1. يا رِياح الفَجر مِن نَحو الحِمى

    هَجتِ لي لَما تَنسمتِ الطَرَب

    O winds of dawn from the direction of the sanctuary,

    You stirred rapture in me when you blew softly.

  2. كُلَّما كَفكفت دَمعي اِنسَجَما

    وَإِذا اِستنجدت بِالصَبر هَرَب

    Whenever I wiped away my tears, they streamed,

    And whenever I sought patience's help, it fled.

  3. قَد أَتَتني عَن حَبيبي بِخَبَر

    وَأسرَّته لِقَلبي فَاِستَعر

    They have brought me news of my beloved,

    And whispered it to my heart, which flared.

  4. وَإِرتَمَت أَحشايَ مِنهُ بِالشَرَر

    أَتَرى يُنصِفُني مِن ظُلما

    And my innermost parts were struck by its sparks.

    Do you think he who wronged me will treat me justly,

  5. إِذ نَأى عَني وَمِن غَيري اِقتَرَب

    وَبِنَفسي أَفتديهِ حكماً

    When he withdrew from me and drew near another?

    And I would ransom him with my life—the judge

  6. حُكم الأَشواق بي ثُمَّ اِحتَجَب

    مَلَني العوّاد إِذ عَزَّ الدَوا

    Who set longings to rule me, then hid himself.

    My sickbed visitors tired of me when the cure proved elusive.

  7. وَإِذا بِتُ كَبدي نار الجَوى

    مِن مُجيري مِن ظُلوم في الهَوى

    And whenever I pass the night, my liver is a fire of lovesickness.

    Who will shelter me from one so cruel in love?

  8. كُلَما أَبكي لَدَيهِ اِبتَسَما

    وَإِذا يَوماً تَبسمت قطب

    Whenever I weep before him, he smiles;

    And if I smile one day, he scowls.

  9. أَمر العَينين أَن تَبكي دَماً

    وَرَمى بِالصَد قَلبي فَاِلتَهَب

    He commanded my two eyes to weep blood,

    And struck my heart with rejection, so it blazed.

  10. كُلَّما صَدَّ تَمادى الحُب بي

    قُلت إِذ حارَبَني وَأَحربي

    Whenever he turns away, love carries me further.

    I said, when he warred against me, 'Alas, my misery!'

  11. هَل لِهَذا آخر يابأَبي

    أَيُّها الظَبي المذيبي سَقماً

    Is there an end to this, O you I would ransom with my father?

    O gazelle who melts me away with sickness,

  12. بَينَ سَقم الجسم وَاللَحظ نَسب

    أَفلا تَرعى لِذاكَ الذِمما

    There is kinship between the body's sickness and the gaze.

    Will you not honor the obligations of that kinship?

  13. وَهُوَ في دين الهَوى أَقوى سَبب

    يا دُجى الهَجر الَّذي أَحمى الوَهج

    And it is the strongest bond in the faith of love.

    O darkness of separation that has stoked the blaze,

  14. أَتَرى لي فيكَ فَجر أَو فَرَج

    لَو بَدا بَدري لَما اِحتَجت البَلج

    Is there a dawn or relief for me in you, I wonder?

    If my full moon appeared, I would need no dawnlight.

  15. مِن عَذيري مِن حَبيب صَرما

    بَعد ما واصَلَني فيهِ الوَصب

    Who will defend me against a beloved who broke our bond,

    After suffering for him had kept me company?

  16. جارَ هَذا الحُب لَما حَكَما

    إِن قَلبي كُلَّما ذابَ أُحب

    This love was unjust when it ruled.

    Indeed, whenever my heart melts, I love still more.

  17. كَم أَقود الصَبر وَالصَبر حرون

    كُل تَدبير مَع الحُب جُنون

    How often I lead patience, yet patience is balky!

    Every stratagem in love is madness,

  18. وَاِصطِبار مَع شَوق لا يَكون

    مَرَّ عَيشي في هَوى عَذب اللَمى

    And patient endurance cannot exist alongside longing.

    My life grew bitter loving one with sweet, dusky lips,

  19. وَحَلالي مِن تَجنيهِ العَطب

    وَمَضى عُمريَ فيهِ عَدَما

    And ruin is my lawful portion from his cruelty.

    And my lifetime passed for his sake, all in vain,

  20. بَينَ تيهٍ وَملال وَغَضَب

    لي رَقيب مُنكر مَهما بَدا

    Amid haughtiness, weariness, and anger.

    I have a watcher, grim whenever he appears,

  21. وَوشاة لَن يَملوا أَبَدا

    وَغَيور لَيسَ يَخشى أَحَدا

    And tale-bearers who will never grow weary,

    And a jealous one who fears no one,

  22. وَعَذول قلَّ أَن يَحتَشِما

    لَم يَنَل مِن عَذلِهِ إِلّا التَعَب

    And a reproacher who rarely shows restraint.

    He gained nothing from his reproaches but weariness.

  23. كُلَّما عَرَّض بِاللَوم هُما

    عارض مِن دَمع عَيني وَاِنسَكَب

    Whenever he hinted at blame, there rained down

    A raincloud of tears from my eye, pouring forth.

  24. آه مِن حَرّ الجَوى وَأَكبَدا

    قَد بَكاني رَحمَةً فيهِ العِدا

    Ah, the heat of lovesickness! Alas, my liver!

    Even my enemies wept for me in pity at this suffering,

  25. وَعَذولي لا يَملّ الفَندا

    كُلّ مَن لامَ مُحِباً أَثما

    Yet my reproacher never tires of fault-finding.

    Whoever reproaches a lover has sinned,

  26. وَإِذا ماغولب الحُب غَلَب

    كَيفَ لا أَهوى مَليحاً كُلَّما

    And whenever love is challenged, it wins.

    How could I not love a beautiful one? Whenever

  27. لاحَ لِلبَدر مَحياهُ غَرب

    فَضح الغُصن اِنعِطافاً قَدهُ

    His face appears before the full moon, the moon sets.

    His swaying figure puts the branch to shame.

  28. خَصرُهُ يمكن مِنهُ عَقدهُ

    ثَغرُهُ أَحرَق قَلبي بَردُهُ

    His waist could be tied into a knot.

    His mouth's coolness has burned my heart:

  29. لُؤلؤٌ أَحكمهُ مِن نَظَما

    وَيُسَمى بَرداً وَهُوَ حَبب

    Pearls perfected by the one who strung them;

    It is called hail, though it is bubbles.

  30. مِن بَردهُ ظامياً يَزدد ظَما

    وَهُوَ شَهد وَرَحيق وَضَرب

    From its coolness a thirsty one grows thirstier,

    And it is honeycomb, pure wine, and white honey.

  31. لايَفيق الدَهر مَن يَرشفُهُ

    وَيَعيب المسك مَن يَعرِفُهُ

    Whoever sips it never sobers for all time,

    And whoever knows it finds musk wanting.

  32. دونَهُ مِن لَحظِهِ مُرهفَهُ

    أَفلا يَرهبهُ مِن عِلما

    Before it stands the keen blade of his gaze;

    Will not one fear it who knows

  33. أَنَّهُ يَرصد ذياك الشَنَب

    أَخجَلتُهُ نَظرَتي فَاِزدَحَما

    That it keeps watch over those gleaming teeth?

    My glance made him blush, and there mingled

  34. في صَفا خَديهِ ماءٌ وَلَهب

    لا تَسَل عَن أَدمُعي كَم سَفحت

    In his clear cheeks, water and flame.

    Do not ask about my tears—how many I have shed!

  35. فَضحت سري وَعَنهُ أَفصحت

    قُلت وَالأَشواق بي قَد برّحت

    They exposed my secret and proclaimed it.

    I said, while longings had sorely tormented me,

  36. أَرثِ لي مِمّا أُقاسي كَرَما

    لَيسَ لي فيما سِوى القُرب أَرب

    'In kindness, pity me for what I endure.

    I have no desire for anything but nearness.'

  37. قالَ لي بَل مُت معتي مُغرَما

    قُلت أَفديك بِنَفسي قَد وَجَب

    He said to me, 'No—die tormented [uncertain reading], lovestruck.'

    I said, 'I ransom you with my life; it has become my duty.'

  38. غيرة قَد جاوزت كُل مَدى

    وَأَذابَتني عَلَيهِ كَمدا

    Jealousy has passed beyond all bounds

    And melted me with grief over him.

  39. لَستُ أَخشى مِن تَجنيهِ الرَدى

    جَزعي إِن مُت فيهِ الما

    I do not fear death from his cruelty;

    My anguish, if I die in love for him, in pain,

  40. بَين حُزن وَسقام وَكَرب

    أَنَّهُ يَعشَقهُ غَيري وَما

    Amid sorrow, sickness, and distress,

    Is that another will love him; and how

  41. أَقبح الصَبوة مِن أَهل الرَيب

    عَلَمتهُ ذلَتي بَينَ لَدَيهِ

    Ugly is the infatuation of those of dubious intent!

    My abasement before him taught him

  42. عزة قَد هَونت ذلي لَدَيهِ

    أَنا أَهواهُ وَإِن هِنت عَلَيه

    A pride that made my abasement cheap in his eyes.

    I love him, even if I am worthless to him.

  43. حُبُهُ عَلَمَني إِن اِنظَما

    كُل عَقد في الغَراميّ عَجَب

    His love taught me: if I string verses,

    Every necklace in amorous poetry is a marvel.

  44. أَي وَمَن قَد علم الإِنسان ما

    لَم يَك يَعلَمُ مِن فَنّ الأَدَب

    Yes, by the One who taught humankind what

    It did not know of the art of letters.