يرافقني سرابك أريحيّا

يرافقني سرابك أريحيّا

فأغمر بالرحيق و بالملاب

فأغمر بالرحيق و بالملاب

Your mirage accompanies me graciously,

Your mirage accompanies me gently,

Your mirage accompanies me generously,

so I am drenched in nectar and perfume.

So I am immersed in perfume and garment.

So I am immersed in nectar and perfume.

سراب أسمر القسمات هان

سراب أسمر القسمات هان

نديّ اللمح ورديّ الحباب

نديّ اللمح ورديّ الحباب

A mirage, dusky-featured and serene,

A tanned mirage, soft in features,

A gentle mirage with tanned features,

dewy in its glance, with rosy bubbles.

Gentle in gesture, rosy in love.

Dewy of glance, with rosy bubbles.

يزوّق لي الرّمال جنى و ظلاّ

يزوّق لي الرّمال جنى و ظلاّ

و يغمز بالكؤوس و بالشراب

و يغمز بالكؤوس و بالشراب

It decks the sands for me with fruit and shade,

It beautifies the sands for me with harvest and shade,

It adorns the sands for me with harvest and shade,

and beckons with goblets and wine.

And winks at me with cups and drinks.

And beckons with cups and with wine.

و قطّف ما ينور من طيوف

و قطّف ما ينور من طيوف

على أجفان ناهدة كعاب

على أجفان ناهدة كعاب

And it plucked the visions that blossom

And plucked what illuminates from specters,

And plucks the blossoming phantoms

upon the eyelids of a nubile, full-breasted maiden.

On sleepy eyelids like a fortress.

Upon the eyelids of a full-breasted maiden.

و علّل بالرجاء فكان أحنى

و علّل بالرجاء فكان أحنى

عليّ من الأحبّة و الصحاب

عليّ من الأحبّة و الصحاب

And it soothed me with hope, proving gentler

And justified hope, so it became more compassionate to me

It consoled me with hope, proving more tender

to me than loved ones and companions.

Than loved ones and companions.

To me than loved ones and friends.

محا حقد الهجير على الصحارى

محا حقد الهجير على الصحارى

و وحدتي المريرة و اغترابي

و وحدتي المريرة و اغترابي

It erased the noonday heat's malice against the deserts,

It erased the exile’s hatred of the deserts

It erased the malice of the midday heat over the deserts,

and my bitter loneliness and my estrangement.

And my bitter loneliness and estrangement.

And my bitter loneliness, and my alienation.

فيا نعمى القلوب و لا أداري

فيا نعمى القلوب و لا أداري

و يا نعمى العيون و لا أحابي

و يا نعمى العيون و لا أحابي

So, O bliss of hearts—and I do not dissemble—

So O comfort of hearts, though I have no knowledge,

Oh, the bliss of hearts! And I do not dissemble,

and O bliss of eyes—and I show no partiality—

And O comfort of eyes, though I have no companions.

And oh, the bliss of eyes! And I show no flattery.

سرابك رحمة و منى حسان

سرابك رحمة و منى حسان

سكبن طيوبهنّ على عذابي

سكبن طيوبهنّ على عذابي

your mirage is mercy and beautiful hopes

Your mirage is mercy and favor,

Your mirage is a mercy and beautiful desires

that poured their fragrances upon my torment.

Its aromas poured on my torment.

That poured their fragrances upon my torment.

أحثّ خطاي في اللّهب المدمّى

أحثّ خطاي في اللّهب المدمّى

إلى أفيائه الخضر الرطاب

إلى أفيائه الخضر الرطاب

I hasten my steps through the bloodied flame

I urge my steps into the reddened blaze,

I hasten my footsteps through the blood-red flame

toward its green, moist shades.

To its green oases, moist with dew.

Toward its moist, green shades.

سقى عيني متارفه و روّى

سقى عيني متارفه و روّى

ظماء الرمل بالنطف العذاب

ظماء الرمل بالنطف العذاب

It gave my eyes its delights to drink, and quenched

It quenched my eyes with its vista, and watered

It gave my eyes its luxuries to drink, and quenched

the thirsty sands with sweet droplets.

The thirsty sands with dripping drops.

The thirst of the sand with sweet, pure drops.

فلو كان الشباب كما عهدنا

فلو كان الشباب كما عهدنا

و هبت جزاء نعمته شبابي

و هبت جزاء نعمته شبابي

If youth were as we once knew it,

If youth were as we knew it,

If youth were still as we once knew it,

I would give my youth in recompense for its blessing.

And I paid back its favor with my youth,

I would have given my youth as a reward for its grace.

بكيت من السراب فحين ولّى

بكيت من السراب فحين ولّى

و أوحدني . بكيت على السراب

و أوحدني . بكيت على السراب

I wept because of the mirage; then, when it turned away

I would have wept at the mirage, when it turned

I wept from the mirage, yet when it departed

and left me alone, I wept for the mirage.

And left me alone. I would have wept for the mirage,

And left me alone, I wept for the mirage.

و أشقاني اليقين فيا حنيني

و أشقاني اليقين فيا حنيني

إلى الخدع المنضّرة السوابي

إلى الخدع المنضّرة السوابي

And certainty made me wretched—oh, my longing

And certainty grieved me. So oh my yearning

And certainty brought me misery; oh, my longing

for those radiant, captivating deceptions!

For the lush green delusions!

For those fresh, captivating illusions!

مغان للسراب خفين إلاّ

مغان للسراب خفين إلاّ

طيوف الجنّ في الةهج المذاب

طيوف الجنّ في الةهج المذاب

The mirage's haunts have vanished, save for

Deceits for the mirage, hidden, except

Abodes of the mirage that remained hidden, except

phantoms of jinn in the molten glare.

The specters of jinn in dissolved sands.

As phantoms of jinn in the molten glare.

أتمحو يا سراب خطاك ... هوج

أتمحو يا سراب خطاك ... هوج

مواح للمعالم و القباب

مواح للمعالم و القباب

O mirage, do raging winds erase your tracks,

Fade, oh mirage, your steps... Passion

Are your footsteps, O mirage, erased by raging winds

winds that wipe out landmarks and domes?

For landmarks and domes.

That sweep away landmarks and domes?

يدلّ على خطاك شذا و حبّ

يدلّ على خطاك شذا و حبّ

فأرشف ما وطئن من التراب

فأرشف ما وطئن من التراب

Fragrance and love point to your tracks,

Your steps indicated by a scent and love,

A fragrance and a love point to your footsteps,

so I sip the dust they have trodden.

So I inhale what your soles trod of dust.

So I sip the dust that they have trodden.

سقى اللخ السراب وفاء قلبي

سقى اللخ السراب وفاء قلبي

و عطر سريرتي و صبا ربابي

و عطر سريرتي و صبا ربابي

May God water the mirage with my heart's fidelity,

The mirage watered the night shadows with my heart’s loyalty,

May God water the mirage with the loyalty of my heart,

and my inmost soul's fragrance, and my rebab's youthfulness,

And the scent of my conscience and youth of my passion.

And the perfume of my inner soul, and the melody of my rebec.

و نضّره بأندى من دموعي

و نضّره بأندى من دموعي

و دللّه بأنعم من عتابي

و دللّه بأنعم من عتابي

and make it flourish with what is dewier than my tears,

And it nurtured it with the dew of my tears,

May He make it radiant with dew moister than my tears,

and pamper it with what is gentler than my reproach,

And pampered it with the most gentle of my reproach.

And pamper it with something softer than my reproach.

بما بين الجوانح من حنين

بما بين الجوانح من حنين

ملحّ في الشهود و في الغياب

ملحّ في الشهود و في الغياب

with the longing between my ribs,

With what is between my ribs of yearning,

By the longing held within my ribs,

insistent in presence and in absence;

Salted in witnessing and in absence.

Persistent in presence and in absence.

بنار تدلّهي ، برؤى جنوني

بنار تدلّهي ، برؤى جنوني

بإيماني بحبّك ، بارتيابي

بإيماني بحبّك ، بارتيابي

with the fire of my infatuation, with the visions of my madness,

With the fire that excites me, the visions of my madness,

By the fire of my infatuation, by the visions of my madness,

with my faith in your love, with my doubt;

My faith in your love, my suspicion.

By my faith in your love, by my doubt.

بوجهك و هو نور في صلاتي

بوجهك و هو نور في صلاتي

بهمسك و هو ورد في كتابي

بهمسك و هو ورد في كتابي

with your face, a light in my prayer,

With your face, and it is light in my prayers,

By your face, which is a light in my prayer,

with your whisper, a rose in my book;

With your whisper, and it is a rose in my book.

By your whisper, which is a litany in my book.

بعزّة لوعتي ، بحياء حزني

بعزّة لوعتي ، بحياء حزني

بسكري عند لمحك و اضطرابي

بسكري عند لمحك و اضطرابي

with the dignity of my anguish, with the modesty of my sorrow,

With the dignity of my torment, the shyness of my grief,

By the pride of my anguish, by the modesty of my sorrow,

with my intoxication at a glimpse of you, and my trembling,

My intoxication when I glimpse you and my discomposure.

By my intoxication at your glimpse, and my agitation.

بأنداء الصّباح منمنمات

بأنداء الصّباح منمنمات

بما سكب الربيع على الروابي

بما سكب الربيع على الروابي

with morning dewdrops, delicately patterned,

With the melodies of dawn murmuring,

By the morning dews, intricately patterned,

with what spring poured upon the hills.

With what spring poured on the meadows.

By what the spring has poured upon the hills.

سقى الله السراب منى بروحي

سقى الله السراب منى بروحي

على الحرمان زاخرة العباب

على الحرمان زاخرة العباب

May God water the mirage with hopes in my soul,

The mirage watered from me with my soul,

May God water the mirage with desires from my soul,

surging in full flood despite deprivation,

On deprivation, abundant clouds.

Swelling with waves despite the deprivation.

فيصبح و هم نعمته يقينا

فيصبح و هم نعمته يقينا

و تستغني الرمال عن السحاب

و تستغني الرمال عن السحاب

so the illusion of its blessing becomes certainty,

So it becomes, and its blessing is certainty,

So that the illusion of its grace becomes a certainty,

and the sands have no need of clouds,

And the sands can do without clouds.

And the sands no longer need the clouds.

و تلثم ما أسبّح من شفاه

و تلثم ما أسبّح من شفاه

و ترشف ما أقدّس من رضاب

و ترشف ما أقدّس من رضاب

and kiss the lips I glorify,

And it kisses what I chant from my lips,

And you kiss the lips that I glorify,

and sip the saliva I hold sacred.

And sips what I sanctify of prose.

And sip the nectar I hold sacred.

هواي سجيّة و شباب قلب

هواي سجيّة و شباب قلب

و جلّ صبا القلوب عن التصابي

و جلّ صبا القلوب عن التصابي

My love is instinct and youth of heart,

It is my disposition and youthful heart,

My love is an innate nature and the youth of a heart,

and youth of heart is above pretending to be young.

And the prime of hearts, without affectation.

And the youth of hearts is too exalted for childish infatuation.

خضبت بلون سمرتك المصفّى

خضبت بلون سمرتك المصفّى

حياتي و المحبّب من رغابي

حياتي و المحبّب من رغابي

I dyed, with the pure hue of your dusky complexion,

My life was dyed with your refined tan complexion,

I have dyed with the pure color of your tanned skin

my life and the dearest of my desires.

And what is most lovely of my wishes.

My life, and the most beloved of my desires.

و لامك عندنا قوم و عابوا

و لامك عندنا قوم و عابوا

يجلّ النور عن لوم و عاب

يجلّ النور عن لوم و عاب

And people among us blamed you and found fault;

And your blame to us is a tribe who denounced—

And people among us have blamed you and found fault,

light is above blame and blemish.

Light is too lofty for blame and denouncement.

But light is too exalted for blame and fault.

و أنت النور في عيني و قلبي

و أنت النور في عيني و قلبي

على حاليك من شهد و صاب

على حاليك من شهد و صاب

And you are the light in my eyes and my heart,

You are the light in my eye and heart,

And you are the light in my eyes and my heart,

in both your states: honey and bitter sap.

However you are, of honey or vinegar.

In both your states, of honey and bitter sap.

سريرتك الضياء بلا غروب

سريرتك الضياء بلا غروب

و عيناك الغيوب بلا حجاب

و عيناك الغيوب بلا حجاب

Your inmost self is radiance without sunset,

Your conscience is radiance without sunset,

Your inner soul is a light without a sunset,

and your eyes are the unseen, without a veil.

And your eyes are mysteries without veils.

And your eyes are the unseen mysteries without a veil.

وقفت بباب جاهك مطمئنا

وقفت بباب جاهك مطمئنا

كأنّ الدّهر و الدنيا ببابي

كأنّ الدّهر و الدنيا ببابي

I stood at the door of your eminence, at peace,

I stood at the door of your glory reassured,

I stood at the door of your glory, reassured,

as though time and the world were at my door.

As if fate and the world were at my door.

As though destiny and the world were at my door.