أَنّى دَعاهُ الشَوقُ فَاِرتاحا

أَنّى دَعاهُ الشَوقُ فَاِرتاحا

مِن بَعدِ ما أَصبَحَ جَمّاحا

مِن بَعدِ ما أَصبَحَ جَمّاحا

How did longing call him, so that he stirred,

How did yearning call him to find comfort

after he had grown so headstrong?

After he had become downcast

ذَكَّرَهُ عَهدَ الصِبى صاحِبٌ

ذَكَّرَهُ عَهدَ الصِبى صاحِبٌ

كانَ لَهُ إِذّاكَ مِفتاحا

كانَ لَهُ إِذّاكَ مِفتاحا

A companion reminded him of the days of youth,

A friend reminded him of the days of his boyhood

who had been a key for him then.

When he had the key

أَيّامَ عَبّادَةُ مِن شَأنِهِ

أَيّامَ عَبّادَةُ مِن شَأنِهِ

إِن لَم يَزُرها باكِراً راحا

إِن لَم يَزُرها باكِراً راحا

In the days when ʿAbbādah was his concern,

The days of serving at Abaddah

if he did not visit her early, he went at evening.

It was his habit, if he didn’t go early, to go in the evening

القَلبُ مَشغوفٌ بِما قَد مَضى

القَلبُ مَشغوفٌ بِما قَد مَضى

يَلقى مِنَ الأَحزانِ أَتراحا

يَلقى مِنَ الأَحزانِ أَتراحا

The heart is enamored of what has passed;

The heart is obsessed with what has passed

it suffers sorrows born of grief.

He meets with more and more sorrows

وَكَيفَ لا يَصبو إِلى غادَةٍ

وَكَيفَ لا يَصبو إِلى غادَةٍ

تَكفيكَ في الظَلماءِ مِصباحا

تَكفيكَ في الظَلماءِ مِصباحا

And how could it not yearn for a lovely maiden

How could he not yearn for Ghadah

who serves you as a lamp in darkness?

Who in the darkness is lamp enough

سَحّارَةُ العَينِ لَها صورَةٌ

سَحّارَةُ العَينِ لَها صورَةٌ

جادَ عَلَيها الحُسنُ سَحّاحا

جادَ عَلَيها الحُسنُ سَحّاحا

Enchanting of eye, she has a form

Magic of the eye, hers is a picture

on which beauty has poured in torrents.

On which beauty has lavished its artistry

كَأَن ثَلجاً بَينَ أَسنانِها

كَأَن ثَلجاً بَينَ أَسنانِها

مُستَشرِكاً راحاً وَتُفّاحا

مُستَشرِكاً راحاً وَتُفّاحا

As though snow lay between her teeth,

As though snow were lodged between her teeth

mingled with wine and apples.

Mingling fragrance and apple

كاتَمتُ ما أَلقى إِلى وَجهِها

كاتَمتُ ما أَلقى إِلى وَجهِها

حَتّى إِذا عَذَّبَني باحا

حَتّى إِذا عَذَّبَني باحا

I concealed what I suffered before her face,

I concealed what I was going through because of her

until, when it tormented me, it spoke out.

Until when she tormented me I gave vent

كَفى خَليلَيَّ هَوىً شَفَّني

كَفى خَليلَيَّ هَوىً شَفَّني

لا يَعدِمُ الناصِحُ أَنصاحا

لا يَعدِمُ الناصِحُ أَنصاحا

Enough, my two friends, of a passion that has wasted me!

Enough, my friend, to the love that cured me

The sincere adviser never lacks advisers.

No well-wisher lacks advice

قولا لِمَن لَم تَرَيا مِثلَهُ

قولا لِمَن لَم تَرَيا مِثلَهُ

في مَحفَلٍ جِسماً وَأَلواحا

في مَحفَلٍ جِسماً وَأَلواحا

Tell, you two, the one whose like you have never seen

Say to him whom you never saw the like of

in a gathering, in body and frame:

In a gathering, in body and mind

كُرّي لَنا العَيشَ الَّذي قَد مَضى

كُرّي لَنا العَيشَ الَّذي قَد مَضى

ما كانَ ذاكَ العَيشُ ضَحضاحا

ما كانَ ذاكَ العَيشُ ضَحضاحا

Bring back to us the life that has passed;

Give us back the life that used to be

that life was no shallow pool.

That life was not mere make-believe

لا كُنتُ إِن كُنتُ تَناسَيتُكُم

لا كُنتُ إِن كُنتُ تَناسَيتُكُم

لِهائِجٍ بَعدَكُمو ناحا

لِهائِجٍ بَعدَكُمو ناحا

May I cease to be if I have put you out of mind

If I forgot you, which I did not,

for an anguished one who wailed after you.

I’d pine for you, and sigh

في حُلَّتي جِسمُ فَتىً ناحِلٍ

في حُلَّتي جِسمُ فَتىً ناحِلٍ

لَو هَبَّتِ الريحُ لَهُ طاحا

لَو هَبَّتِ الريحُ لَهُ طاحا

Within my robe is the body of a wasted youth;

In my gown is the body of a haggard youth

if the wind blew upon him, he would be swept away.

A gust of wind would blow him over

كانَ الشَقا حُبّي مَدينِيَّةً

كانَ الشَقا حُبّي مَدينِيَّةً

راحَت بِها دارٌ وَما راحا

راحَت بِها دارٌ وَما راحا

My love for a woman of Medina was misery;

It was my misfortune that the one I loved in Madinah

a dwelling carried her away, but my love did not depart.

Her house perished and she did not perish

أَرعى بِها النَجمَ وَما رَغبَتي

أَرعى بِها النَجمَ وَما رَغبَتي

نَجماً بِطَرفِ العَينِ لَمّاحا

نَجماً بِطَرفِ العَينِ لَمّاحا

For her I watch the stars, though my desire is not

I solace myself with her, but not out of desire

a star flashing at the corner of the eye.

I do not ogle the stars

أَذابِحي الشَوقُ إِلى قُربِها

أَذابِحي الشَوقُ إِلى قُربِها

ما كانَ ذاكَ الشَوقُ ذَبّاحا

ما كانَ ذاكَ الشَوقُ ذَبّاحا

Will longing to be near her slaughter me?

Yearning for her company is consuming me

That longing was never a slayer.

But that yearning was no butcher

لَم أَنسَ ما قالَت وَأَترابُها

لَم أَنسَ ما قالَت وَأَترابُها

في مَعرِكٍ يَنظِمنَ مِسباحا

في مَعرِكٍ يَنظِمنَ مِسباحا

I have not forgotten what she and her companions said,

I’ve not forgotten what she and her companions said

in a throng, threading a strand of beads:

As they strung the prayers together

أَقلِل مِنَ الطيبِ إِذا زُرتَنا

أَقلِل مِنَ الطيبِ إِذا زُرتَنا

إِنّي أَخافُ المِسكَ إِن فاحا

إِنّي أَخافُ المِسكَ إِن فاحا

Use less perfume when you visit us;

Use less perfume, when you visit us

I fear the musk if its fragrance spreads.

I’m afraid musk, if it spreads, will give us away

لا تَترُكَنّا غَرَضاً لِلعِدى

لا تَترُكَنّا غَرَضاً لِلعِدى

إِن كُنتَ لِلأَهوالِ سَبّاحا

إِن كُنتَ لِلأَهوالِ سَبّاحا

Do not leave us a target for enemies,

Do not leave us exposed to enemies

even if you swim through terrors.

If you are wont to make light of terrors

لَم أَدرِ أَنَّ المِسكَ واشٍ بِنا

لَم أَدرِ أَنَّ المِسكَ واشٍ بِنا

إِنَّ حارَ بابُ الدارِ مِسباحا

إِنَّ حارَ بابُ الدارِ مِسباحا

I did not know that musk informed against us.

I did not know musk had given us away

[Unclear as written: 'Indeed ... the house-door grew bewildered ... a strand of beads.']

The threshold of the house was redolent with perfume

فَسَمَّحَت أُخرى وَقالَت لَها

فَسَمَّحَت أُخرى وَقالَت لَها

لا تَحرِما ما كانَ إِصلاحا

لا تَحرِما ما كانَ إِصلاحا

Then another was indulgent and said to her:

Then another woman relented and said to her

Do not, you two, withhold what brings benefit.

Do not forbid what would set things right

لا بُدَّ مِن طيبٍ لِمُعتادِهِ

لا بُدَّ مِن طيبٍ لِمُعتادِهِ

يَغدو بِهِ نَفساً وَأَرواحا

يَغدو بِهِ نَفساً وَأَرواحا

One accustomed to perfume cannot do without it;

He needs perfume, being used to it

with it he goes forth, all soul and spirit.

With which he starts the day, himself and his spirits

كَم لَيلَةٍ قَد شَقَّ إِصباحُها

كَم لَيلَةٍ قَد شَقَّ إِصباحُها

عَنّا نَعيماً كانَ زَحزاحا

عَنّا نَعيماً كانَ زَحزاحا

How many a night whose dawn tore away

How many a night whose daybreak

from us a bliss that stretched far and wide!

Sundered pleasure that would have gone on and on

لَم نَنبَسِط فيهِ إِلى مُحرَمٍ

لَم نَنبَسِط فيهِ إِلى مُحرَمٍ

حَتّى رَأَينا الصُبحَ وَضّاحا

حَتّى رَأَينا الصُبحَ وَضّاحا

We indulged in nothing forbidden there

We were not immoderate, not until

until we saw the dawn shining clear,

Dawn showed things plainly

إِلّا حَديثاً مُعَجِباً أُنسُهُ

إِلّا حَديثاً مُعَجِباً أُنسُهُ

أَكبَرتُهُ غُنماً وَأَرباحا

أَكبَرتُهُ غُنماً وَأَرباحا

only conversation whose intimacy delighted;

Apart from marvelous conversation, delighting me,

I prized it as gain and profit.

At which I rejoiced, counting it pure profit