بَدا البَرق مُشتاقاً فباتَت سُيوفُهُ

بَدا البَرق مُشتاقاً فباتَت سُيوفُهُ

تَشام عَلى القَلب المُشوق فَتفتكُ

تَشام عَلى القَلب المُشوق فَتفتكُ

Lightning appeared, yearning, and its swords spent the night

The lightning appeared longing, so its swords

drawn against the longing heart, wreaking slaughter.

Stabbed at the yearning heart and it bled.

تَبسم فَاِنهَلَت غُروب مَدامِعي

تَبسم فَاِنهَلَت غُروب مَدامِعي

فَبِت بِحُكم البين أَبكي يَضحك

فَبِت بِحُكم البين أَبكي يَضحك

It smiled, and torrents of my tears poured down;

I smiled, so my sunsets of tears poured down,

so, under separation's decree, I spent the night weeping while it laughed.

And by the rule of separation I weep while it laughs.

فَيا أَضلُعي وَقَداً فَما لَكِ مَدامِعي

فَيا أَضلُعي وَقَداً فَما لَكِ مَدامِعي

وَيا أَدمُعي سَفحاً فَمالَكِ ممسك

وَيا أَدمُعي سَفحاً فَمالَكِ ممسك

So, my ribs, burn—for my tears are not yours;

O my ribs, passionately, why these tears of mine?

and, my tears, pour forth—for you have no restrainer.

And O my tears, pouring, what makes you hold back?

وَهَل أَنتِ إِلّا مُهجة قَد تسعرت

وَهَل أَنتِ إِلّا مُهجة قَد تسعرت

وَدَمع مِن القَلب المُعَذب يَسفك

وَدَمع مِن القَلب المُعَذب يَسفك

And are you anything but heart's lifeblood that has flared up,

Are you anything but burning embers

and tears spilled from the tormented heart?

And tears from a tormented heart that pours?

وَهَبَت دُجىً مِن ذَلِكَ الأُفق شَمأل

وَهَبَت دُجىً مِن ذَلِكَ الأُفق شَمأل

تَشاكل جسمي في النُحول وَتشرك

تَشاكل جسمي في النُحول وَتشرك

And in the dark a north wind blew from that horizon,

From that horizon came a dark gloom

matching my body in thinness, and sharing that condition.

That matches my emaciated body and accompanies me.

وَتَسحَب ذَيلاً بِالخَلوق مُبللاً

وَتَسحَب ذَيلاً بِالخَلوق مُبللاً

فَرجت بِهِ مُستَشفياً أتمسك

فَرجت بِهِ مُستَشفياً أتمسك

And dragging a train drenched with saffron perfume;

It drags behind it a moist tail

I found relief through it, clinging to it for healing.

With which I seek comfort and hold fast.

وَلي ثُمَّ أَلف بنت عَنهُ فَلَم يَكُن

وَلي ثُمَّ أَلف بنت عَنهُ فَلَم يَكُن

يَرى لي إِلى وَجه مِن الصَبر مسلك

يَرى لي إِلى وَجه مِن الصَبر مسلك

And there I have a beloved from whom I parted; there was not

For me then, a thousand sorrows turned away

a path to be seen for me toward any form of patience.

And I saw no path to patience on my face.

إِلَيكَ عَن الجِفن الكَليل نَصيحة

إِلَيكَ عَن الجِفن الكَليل نَصيحة

فَإِن حَواشيهِ مِن البيض افتك

فَإِن حَواشيهِ مِن البيض افتك

Keep away from the languid eyelid—take this advice:

To you from the weary eyelid a warning—

for its edges are deadlier than gleaming swords.

Beware its edges’ deadly white glare.

رَمَتنيَ أَيامي بِكُل ممضة

رَمَتنيَ أَيامي بِكُل ممضة

تَقدُّ بِغَربيها الدلاص وَتبتك

تَقدُّ بِغَربيها الدلاص وَتبتك

My days assailed me with every piercing affliction

My days have fired at me every sharp arrow

that cleaves polished armor with its two edges and severs it.

Stretching their bows taut toward my sunset.

فَهَيَأت أَحشائي لِوَقع سِهامِها

فَهَيَأت أَحشائي لِوَقع سِهامِها

وَقُلت إِرم إِن الخَوف مِنكَ لافتك

وَقُلت إِرم إِن الخَوف مِنكَ لافتك

So I prepared my innards for the impact of their arrows,

So they readied my insides for the striking of their arrows

and said, 'Shoot! Fear of you is surely deadlier.'

And I said, “Shoot! For I fear no separation from you.”

فَلم أَرَ كَالأَجفان أَنكى جراحة

فَلم أَرَ كَالأَجفان أَنكى جراحة

وَلَم أَرَ مثل البين بِالقَتل يوشك

وَلَم أَرَ مثل البين بِالقَتل يوشك

So I have seen nothing more grievous in wounding than eyelids,

I have not seen more painful wounds than eyelids

nor anything like separation in its haste to kill.

Nor separation dealt a closer blow than death.

وَبادَهني دَهري بِكُل بَليةٍ

وَبادَهني دَهري بِكُل بَليةٍ

فَلم يَكُ فيها كَالتَفَرّق مُهلك

فَلم يَكُ فيها كَالتَفَرّق مُهلك

And my fate took me unawares with every calamity,

My days have afflicted me with every tribulation—

but none among them was as deadly as parting.

None so pernicious as our parting ways.

نَظَرت فَلا وَاللَه لَم يَقذ ناظِري

نَظَرت فَلا وَاللَه لَم يَقذ ناظِري

بِمثل لَئيم بِالغِنى يَتَمَلك

بِمثل لَئيم بِالغِنى يَتَمَلك

I looked—no, by God, nothing offended my eye

I looked, and by God, my gaze did not fall

like a base man lording it through wealth.

Upon one so vile made arrogant by wealth.

وَلَم أَرَ مثل الحَرّ يَستر عَدمهُ

وَلَم أَرَ مثل الحَرّ يَستر عَدمهُ

تَحملهُ وَالدَهر يَأبى فَيَهتك

تَحملهُ وَالدَهر يَأبى فَيَهتك

Nor have I seen the like of the noble man, whose poverty is concealed

I have not seen heat conceal its lack

by his endurance, while Time refuses and lays it bare.

Bearing it while time refuses and strips it bare.

وَما ثُمَّ ثَوب كَالقَناعة ساتِرٌ

وَما ثُمَّ ثَوب كَالقَناعة ساتِرٌ

كَما لا يَزين الزُهد إِلّا التَنَسُك

كَما لا يَزين الزُهد إِلّا التَنَسُك

And there is no garment that shields like contentment,

There is no garment like contentment to cover

just as nothing adorns renunciation but devout practice.

Just as asceticism is adorned by nothing but detachment.

تَأَنَّ فَلا شَكَ المُقدَّر كائِنٌ

تَأَنَّ فَلا شَكَ المُقدَّر كائِنٌ

وَرَبك كافٍ وَالشَقيّ المُشكك

وَرَبك كافٍ وَالشَقيّ المُشكك

Be unhurried: no doubt, what is ordained will come to pass;

Be patient, doubt not that the foreordained will come to pass,

and your Lord suffices; the doubter is the wretched one.

Your Lord suffices, though the skeptic doubts.

وَما كُل حاجات القَنوع تفوتَهُ

وَما كُل حاجات القَنوع تفوتَهُ

وَلا كُل آراب الحَريصين تدرك

وَلا كُل آراب الحَريصين تدرك

And not all the contented person's needs elude him,

Not all the desires of the content escape him

nor are all the greedy people's desires attained.

Nor are all the hopes of the greedy attained.

وَرَب أَخي وَدٌ مُريب وِدادَهُ

وَرَب أَخي وَدٌ مُريب وِدادَهُ

فَيُنعشُهُ التَعنيف وَاللَوم ينهك

فَيُنعشُهُ التَعنيف وَاللَوم ينهك

And many a brother in friendship has suspect affection:

How often intimacy with a beloved companion

so harsh rebuke revives him, while reproach wears him down.

Is revived by blame and harsh words that wear him down.

صَحبت فَلَما عيل صَبري تَحَمُلاً

صَحبت فَلَما عيل صَبري تَحَمُلاً

نَفضت يَميني مِنهُ وَالزيف يُترَك

نَفضت يَميني مِنهُ وَالزيف يُترَك

I kept his company; when my patience in enduring was exhausted,

I kept his company until my patience grew frail with burden—

I shook my right hand free of him; counterfeit coin is discarded.

Then I shook my hand free of him, shunning the counterfeit.

وَقائل هَجر ظَنٌ إِني وَعيتهُ

وَقائل هَجر ظَنٌ إِني وَعيتهُ

وَفي غَير سَمعي الهَجر وَالإِفك يَسلك

وَفي غَير سَمعي الهَجر وَالإِفك يَسلك

And a speaker of foul talk thought I had heeded it,

The critic says I have shunned him in thought—

but foul speech and lies enter ears other than mine.

But it is without my knowledge that rejection and slander spread.

وَشعر بِغَير الدُرّ نظم عُقوده

وَشعر بِغَير الدُرّ نظم عُقوده

مِن الدَمع يَنشى أَو مِن القَلب يسبك

مِن الدَمع يَنشى أَو مِن القَلب يسبك

And verse whose necklaces were strung with things other than pearls

Poetry of pearls has strands not only of tears

is fashioned from tears, or cast from the heart.

That exude or a heart that is molded and fused.

يَروّح طَبع الحُرّ مِنهُ بِمُؤنس

يَروّح طَبع الحُرّ مِنهُ بِمُؤنس

وَيَنضى عَلى فَرق الدَنى مِنهُ سَنبك

وَيَنضى عَلى فَرق الدَنى مِنهُ سَنبك

It refreshes the noble man's nature with something cheering from it,

It gives relief to the temper of the free

and its hoof wears thin upon the base man's crown.

And sings of the span of life like a temple gong.

غَمزت بِهِ عود الزَمان فَلَم يَلَن

غَمزت بِهِ عود الزَمان فَلَم يَلَن

وَحاجَجت أَيامي فَلم تن تَمحك

وَحاجَجت أَيامي فَلم تن تَمحك

I pressed Time's timber with it, but it would not yield;

I have touched by it the epoch’s lute, but it would not bend.

and I argued with my days, but they never tired of wrangling.

I have disputed with my days, but they will not erase or destroy.