بَعَثْتُ بهِ نِضْواً إليكَ كَأَنَّهُ

بَعَثْتُ بهِ نِضْواً إليكَ كَأَنَّهُ

خَيالٌ لِليلَى آخِرَ اللَّيلِ طَارِقِ

خَيالٌ لِليلَى آخِرَ اللَّيلِ طَارِقِ

I sent him to you, a wasted beast, as though he were

I sent it to you as a gift, as if it were

a phantom of Layla, visiting at night's end.

An apparition of Layla at the end of night visiting

بَراهُ الضَّنَى حتَّى ظَنّناهُ أَنَّهُ

بَراهُ الضَّنَى حتَّى ظَنّناهُ أَنَّهُ

تَحمَّلَ كُلَّ السُّقْمِ عنْ كلِّ عَاشِقِ

تَحمَّلَ كُلَّ السُّقْمِ عنْ كلِّ عَاشِقِ

Wasting sickness wore him down until we thought that he

Sorrow has emaciated it until we thought it

had borne all illness in every lover's stead.

Bore all the illness for every lover

يَرَى القُرْطَ مِثلَ القُرْطِ في أُذْنِ غَادَةٍ

يَرَى القُرْطَ مِثلَ القُرْطِ في أُذْنِ غَادَةٍ

فَيعدُو بقلبٍ خافقٍ دُونَ خافقِ

فَيعدُو بقلبٍ خافقٍ دُونَ خافقِ

He sees clover as an earring in a graceful maiden's ear,

It sees the earring like the earring in Ghadah's ear

so he runs with a fluttering heart, without a flapping wing.

So it runs with a fluttering heart without fluttering

خَفيٌّ عنِ الأبصارِ لولا نَواحُهُ

خَفيٌّ عنِ الأبصارِ لولا نَواحُهُ

على الفُولِ ما حَدَّتْهُ عَينٌ لِرامقِ

على الفُولِ ما حَدَّتْهُ عَينٌ لِرامقِ

Hidden from sight—were it not for his wailing

Hidden from sights unless it moans

for broad beans, no watcher's eye would have discerned him.

Over the cups - no eye has limited it to a sipper

لَهُ نِصْفُ ذاكَ البَيتِ إذْ كانَ كلُّهُ

لَهُ نِصْفُ ذاكَ البَيتِ إذْ كانَ كلُّهُ

حَلِيفَ الضَّنَى مافيهِ قُوتٌ لِناسقِ

حَلِيفَ الضَّنَى مافيهِ قُوتٌ لِناسقِ

Half of that verse is his, for his whole being is

It owns half of that house if it all

an ally of wasting sickness, with no sustenance in him for a versifier.

Befriended sorrow - in it is no food for an intimate