أَرَبْعَ شبابي هلْ إليكَ رجوعُ

أَرَبْعَ شبابي هلْ إليكَ رجوعُ

فللهَمِّ في قلبي عليك صدوعُ

فللهَمِّ في قلبي عليك صدوعُ

O abode of my youth, is there any return to you?

Will the vigor of my youth return to you?

For grief has opened cracks in my heart over you.

In my heart is yearning for you unceasing.

إذا هَيَّجتْ نارَ الأسى منك ذُكْرَةٌ

إذا هَيَّجتْ نارَ الأسى منك ذُكْرَةٌ

تَلاها زفيرٌ دائم ودموع

تَلاها زفيرٌ دائم ودموع

Whenever a memory of you kindles the fire of sorrow,

When sorrow's flame for your memory stirs,

unceasing sighs and tears follow it.

It's followed by lasting sigh and weeping.

وقد كنتُ أبكى البينَ قبلَ وقوعه

وقد كنتُ أبكى البينَ قبلَ وقوعه

فحَسْبُك لما حان منه وقوع

فحَسْبُك لما حان منه وقوع

And I used to weep for parting before it came,

I wept for separation before it came,

so imagine my grief when its hour arrived.

It's enough what of it came and passed.

عسَى الريح تُهْدى نفحةً ظاهِرية

عسَى الريح تُهْدى نفحةً ظاهِرية

بها من شَميمِ الساحلَيْن رُدوع

بها من شَميمِ الساحلَيْن رُدوع

May the wind bring a Zahiriyya breeze,

Perhaps the wind gently blows a breeze

bearing traces of the fragrance of the two shores,

Bearing the scent of both coasts blending.

تُحدِّثني هل رَوَّض القصرُ واعْتَلَى

تُحدِّثني هل رَوَّض القصرُ واعْتَلَى

على حاجِز البابِ القديم ربيع

على حاجِز البابِ القديم ربيع

telling me: has the palace grown green, and has there risen

Telling me, did the palace stand lofty

spring above the barrier of the old gate?

Above the threshold of the ancient gate?

وهل دَرَّجتْ ماءَ البُحَيرة شَمْأَلٌ

وهل دَرَّجتْ ماءَ البُحَيرة شَمْأَلٌ

فلاحَتْ عليها للحَباب دُروع

فلاحَتْ عليها للحَباب دُروع

And has a north wind rippled the lake's water,

And did the water of the lake shimmer

so that the bubbles' coats of mail gleamed upon it?

Where duckweeds for the insects spread their cloak?

ربوعٌ خَلا منها مكاني وما خَلَتْ

ربوعٌ خَلا منها مكاني وما خَلَتْ

رسومٌ لها من خاطرِي ورُبوع

رسومٌ لها من خاطرِي ورُبوع

Haunts I no longer occupy, though never absent

Places devoid of you, yet your traces

from my mind are their traces and dwelling places.

In my thoughts and in the meadows left.

وبالجانبِ الشرقيِّ بالثَّغْرِ شادِنٌ

وبالجانبِ الشرقيِّ بالثَّغْرِ شادِنٌ

له من فؤادي نائب وشَفيع

له من فؤادي نائب وشَفيع

And on the eastern side, in the port, is a young gazelle,

And on the east side, by the frontier,

for whom my heart provides a deputy and an intercessor.

Is one whose deputy and intercessor is my heart.

إذا خَطرتْ في خاطرِي منه سَلْوةٌ

إذا خَطرتْ في خاطرِي منه سَلْوةٌ

تَعرَّض شوقٌ دونها ووُلوع

تَعرَّض شوقٌ دونها ووُلوع

Whenever a thought of forgetting him crosses my mind,

When solace from it comes to my mind,

longing and ardor stand in its way.

Yearning steps in the way, unrestrained.

يبيتُ خَليّا من غرامي بحُبِّه

يبيتُ خَليّا من غرامي بحُبِّه

وأُمْسِى كأني من هَواهُ لَسيع

وأُمْسِى كأني من هَواهُ لَسيع

He spends the night untroubled by my passion for him,

It spends the night devoid of my passion,

while evening finds me as though stung by love of him.

While I retire as if bound by its love.

كأن دموعي ضَرَّجت وَجَناتِه

كأن دموعي ضَرَّجت وَجَناتِه

إذا فاض منها للبكاء نَجيع

إذا فاض منها للبكاء نَجيع

As though my tears had stained his cheeks crimson,

As if my tears saturated its cheeks,

when fresh blood overflowed from them in weeping.

When from it abundant tears do pour.

كأن ليالي الهجرِ طولا وظُلمةً

كأن ليالي الهجرِ طولا وظُلمةً

حَكتْهنَّ في الحالين منه فروع

حَكتْهنَّ في الحالين منه فروع

As though the nights of estrangement, in length and darkness,

As if the dark, lengthy nights of estrangement,

were mirrored in both respects by his tresses.

Were adorned by it with branches.

وخَصْرٍ كصبري فوق رِدْفٍ كصَدِّه

وخَصْرٍ كصبري فوق رِدْفٍ كصَدِّه

فذا ظالعٌ واهٍ وذاك ضَليع

فذا ظالعٌ واهٍ وذاك ضَليع

And a waist like my patience, above hips like his rebuff:

A waist like my patience over a chest like its aggression,

so this one is faltering and frail, and that one stout.

So this is languid and that is versed.

غَرير له ثَغْران مِثْلان واحدٌ

غَرير له ثَغْران مِثْلان واحدٌ

يُرَى فيه والثاني بِفيِه يَصوغ

يُرَى فيه والثاني بِفيِه يَصوغ

An innocent youth with two like 'mouths': one

A throat has two matching lips, one displays it,

is where he is seen; the other he fashions in his mouth (wording unclear).

The other veils it with modesty's drape.

شَريكانِ في قلبي بوصفٍ تَوافَقا

شَريكانِ في قلبي بوصفٍ تَوافَقا

عليه فهذا مثلُ ذاك بَديع

عليه فهذا مثلُ ذاك بَديع

Partners in my heart, alike in the qualities

Two partners in my heart with accord complete,

they share—each as exquisite as the other

This equal to that in grace replete.

نَسيما وَبْردا وابيضاضا وطِيبة

نَسيما وَبْردا وابيضاضا وطِيبة

فهذاك ممنوع وذاك مَنيع

فهذاك ممنوع وذاك مَنيع

in breeze, coolness, whiteness, and fragrance.

Breeze, chill, and whiteness and fragrance,

Yet one is forbidden, and the other impregnable.

That's forbidden, and this is restrained.

فياليتَ شِعْري هل لثغرى ونَاظري

فياليتَ شِعْري هل لثغرى ونَاظري

إلى رَشْفِ ثَغْريه الغداةَ رجوع

إلى رَشْفِ ثَغْريه الغداةَ رجوع

Oh, would that I knew: will my mouth and my eye

Would that I knew, will my eyes and cheeks,

return tomorrow morning to sipping his two 'mouths'?

To sipping from its lips return at dawn?