زَفَّ المنامُ إليّ طَيْفَ خَيالِهِ

زَفَّ المنامُ إليّ طَيْفَ خَيالِهِ

لو أنّ طَيْفاً كان من أبدالِهِ

لو أنّ طَيْفاً كان من أبدالِهِ

Sleep ushered the phantom of his image to me—

Slumber carried to me the ghost of his phantom

if only a phantom could stand in his stead!

If only a ghost it were of his incarnations

لو كان مُعْتَنقي لَما طَغِيَ الهوَى

لو كان مُعْتَنقي لَما طَغِيَ الهوَى

لو كان يَطْغَى لاعْتناقِ مِثاله

لو كان يَطْغَى لاعْتناقِ مِثاله

Had he embraced me, passion would not have run wild,

If my embracer, desire would not have surged

if embracing his likeness could make it run wild.

If surging were for embracing his likeness

بِتْنا نُعَلَّلُ بالوِصالِ منَ امْرئٍ

بِتْنا نُعَلَّلُ بالوِصالِ منَ امْرئٍ

لم يُبْقِ منّا غيرُ ذِكْرِ وْصاله

لم يُبْقِ منّا غيرُ ذِكْرِ وْصاله

We spent the night soothed by union with one

We almost fancied being united with a man

who left nothing of us but the memory of union with him.

Who left us with nothing but memories of his union

في ليلةٍ لحَظَ الزّمانُ نَعيمَنا

في ليلةٍ لحَظَ الزّمانُ نَعيمَنا

فيها بعَيْنِ العارفِ المُتَباله

فيها بعَيْنِ العارفِ المُتَباله

On a night when Time looked upon our bliss

In a night, time glanced at our delight

there with the eye of one who knows but feigns ignorance.

In it, in the observing eye of the swooning lover

تَمّتْ محاسنُه فتَمّ صُدودُه

تَمّتْ محاسنُه فتَمّ صُدودُه

وكذاكَ نَقْصُ البَدْرِ وقْتَ كَماله

وكذاكَ نَقْصُ البَدْرِ وقْتَ كَماله

His charms reached perfection, and so did his aversion;

His attributes perfected, so his affability perfected

so too the full moon begins waning at its fullness.

Likewise the moon's defect at its peak

قَلّ الهوَى في العينِ منه مثْلما

قَلّ الهوَى في العينِ منه مثْلما

يَلْقَى الأميرُ نَداهُ باسْتِقْلاله

يَلْقَى الأميرُ نَداهُ باسْتِقْلاله

Love seemed slight in his eyes, just as

Love lessened in the eye from him, as

the prince regards his own bounty as slight.

The prince finds his cry with independence

ماذا يُريدُ الهَجْرُ من مُتَعَرِّضٍ

ماذا يُريدُ الهَجْرُ من مُتَعَرِّضٍ

للدَّهْرِ يَمزُجُ رَنْقَهُ بِزُلاله

للدَّهْرِ يَمزُجُ رَنْقَهُ بِزُلاله

What does estrangement want from one exposed

What does estrangement want from one displaying

to Time, mingling its murk with its clear water—

To fate, blending his throaty voice with his shadow

صَبٍّ عصَى عُذّالَه حتّى إذا

صَبٍّ عصَى عُذّالَه حتّى إذا

نسَم الصَّبابةَ صارَ من عُذّاله

نسَم الصَّبابةَ صارَ من عُذّاله

a lover who defied his reproachers until, when

A petulant lad who defied his reprimanders until

he breathed in longing, he joined his own reproachers?

The zephyr blew, whereupon he turned into one of his reprimanders

ومُهَفْهفٍ حبَس الورَى صَرْفُ الهوَى

ومُهَفْهفٍ حبَس الورَى صَرْفُ الهوَى

ما بينَ عارضِه المُنيرِ وخاله

ما بينَ عارضِه المُنيرِ وخاله

And a slender youth—passion's sway held all mankind

And an enchanter who trapped passion with the course of desire

between his radiant cheek and his mole.

Between his bright cheek and his mole

عاطَيْتُه الصَّهْباءَ أخطُبُ نَوْمَه

عاطَيْتُه الصَّهْباءَ أخطُبُ نَوْمَه

والصّحْوُ يَحجُبُ حُسْنَه بِدَلاله

والصّحْوُ يَحجُبُ حُسْنَه بِدَلاله

I shared tawny wine with him, courting his sleep,

I asked him for daytime sleep and wakefulness concealed his beauty with its guide

while sobriety veiled his beauty with his coyness.

I kept extending it to him until I surely

ما زلتُ أَبسطُهُ بها حتّى لقد

ما زلتُ أَبسطُهُ بها حتّى لقد

فرَّقْتُ بينَ دَلالِه وجَماله

فرَّقْتُ بينَ دَلالِه وجَماله

I kept putting him at ease with it, until at last

Separated between his guide and his beauty

I parted his coyness from his beauty.

Until drowsiness fooled around with his body

حتّى إذا عبَث السُّباتُ بقَدِّه

حتّى إذا عبَث السُّباتُ بقَدِّه

عَبثاً يَكونُ الجِدُّ من أمثاله

عَبثاً يَكونُ الجِدُّ من أمثاله

Until, when slumber played with his form—

Playfully becoming the essence of its like

a playfulness whose like would count as earnestness—

I interceded for him with my manliness and took

شَفّعْتُ فيه مُروءتي وسلَبْتُه

شَفّعْتُ فيه مُروءتي وسلَبْتُه

نَفْسي وبِعْتُ حَرامَه بحَلاله

نَفْسي وبِعْتُ حَرامَه بحَلاله

I accepted my honor's plea for him, and took back from him

My soul from myself and sold his prohibitions for the lawful

myself, trading the forbidden in him for the lawful.

And a taster who thought prolonging would increase

ومُماذِقٌ حَسِبَ المِطالَ يَزيدُني

ومُماذِقٌ حَسِبَ المِطالَ يَزيدُني

حُبّاً له فوهَبْتُه لِمِطاله

حُبّاً له فوهَبْتُه لِمِطاله

And a false-hearted friend thought delay would increase

My love for him, so I gifted it to his prolonging

my love for him; so I gave him over to his delays.

If only time would show gratitude, it would not have left

ولَوَ انَّ هذا الدّهْرَ يشكرُ لم يدَعْ

ولَوَ انَّ هذا الدّهْرَ يشكرُ لم يدَعْ

شُكْري وقد عَدَّدْتُ بعْضَ خِصاله

شُكْري وقد عَدَّدْتُ بعْضَ خِصاله

If this age could give thanks, it would not neglect

My gratitude as I enumerated some of its traits

to thank me, for I have counted some of its qualities.

If only this generosity would show gratitude, it would not have left

ولَوَ انَّ هذا الجودَ يشكرُ لم يَدَعْ

ولَوَ انَّ هذا الجودَ يشكرُ لم يَدَعْ

شكْرَ الأميرِ وقد غدا منْ آله

شكْرَ الأميرِ وقد غدا منْ آله

If this generosity could give thanks, it would not neglect

The prince's gratitude as he became of his house

to thank the prince, for it has become one of his household.

Abundance is in his bestowal, attaining is in

الوَفْرُ عند نَوالِه والنَّيْلُ عن

الوَفْرُ عند نَوالِه والنَّيْلُ عن

د سُؤالِه والمَوْتُ عند صِياله

د سُؤالِه والمَوْتُ عند صِياله

Abundance comes with his giving, attainment with

His questioning, and death lies in his haunt

asking him, and death with his onslaught.

People are from his inquiry, generosity is from

والخَلْقُ من سُؤاله والجُودُ من

والخَلْقُ من سُؤاله والجُودُ من

عُذّالِه والدَّهرُ من عُمّاله

عُذّالِه والدَّهرُ من عُمّاله

All mankind are among his petitioners; generosity among

His reprimand, and fate is from his workers

his reproachers; Time among his agents.

Hopes gather from his assets

تَتجمّعُ الآمالُ من أموالِه

تَتجمّعُ الآمالُ من أموالِه

فَتُفَرَّقُ الأموالُ في آماله

فَتُفَرَّقُ الأموالُ في آماله

Hopes gather from his wealth,

So assets disperse into his hopes

then wealth is scattered among his hopes.

He has such sweetness that if it were distributed to people,

وله حُلومٌ لو قُسِمْنَ على الوَرى

وله حُلومٌ لو قُسِمْنَ على الوَرى

ما زاد عاقِلُه على جُهّاله

ما زاد عاقِلُه على جُهّاله

He has wisdom that, were it shared among mankind,

The sensible would not increase over the ignorant in it

their wise would have no advantage over their ignorant.

And he has manners that if they were planets,

وخلائِقٌ لو أنّهُنٌ كواكبٌ

وخلائِقٌ لو أنّهُنٌ كواكبٌ

أَضحَى السُّها في الضّوءِ مِثْلَ هِلاله

أَضحَى السُّها في الضّوءِ مِثْلَ هِلاله

And virtues that, were they stars,

The Pleiades in their glow would become like its crescent

would make Al-Suhā as bright as his crescent moon.

And his words are more gratifying to the hearing

وفُصولُ قَوْلٍ هُنّ أعذَبُ مَسمَعاً

وفُصولُ قَوْلٍ هُنّ أعذَبُ مَسمَعاً

من راحةِ المَشْغولِ عن أشغاله

من راحةِ المَشْغولِ عن أشغاله

And passages of speech sweeter to the ear

Than the comfort of the busy from their busyness

than a busy man's respite from his tasks.

The generosity of his intuition does not withhold his utterance

سَمْحُ البديهةِ ليس يُمسكُ لَفْظَه

سَمْحُ البديهةِ ليس يُمسكُ لَفْظَه

فكأنّما ألفاظُه من ماله

فكأنّما ألفاظُه من ماله

Free in impromptu speech, he never withholds a word,

Its as if his words were from his assets

as though his words were part of his wealth.

And as if his resolves and his swords

وكأنّما عزَماتُه وسُيوفُه

وكأنّما عزَماتُه وسُيوفُه

من جِدِّهن خلُقِنْ َمن إقْباله

من جِدِّهن خلُقِنْ َمن إقْباله

And it is as though his resolves and his swords,

Were created from his determination and his encroachment

so earnest are they, were fashioned from his good fortune.

Smiling in discourse, you'd reckon he is

مُتَبسِّمٌ في الخَطْبِ تَحسَبُ أَنّه

مُتَبسِّمٌ في الخَطْبِ تَحسَبُ أَنّه

من حُسْنِه مُتلثِّمٌ بنِعاله

من حُسْنِه مُتلثِّمٌ بنِعاله

He smiles amid calamity; you would think that he,

Veiled for his beauty by his slipper

so beautiful, is veiled with his sandals.

If fate knew the value of his deed

لو كان يَدْري الدَّهرُ قيمةَ فِعْلِه

لو كان يَدْري الدَّهرُ قيمةَ فِعْلِه

نُسِجَتْ حوادثُه على مِنْواله

نُسِجَتْ حوادثُه على مِنْواله

Had Time known the worth of his deeds,

Its events would be tailored to his example

its events would have been woven on his loom.

My Indian steel, the antiquity of whose craftsmanship

يا هُنْدُوانيّاً عتيقُ نِجارِه

يا هُنْدُوانيّاً عتيقُ نِجارِه

أَغْنَى الصَّياقِلَ عن حديثِ صِقاله

أَغْنَى الصَّياقِلَ عن حديثِ صِقاله

O Indian blade, whose ancient stock

Has made polishing redundant in telling of its sharpmaking

has spared the polishers any fresh burnishing.

I channeled poetry to you until poems became for it

أُجري إليك الشِّعْرَ حتّى أَصبحَتْ

أُجري إليك الشِّعْرَ حتّى أَصبحَتْ

منه القِصارُ حوامِداً لِطِواله

منه القِصارُ حوامِداً لِطِواله

I send verse racing to you, until

Short pieces eulogizing its lengths

its short pieces have come to thank its long ones.

And so whoever trails his train toward the heights

وكذاكَ مَن جَرَّ الذُّيولَ إلى العُلا

وكذاكَ مَن جَرَّ الذُّيولَ إلى العُلا

عَلِقَ الثَّناءُ بصَفْحتَيْ أذْياله

عَلِقَ الثَّناءُ بصَفْحتَيْ أذْياله

And so, whoever trails his robes toward the heights,

Praise sticks to the pages of his train’s edges

praise clings to both sides of his trailing hems.