مِن حُسنِهِ وَجَمالِهِ وَصُدودِهِ

مثر وَمِن بَعض التَجَمُل مملق

مثر وَمِن بَعض التَجَمُل مملق

In his loveliness, his beauty, and his disdain,

Due to his beauty, charm, and rejection,

He is rich, yet destitute in some adornment.

A fruit ripened, and from some adornment it reddened.

كَتم القِباءُ عَلَيهِ فاقة خَصرِهِ

كَتم القِباءُ عَلَيهِ فاقة خَصرِهِ

وَغَدَت مَناطِقُهُ بِذَلِكَ تَنطُقُ

وَغَدَت مَناطِقُهُ بِذَلِكَ تَنطُقُ

The robe upon him hid his waist's poverty,

The robe concealed his waist’s lack,

And his girdles came to proclaim it.

Thus its belts with that became eloquent.

يَتَعوذ المَلِكان مِن لَحظاتِهِ

يَتَعوذ المَلِكان مِن لَحظاتِهِ

وَالراح تَخشى فَتَكهن وَتَشفقُ

وَالراح تَخشى فَتَكهن وَتَشفقُ

The two angels seek refuge from his glances,

The two angels take refuge from his glances,

And wine fears their deadly assaults and trembles.

And the loving one fears so she cares and sympathizes.

لَو مَسَ أَخمَص نَعلِهِ صَم الحَصى

لَو مَسَ أَخمَص نَعلِهِ صَم الحَصى

لَغَدَت تَرف مَع النَبات وَتَورقُ

لَغَدَت تَرف مَع النَبات وَتَورقُ

If the hollow of his sandal touched the solid pebbles,

If he touched the heel of his slipper, the deaf rocks

They would flourish with the plants and put forth leaves.

Would become gentle with the plants and leaf.

يا مَن كَرهت العَيش بَعد فِراقِهِ

يا مَن كَرهت العَيش بَعد فِراقِهِ

قَد كُنت مِن هَذا التَفَرُق أَفرقُ

قَد كُنت مِن هَذا التَفَرُق أَفرقُ

O you, after parting from whom I loathed life,

O you who hated life after his loss,

I had feared this very separation.

I had been, from this separation, torn apart.

حَيتك عَني نَسمة مَكية

حَيتك عَني نَسمة مَكية

وَسَقى دِيارك عارض يَتَدَفَقُ

وَسَقى دِيارك عارض يَتَدَفَقُ

May a Meccan breeze greet you on my behalf,

Your life deprived me, O breather of Mecca,

And may a pouring raincloud water your dwellings.

And your homeland was quenched by pouring rain.

ما أَبصَرَت عَينايَ بَعدَكَ سَيدي

ما أَبصَرَت عَينايَ بَعدَكَ سَيدي

حُسناً بُروق وَلا جَمالاً يَعشَقُ

حُسناً بُروق وَلا جَمالاً يَعشَقُ

Since you left, my lord, my eyes have not seen

My eyes after you, my master, have not seen

Beauty that delights, nor loveliness to be adored.

Beauty shining, or beauty to yearn for.

يَجتازُ بي سرب المَها فَاغض عَن

يَجتازُ بي سرب المَها فَاغض عَن

أَحداقِهِ جفني القَريح وَأَطبَقُ

أَحداقِهِ جفني القَريح وَأَطبَقُ

A herd of oryx passes me; I lower, away from

A flock of ostriches passes me, so I close

Its eyes, my wounded eyelid, and close it.

My sore eyelids, and shut them tight.

مالي سِوى قَلبٌ بِهِ أَهوى وَقَد

مالي سِوى قَلبٌ بِهِ أَهوى وَقَد

أَودى وَافناهُ البُعاد الموبقُ

أَودى وَافناهُ البُعاد الموبقُ

I have only a heart with which I love, and it has

I have nothing left but a heart I passionately love,

Perished; ruinous separation has destroyed it.

Which has perished, and endless separation destroyed.

قَد كُنت مِن قَبل التَفَرُق وَالنَوى

قَد كُنت مِن قَبل التَفَرُق وَالنَوى

كَلى قُلوباً مِن صُدودك تَحرقُ

كَلى قُلوباً مِن صُدودك تَحرقُ

Indeed, before separation and exile, I was

I used to be, before the estrangement and ill fate,

All hearts, burning at your rejection.

Like hearts set ablaze from your rejection.

فَالآن ما يَبق الأَسى ما تحرق ال

فَالآن ما يَبق الأَسى ما تحرق ال

أَشواق مِن قَلبي وَلا ما يَخفقُ

أَشواق مِن قَلبي وَلا ما يَخفقُ

Now sorrow leaves nothing to be burned by the

Now, no more sorrow remains, no longer

Longings of my heart, nor anything still beating.

Passions from my heart, or heartbeat.

أَبكي لَيالي وَصلَنا في جلق

أَبكي لَيالي وَصلَنا في جلق

حَتّى أَكاد بِفَيض دَمعي أَغرَقُ

حَتّى أَكاد بِفَيض دَمعي أَغرَقُ

I weep for the nights of our union in Jilliq,

I cry during our nights of union in seclusion,

Until I almost drown in the flood of my tears.

Until I almost drown in my tears’ abundance.

وَأَسيغ ماء الدَمع مِن تِذكارِها

وَأَسيغ ماء الدَمع مِن تِذكارِها

وَاغص بِالماء الزلال وَأَشرَقُ

وَاغص بِالماء الزلال وَأَشرَقُ

And I swallow the water of tears when I recall them,

And I sip the water of tears from remembering it,

Yet gag on limpid water and choke.

And I am quenched with pure water and thrive.

بعدٌ بِلا أَمَد وَشَوقٌ مُقلِقٌ

بعدٌ بِلا أَمَد وَشَوقٌ مُقلِقٌ

وَصَبابَة تَنمى وَصَبر يَمحَقُ

وَصَبابَة تَنمى وَصَبر يَمحَقُ

Separation without end, and longing that gives no rest,

Endless distance and distressing longing,

And passion that grows, and patience worn away.

And youth that grows and patience that crumbles.

سَبق الفُراق مَنيَتي يا لَيتَها

سَبق الفُراق مَنيَتي يا لَيتَها

سَبقتهُ فَهِيَ مِن التَفَرُق أَفرَقُ

سَبقتهُ فَهِيَ مِن التَفَرُق أَفرَقُ

Parting came before my death—if only it

Loss preceded my death - if only

Had preceded parting, for death is more afraid of separation.

It preceded separation, for it is more wrenching.