1. أبَرقٌ مَا لَمِحتُ له ائتِلاَقَا

    أمِ الحَسنَاءُ ثَقَّبتِ الرِّوَاقَا

    Is it lightning whose gleam I have glimpsed,

    or has the fair one pierced the curtain?

  2. أرِقتُ أشِيمُهُ ولقد شجَاني

    وحَمَّلني غَرَاماً لَن يُطَاقَا

    I stayed awake watching its flashes; it has indeed grieved me

    and burdened me with a passion beyond endurance.

  3. وِإن يَكُنِ البَتُول فَإنَّ عِندِى

    لها ولِمَن يُجَاوِرُهَا إشتِيَاقَا

    And if it is Batul, then I have

    longing for her and for those who dwell beside her.

  4. كَلِفتُ بَهَا وأوقَدَ في فُؤَادِى

    تَشَوُّقُها إضطِرَاماً واحتِرَاقاً

    I am enamored of her; within my heart is kindled

    by longing for her a blaze and a burning.

  5. أبِيتُ إِذَا رَمقتُ وَمِيضَ بَرقٍ

    أُراقِبُهُ استِجَاراً وارتِفَاقَا

    I spend the night, whenever I glimpse lightning's flash,

    watching it, seeking shelter and solace.

  6. واعتِرُضَ الرِّفَاقَ إِذَا تَبَدَّت

    لأسأَلَ عَن مَظنَّتِهَا الرِّفَاقَا

    And I intercept the traveling companions when she appears,

    to ask the companions where she may be.

  7. سَقَيتُكِ يَا بَتُولُ لُبَابَ وِدِّى

    وأَصدَقَه إصطِبَاحاً واغتِبَاقَا

    I gave you, O Batul, the essence of my love to drink,

    and its truest draught, morning and evening.

  8. وقَد فَارَقتني وأرَقتِ دَمعِى

    أَمَا تَرَيِنَّ مَدمَعِىَ المُرَاقَا

    And you have left me and poured out my tears—

    do you not see my tears poured out?

  9. أَمَا تَأوِينَ لِى فَلَقَد سَقَاني

    غَرَامُكِ كَأسَ لَوعَتِهِ دِهَاقَا

    Will you not pity me? For I have been given to drink

    by love of you a cup brimming with its anguish.

  10. فِرَاقُكِ ما شَعَرتُ بِهِ إِلَى أن

    دَعَا الدَّاعُونَ أزَمَعَتِ الفِرَاقَا

    I knew nothing of your departure until

    the callers cried out: 'She has resolved to leave.'

  11. فَجِئتُ مُوَدِّعاً فَصَددتِ عني

    صُدُوداً شَقَّ بي ألَماً وشَاقا

    So I came to bid farewell, but you turned away from me,

    a rejection that rent me with pain and made me yearn.

  12. وقُلتِ أمَا أفَقتَ فَقُلتُ كَلاَّ

    أيَصدُقُ ذُو المَحَبَّةِ إِن أفَاقَا

    And you said, 'Have you not come to your senses?' I said, 'No!'

    Can one who loves be sincere if he comes to his senses?

  13. ولُحتِ وفَحتِ في شَمسٍ ومِسكٍ

    فَلاَقَى القَلبُ أصعَبَ ما يُلاَقَى

    And you shone and wafted fragrance, in sunlight and musk,

    so the heart met the hardest trial it could meet.

  14. كَأنَّكِ ظَبيَةٌ عَيناً وجِيجاً

    ولَستِ بِظَبيَةٍ كَفِلاً وسَاقَا

    You are like a gazelle in eye and breast,

    but not a gazelle in rump and leg.

  15. فَقُلتُ لأَعذُرَ الوَاشِينَ لَمَّا

    حَدَا الحَادِى المُغِذُّ بِكِ النِّيَاقَا

    So I said, 'I shall surely excuse the tale-bearers,' when

    the hurrying driver sang the she-camels onward, bearing you.

  16. ولَم أسطَع وَدَاعاً غَيرَ وَمءٍ

    بِطَرفٍ قَد رَمَيتُ بِهِ إستِرَاقَا

    And I could manage no farewell except a gesture

    with a glance that I cast furtively.

  17. آلِك ولَكَ الذي تَرجُوه مني

    جَزَاءً لإِصطِنَاعِكَ لِى وِفَاقاً

    Convey—and yours is what you hope for from me,

    as recompense for the accord you have kindly shown me—

  18. ِإلَى حَضَرَاتِ عَبداللهِ مني

    سَلاَماً رَقَّ شِنشِنَةً ورَاقَا

    to the honored presence of Abdallah, from me,

    a greeting, gentle in character and delightful,

  19. وَفَاقَ المِسكَ والجَادِىَّ عَرفاً

    وفَاقَ الخَمرَ صَافِيَةً مَذَاقَا

    surpassing musk and saffron in fragrance,

    and surpassing pure wine in taste.

  20. إلى الغُرِّ الاُلَى مَا نَالَ يَوماً

    مُعَارِضُهُم بِشَاوِهِمُ لِحَاقَا

    To the illustrious ones: never, on any day,

    has a rival caught up with them in their course.

  21. هُداةِ الحَائِرِينَ بِنُورِ هَدىٍ

    مُنِيرٍ لَيسَ مُختَشِياً مُحَاقَا

    Guides of the bewildered by a light of guidance,

    radiant, unafraid of the moon's dark phase;

  22. سُقَاةِ المُهتَدِينَ الرَّاحَ صِرفاً

    وحِزبَ أئِمَّةِ البِدَعِ الزُّعَاقَا

    those who give the guided unmixed wine to drink,

    and the faction of innovation's leaders bitter brine;

  23. حُمَاةِ الدِّينِ مُتَّخِذِيهِ نُصباً

    لأعيُنِهم إِذَا مَا الرَّحبُ ضَاقَا

    guardians of religion, keeping it as a fixed goal

    before their eyes whenever broad spaces narrow.

  24. سَلاَماً لاَئِقاً بِمَقَامٍ حَبرٍ

    إِمَامٍ بَذَّ في العَليَا وفَاقَا

    A greeting worthy of the station of a learned scholar,

    an imam who outstripped and excelled in eminence;

  25. فَتىً قَد كَانَ أَسبَقَ في المَعَالِى

    إِذَا الحَلَبَاتُ يُمِّمَتِ السِّباقَا

    a man who was indeed foremost in lofty attainments

    whenever the racecourses were sought for racing.

  26. قَفَا آبَاءَهُ خَلقاً وخُلقاً

    فَلذَّ لِكُلِّ مَحمَدةٍ وَلاَقَا

    He followed his forefathers in form and character,

    and so was pleasing and suited to every praiseworthy quality.

  27. وَقَد جَمَعَت له الأيدِى المَعَالِى

    وفَرَّقَتِ المَجَالِيحَ العِتَاقَا

    And his hands have gathered lofty honors for him,

    and distributed noble-bred, winter-milking camels.

  28. وخَامَرَ قَلبهُ الإِيمَانَ حَتَّى

    تَألَّقَ بَرقُ وَجنَتِهِ إئتِلاَفَا

    And faith suffused his heart until

    the lightning of his cheek shone in harmony.

  29. وأهدَت نَظرَةٌ مِنهُ قُلُوباً

    شَرِبنَ الغَىَّ أزمِنَةً فُوَاقَا

    And a glance from him bestowed on hearts

    that had drunk error for ages a return to their senses.

  30. أقُولُ لِحَاسِدنَا وَاهُ جَهلاً

    وحَاوَلَ أن يُحَاكِيَهُ إستَراقَا

    I say to our envier, feeble through ignorance,

    who tried to imitate him furtively:

  31. لَقَد نَاوَيتَ أغزَرَهُم عُلُوماً

    وأتقَاهُم وأبعَدَهُم مَتَاقَا

    'You have indeed challenged the richest of them in learning,

    the most God-fearing and the farthest-reaching,

  32. وأقرَبَهُم وأكثرهُم عَطَايَا

    بِلاَ منٍّ وأنفَعُهم خَلاقَا

    the nearest at hand and the most lavish in gifts,

    without reminders of favors, and the most beneficial in virtue;

  33. وأصبَرَهُم عَلَى الهَيجَاءِ صَبراً

    إِذَا نَصَبتَ لَهُ الهَيجَاءُ سَاقَا

    the most steadfast of them in enduring battle,

    when battle raises a leg against him;

  34. وأعذَبَهُم مُخَالَلَةً وَوِدًّا

    وأصعَبَهُم وأتعَبَهُم شِقَاقَا

    the sweetest of them in friendship and affection,

    and the most formidable and exhausting to oppose.'

  35. سَلامٌ مِن مُحِبٍّ غَيرِ خِبٍّ

    تَجَنَّبَ في مَوَدَّتِكَ النِّفَاقَا

    A greeting from a lover, no deceiver,

    who has shunned hypocrisy in his love for you,

  36. وأصبَحَ في جَنَابِكَ في وَثُاقٍ

    يُثَبِّطُهُ إِذَا رَامَ إنطِلاَقَا

    and now, within your precinct, is held in bonds

    that restrain him whenever he seeks release.

  37. فَفكَّ وَثَاقَهُ فَلَهُ وُثُوقٌ

    بِفَكِّكَ عَن مَعَاصِمِهِ الوَثَاقَا

    So loose his bonds, for he has confidence

    in your undoing the fetters from his wrists.