رَأى الحُسْنَ في العُشَّاقِ مُمتَثلَ الأَمْرِ

رَأى الحُسْنَ في العُشَّاقِ مُمتَثلَ الأَمْرِ

فَجارَ وَنابتْ عَنْهُ عَيْنَاهُ في الغَدْرِ

فَجارَ وَنابتْ عَنْهُ عَيْنَاهُ في الغَدْرِ

Beauty saw among the lovers one obedient to its command;

He saw beauty in lovers enacting his command

So it grew tyrannical, and its eyes acted for it in betrayal.

So he revolted, and his eyes turned away in betrayal

وَقال خُذِ الهَجْرَ المُبرِّحَ بِالحَشَا

وَقال خُذِ الهَجْرَ المُبرِّحَ بِالحَشَا

فَقُلْتُ خُذ الصَّبْرَ المُبرِّحَ بالهَجْرِ

فَقُلْتُ خُذ الصَّبْرَ المُبرِّحَ بالهَجْرِ

And it said, "Take the estrangement that torments the heart."

And he said, take this separation that brings joy with renunciation

So I said, "Take the patience that torments estrangement."

So I said, take this patience that brings joy through separation

وَلِي فِيكَ بَيْنَ القُرْبِ وَالبُعْدِ مَشْهدٌ

وَلِي فِيكَ بَيْنَ القُرْبِ وَالبُعْدِ مَشْهدٌ

يُريني صِدْقَ الهَجْرِ في كَذِبِ السِّرِّ

يُريني صِدْقَ الهَجْرِ في كَذِبِ السِّرِّ

And concerning you, between nearness and distance, I have a vision

And for me in you is a scene between closeness and distance

Which shows me estrangement's truth in the secret's falsehood.

That shows me the truthfulness of separation in the lies of intimacy

أُمَثِّلُ ما أَخْتَارُ مِنْكَ بِخاطِري

أُمَثِّلُ ما أَخْتَارُ مِنْكَ بِخاطِري

فَيَمْنَحُنِي وَصْلاً وَإِنْ كُنْتَ لا تَدْرِي

فَيَمْنَحُنِي وَصْلاً وَإِنْ كُنْتَ لا تَدْرِي

I picture in my mind what I choose of you,

I imagine what I choose of you in my thoughts

So it grants me union, though you do not know.

So it grants me union even if you are not aware

أَأَحْبابَنا بِنْتُمْ وَخَلَّفْتُمُ الهَوَى

أَأَحْبابَنا بِنْتُمْ وَخَلَّفْتُمُ الهَوَى

يُملل حَرَّ الشَّوْقِ مِنَّا على الجَمْرِ

يُملل حَرَّ الشَّوْقِ مِنَّا على الجَمْرِ

O our beloveds, you departed and left love

O our loved ones, have you forgotten and abandoned passion

Roasting the heat of our longing upon the embers.

That alleviates the heat of yearning in us over embers

هَلُمَّ إِلى العَهْدِ القَديمِ نُجِدُّهُ

هَلُمَّ إِلى العَهْدِ القَديمِ نُجِدُّهُ

وَنُنْشِي به مَيْتَ الهَوَى طَيب النَّشْرِ

وَنُنْشِي به مَيْتَ الهَوَى طَيب النَّشْرِ

Come to the old covenant; let us renew it,

Come back to the old covenant, we will renew it

And through it revive dead love, sweet in fragrance.

And revive with it the dead passion, good diffusion

فَنَحْنُ قَبِلناكُمْ على كُلّ حَالَةٍ

فَنَحْنُ قَبِلناكُمْ على كُلّ حَالَةٍ

أَحبَّاءَ لا نَسْلوكُمْ آخِرَ الدَّهْرِ

أَحبَّاءَ لا نَسْلوكُمْ آخِرَ الدَّهْرِ

For we have accepted you in every condition,

For we have accepted you in every state

As beloveds; we shall not cease loving you till time's end.

As loved ones we do not ask you till the end of time

وَنَحْنُ فَعَلْنَا ما يَليقُ مِنَ الوَفَا

وَنَحْنُ فَعَلْنَا ما يَليقُ مِنَ الوَفَا

فَلا تَفْعَلُوا ما لا يَلِيقُ مِنَ الغَدْرِ

فَلا تَفْعَلُوا ما لا يَلِيقُ مِنَ الغَدْرِ

And we have done what befits fidelity;

And we have done what befits loyalty

So do not commit the unseemly acts of betrayal.

So do not do what does not befit betrayal

وَإِنَّا وَإِنْ أَغْرَى بِنَا الحُسْنُ عَامِداً

وَإِنَّا وَإِنْ أَغْرَى بِنَا الحُسْنُ عَامِداً

نُؤَمِّلُ أَنْ يُجْرِي بِنَا اليُسْرُ ما يُجْرِي

نُؤَمِّلُ أَنْ يُجْرِي بِنَا اليُسْرُ ما يُجْرِي

And we, though Beauty has deliberately incited others against us,

And even if beauty seduced us intentionally

Hope that ease will bring us whatever it may bring.

We hope ease will run its course

أُسائِلُكُمْ هَلْ رَوَّضَ الشِّعْبُ بَعْدَنَا

أُسائِلُكُمْ هَلْ رَوَّضَ الشِّعْبُ بَعْدَنَا

وَهَلْ سَحَّ في سَاحَاتِهِ وَابِلُ القَطْرِ

وَهَلْ سَحَّ في سَاحَاتِهِ وَابِلُ القَطْرِ

I ask you: has the ravine grown verdant since we left?

I ask you, has the land been tilled after us

And has heavy rain poured across its open spaces?

And has the rain poured in its plains

وَهَلْ سَنَحَتْ فِيهِ جَآذِرُهُ الَّتي

وَهَلْ سَنَحَتْ فِيهِ جَآذِرُهُ الَّتي

تُعوِّضُ بالأَلْبابِ مَرْعىً عَن الزَّهْرِ

تُعوِّضُ بالأَلْبابِ مَرْعىً عَن الزَّهْرِ

And have its oryx calves appeared there, those that

And have its roots that compensate

Take minds, rather than flowers, as their pasture?

With wisdom for pasture instead of flowers grown in it

كَواكِبُ قالَ النَّاسُ هُنَّ كَواعِبٌ

كَواكِبُ قالَ النَّاسُ هُنَّ كَواعِبٌ

تَقَلَّدْنَ بَالأَحْدَاقِ مِنَّا وَبِالدُّرِّ

تَقَلَّدْنَ بَالأَحْدَاقِ مِنَّا وَبِالدُّرِّ

Stars—people said they were round-breasted maidens—

Like planets, people said they are maidens

They adorned their necks with our pupils and with pearls.

Who donned our gazes and pearls

نَحرْنَ جُفُونِي بالدُّمُوعِ وإِنَّما

نَحرْنَ جُفُونِي بالدُّمُوعِ وإِنَّما

سَلَبْنَ عُقُودَ الدُّرِّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النَّحْرِ

سَلَبْنَ عُقُودَ الدُّرِّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ النَّحْرِ

They slaughtered my eyelids with tears; yet they merely

They wounded my eyelids with tears, but in fact

Stole pearl necklaces from that slaughter.

They robbed necklaces of pearls from that wounding

رَعَى اللَّهُ نَفْساً كم أُكَلِّفُهَا الهَوَى

رَعَى اللَّهُ نَفْساً كم أُكَلِّفُهَا الهَوَى

وَأَجْنِي بِها حُلْوَ الأُمُورِ مِنَ المُرِّ

وَأَجْنِي بِها حُلْوَ الأُمُورِ مِنَ المُرِّ

May God guard a soul—how often I burden it with love,

May God protect a soul how much passion burdens it

And through it I reap the sweetness of things from bitterness.

And I gain thereby the sweetness of things from the bitter

وَأَلْقَى صُرُوفَ الدَّهْرِ مُسْتَقْبِلاً لَها

وَأَلْقَى صُرُوفَ الدَّهْرِ مُسْتَقْبِلاً لَها

فَلسْتَ تَرى تَأْثِيرَها في سِوَى صَدْرِي

فَلسْتَ تَرى تَأْثِيرَها في سِوَى صَدْرِي

And I meet time's vicissitudes, facing them head-on,

And I meet the turns of fate looking ahead for it

So you see their effect nowhere but in my breast.

So you do not see its effect except in my chest

وَقَدْ شَابَ فَوْدي قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْقَضِي لَهُ

وَقَدْ شَابَ فَوْدي قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْقَضِي لَهُ

سِوَى الخَمْسِ والعِشْرِينَ مِنْ مُدَّةِ العُمْرِ

سِوَى الخَمْسِ والعِشْرِينَ مِنْ مُدَّةِ العُمْرِ

And my temple has grayed before it has lived through

And my love has grayed before it finishes for him

More than twenty-five years of life's span.

Except twenty five years from the age

أُحِبُّ ورُودَ الماءِ يُحْرَسُ بالظُّبَى

أُحِبُّ ورُودَ الماءِ يُحْرَسُ بالظُّبَى

وَأَهْوَى ازْدِيارِ الحَيِّ يُمْنَعُ بالسُّمْرِ

وَأَهْوَى ازْدِيارِ الحَيِّ يُمْنَعُ بالسُّمْرِ

I love approaching water guarded by sword blades,

I love the flowing of water guarded by the thickets

And desire to visit the encampment defended by brown spears.

And I crave the lively commotion forbidden by the night patrols

وَلِي بِابْنِ عَبْدِ الظَّاهِرِ الهِمَّةُ الَّتي

وَلِي بِابْنِ عَبْدِ الظَّاهِرِ الهِمَّةُ الَّتي

أَجَادَ بِهَا جَدِّي وأَعْلى بِهَا قَدْرِي

أَجَادَ بِهَا جَدِّي وأَعْلى بِهَا قَدْرِي

And through Ibn 'Abd al-Zahir I have that high aspiration

And I have the aspiration that the son of Abdel Zaher had

Through which my fortune prospered and my standing rose.

With which my grandfather was generous and with which he elevated my status

هُوَ البَرُّ إِلَّا أَنَّه إِنْ قَصَدْتَهُ

هُوَ البَرُّ إِلَّا أَنَّه إِنْ قَصَدْتَهُ

تَيَقَّنْتَ أَنَّ البَحْرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ البَرِّ

تَيَقَّنْتَ أَنَّ البَحْرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ البَرِّ

He is the beneficent land—yet if you seek him,

He is righteousness except if you seek him

You are certain that the sea comes from that land.

You will ascertain that the sea is of that land

يُقاسِمني قَلْبِي إِلَيْهِ اشْتِياقُهُ

يُقاسِمني قَلْبِي إِلَيْهِ اشْتِياقُهُ

فَيَرْجَحُ شَطْرَ الشَّوْقِ مِنْهُ عَلَى الشَّطْرِ

فَيَرْجَحُ شَطْرَ الشَّوْقِ مِنْهُ عَلَى الشَّطْرِ

My heart shares with me its longing for him,

My heart shares with him its longing

So its half of longing outweighs the other half.

So the scale of passion tips toward him over the other half