أَنا لَستُ بِالحَسناءِ أَوَّلَ مولَعِ

أَنا لَستُ بِالحَسناءِ أَوَّلَ مولَعِ

هِيَ مَطمَعُ الدُنيا كَما هِيَ مَطمَعِ

هِيَ مَطمَعُ الدُنيا كَما هِيَ مَطمَعِ

I am not the first enamored of the fair one;

I am not the fairest at first sight

I am not the first to be enamored by the Fair One,

she is the world's desire, as she is mine.

She is the world's desire, as is her right

She is the desire of the world, just as she is my desire.

فَاِقصُص عَلَيَّ إِذا عَرَفتَ حَديثَها

فَاِقصُص عَلَيَّ إِذا عَرَفتَ حَديثَها

وَِسكُن إِذا حَدَّثتَ عَنها وَاِخشَعِ

وَِسكُن إِذا حَدَّثتَ عَنها وَاِخشَعِ

So tell me her story, if you know it,

So tell me her story if you know it well

So tell me her story, if you know her tale,

and be still and reverent when you speak of her.

And speak with reverence when you of her tell

And be still when you speak of her, and speak with reverence.

أَلَمَحتَها في صورَةٍ أَشهِدتَها

أَلَمَحتَها في صورَةٍ أَشهِدتَها

في حالَةٍ أَرَأَيتَها في مَوضِعِ

في حالَةٍ أَرَأَيتَها في مَوضِعِ

Have you glimpsed her in a form? Have you witnessed her

I saw her image, witnessed her grace

Did you glimpse her in a form you witnessed?

in a state? Have you seen her in a place?

Beheld her beauty in its rightful place

In a state you saw, or in a place you found?

إِنّي لَذو نَفسٍ تَهيمُ وَإِنَّها

إِنّي لَذو نَفسٍ تَهيمُ وَإِنَّها

لَجَميلَةٌ فَوقَ الجَمالِ الأَبدَعِ

لَجَميلَةٌ فَوقَ الجَمالِ الأَبدَعِ

I have a soul that wanders in love, and she

My soul does yearn, and she is indeed

For I possess a soul that wanders in love, and she

is beautiful beyond the most wondrous beauty.

Above all beauty, flawless without need

Is beautiful beyond the most creative beauty.

وَيَزيدُ في شَوقي إِلَيها أَنَّها

وَيَزيدُ في شَوقي إِلَيها أَنَّها

كَالصَوتِ لَم يُسفِر وَلَم يَتَقَنَّعِ

كَالصَوتِ لَم يُسفِر وَلَم يَتَقَنَّعِ

What deepens my longing for her is that she

And my longing grows, for she's divine

And what increases my longing for her is that she

is like sound, neither unveiled nor veiled.

A voice obscured, a vision undefined

Is like a voice—neither unveiled nor wearing a mask.

فَتَّشتُ جَيبَ الفَجرِ عَنها وَالدُجى

فَتَّشتُ جَيبَ الفَجرِ عَنها وَالدُجى

وَمَدَدتُ حَتّى لِلكَواكِبِ إِصبَعي

وَمَدَدتُ حَتّى لِلكَواكِبِ إِصبَعي

I searched the bosom of dawn and darkness for her,

I searched the dawn and darkness for her face

I ransacked the pockets of the dawn for her, and the dusk,

and stretched my finger even toward the stars.

Reached out my hands to touch the stars in space

And I stretched my finger out even to the stars.

فَإِذا هُما مُتَحَيِّرانِ كِلاهُما

فَإِذا هُما مُتَحَيِّرانِ كِلاهُما

في عاشِقٍ مُتَحَيِّرٍ مُتَضَعضِعِ

في عاشِقٍ مُتَحَيِّرٍ مُتَضَعضِعِ

Then behold: both were bewildered,

Bewildered they, and I bewildered more

But lo, both dawn and dusk are bewildered,

over a bewildered, faltering lover.

A longing lover, wavering evermore

Gazing at a lover who is bewildered and broken.

وَإِذا النُجومُ لِعِلمِها أَو جَهلِها

وَإِذا النُجومُ لِعِلمِها أَو جَهلِها

مُتَرَجرِجاتٌ في الفَضاءِ الأَوسَعِ

مُتَرَجرِجاتٌ في الفَضاءِ الأَوسَعِ

And the stars, from knowledge or ignorance,

The stars in their knowledge or in their ignorance

And lo, the stars, whether in their knowledge or ignorance,

quivered in the vast expanse.

Trembled in the vastness of their expanse

Are quivering in the vastness of space.

رَقَصَت أَشِعَّتُها عَلى سَطحِ الدُجى

رَقَصَت أَشِعَّتُها عَلى سَطحِ الدُجى

وَعَلى رَجاءٍ فِيَّ غَيرَ مُشَعشَعِ

وَعَلى رَجاءٍ فِيَّ غَيرَ مُشَعشَعِ

Their rays danced upon the surface of darkness,

Their rays danced upon the veil of night

Their rays danced upon the surface of the darkness,

and upon an unillumined hope within me.

Hope shone in me, though not too bright

And upon a hope within me that shines but dimly.

وَالبَحرُ كَم ساءَلَتهُ فَتَضاحَكَت

وَالبَحرُ كَم ساءَلَتهُ فَتَضاحَكَت

أَمواجُهُ مِن صَوتِيَ المُتَقَطِّعِ

أَمواجُهُ مِن صَوتِيَ المُتَقَطِّعِ

And the sea—how often I questioned it, and laughter came

The sea, how I asked, laughed in its tide

And the sea—how often I questioned it, and its waves

from its waves at my faltering voice.

At my broken voice that could not hide

Chuckled in mockery at my broken voice.

فَرَجَعتُ مُرتَعِشَ الخَواطِرِ وَالمُنى

فَرَجَعتُ مُرتَعِشَ الخَواطِرِ وَالمُنى

كَحَمامَةٍ مَحمولَةٍ في زَعزَعِ

كَحَمامَةٍ مَحمولَةٍ في زَعزَعِ

So I returned, my thoughts and hopes trembling,

I returned in thought and dream that swirled

So I returned, my thoughts and wishes trembling,

like a dove borne in a gale.

A carried dove in a chaotic world

Like a dove carried away in a violent gale.

وَكَأَنَّ أَشباحَ الدُهورِ تَأَلَّبَت

وَكَأَنَّ أَشباحَ الدُهورِ تَأَلَّبَت

في الشَطِّ تَضحَكُ كُلُّها مِن مَرجَعِ

في الشَطِّ تَضحَكُ كُلُّها مِن مَرجَعِ

As though the specters of the ages had gathered

The ghosts of ages past seemed to conspire

It was as if the phantoms of the ages had gathered

on the shore, all laughing at my return.

Laughing on the shore at my desire

On the shore, all laughing at my return.

وَلَكَم دَخَلتُ إِلى القُصورِ مُفَتِّشاً

وَلَكَم دَخَلتُ إِلى القُصورِ مُفَتِّشاً

عَنها وَعُجتُ بِدارِساتِ الأَربَعِ

عَنها وَعُجتُ بِدارِساتِ الأَربَعِ

How often I entered palaces, searching

How many halls I entered in, searching

How often I entered palaces searching for her,

for her, and turned aside to ruined dwellings.

Those four corners, always emerging

And turned aside to search the ruins of ancient dwellings.

إِن لاحَ طَيفٌ قُلتُ يا عَينُ اِنظُري

إِن لاحَ طَيفٌ قُلتُ يا عَينُ اِنظُري

أَو رَنَّ صَوتٌ قُلتُ يا أُذنُ اِسمَعي

أَو رَنَّ صَوتٌ قُلتُ يا أُذنُ اِسمَعي

If a phantom appeared, I said, 'O eye, look!'

If a phantom appeared, I said look, my eye

If a phantom appeared, I said, 'Oh eye, look!'

Or a sound rang out, I said, 'O ear, listen!'

Or a voice rang, I said listen, my ear

Or if a sound rang out, I said, 'Oh ear, listen!'

فَإِذا الَّذي في القَصرِ مِثلي حائِرٌ

فَإِذا الَّذي في القَصرِ مِثلي حائِرٌ

وَإِذا الَّذي في القَفرِ مِثلي لا يَعي

وَإِذا الَّذي في القَفرِ مِثلي لا يَعي

But the one in the palace was bewildered like me,

But those inside were lost like me

But lo, he who dwells in the palace is confused like me,

and the one in the wilderness, like me, did not understand.

And those outside could not see

And he who dwells in the wasteland is unaware like me.

قالوا تَوَرَّع إِنَّها مَحجوبَةٌ

قالوا تَوَرَّع إِنَّها مَحجوبَةٌ

إِلّا عَنِ المُتَزَهِّدِ المُتَوَرِّعِ

إِلّا عَنِ المُتَزَهِّدِ المُتَوَرِّعِ

They said, 'Be pious; she is veiled

They said, be patient, she's veiled from sight

They said, 'Be pious, for she is veiled

from all but the devout ascetic.'

Except for those ascetic and contrite

From all but the ascetic and the devout.'

فَوَأَدتُ أَفراحي وَطَلَّقتُ المُنى

فَوَأَدتُ أَفراحي وَطَلَّقتُ المُنى

وَنَسَختُ آياتِ الهَوى مِن أَضلُعي

وَنَسَختُ آياتِ الهَوى مِن أَضلُعي

So I buried my joys alive and divorced my hopes,

So I buried my joys and dreams forsook

So I buried my joys alive and divorced my desires,

and erased love's verses from my ribs.

Love's verses from my being shook

And I erased the verses of passion from my ribs.

وَحَطَّمتُ أَقداحي وَلَمّا أَرتَوِ

وَحَطَّمتُ أَقداحي وَلَمّا أَرتَوِ

وَعَفَفتُ عَن زادي وَلَمّا أَشبَعِ

وَعَفَفتُ عَن زادي وَلَمّا أَشبَعِ

and shattered my cups, my thirst still unquenched,

Smashed the cups from which I sipped

I smashed my cups before I had quenched my thirst,

and abstained from my food before I was sated.

Fasted from my food though hunger nipped

And I abstained from my food before I was sated.

وَحَسَبتُني أَدنو إِلَيها مُسرِعاً

وَحَسَبتُني أَدنو إِلَيها مُسرِعاً

فَوَجَدتُ أَنّي قَد دَنَوتُ لِمَصرَعي

فَوَجَدتُ أَنّي قَد دَنَوتُ لِمَصرَعي

I thought I was swiftly drawing near to her,

Thought myself hastening nearer to her

I thought I was approaching her with haste,

but found I had drawn near to my death.

But found myself nearer to my burial

But found I had only approached my own demise.

ما كانَ أَجهَلَ نُصَّحي وَأَضَلَّني

ما كانَ أَجهَلَ نُصَّحي وَأَضَلَّني

لَمّا أَطَعتُهُم وَلَم أَتَمَنَّعِ

لَمّا أَطَعتُهُم وَلَم أَتَمَنَّعِ

How ignorant my advisers were, and how astray I was

None more foolishly led me astray

How ignorant were my advisors, and how I strayed

when I obeyed them and offered no resistance!

Than those whose counsel I did obey

When I obeyed them and did not resist.

إِنّي صَرَفتُ عَنِ الطَماعَةِ وَالهَوى

إِنّي صَرَفتُ عَنِ الطَماعَةِ وَالهَوى

قَلبي وَلا ظُفرٌ لِمَن لَم يَطمَعِ

قَلبي وَلا ظُفرٌ لِمَن لَم يَطمَعِ

From craving and passion I turned

From greed and passion I did abstain

For I turned my heart away from ambition and passion,

my heart; yet there is no triumph for one who does not desire.

Yet none succeed who do not entertain

And there is no victory for one who does not covet.

فَكَأَنَّني البُستانُ جَرَّدَ نَفسَهُ

فَكَأَنَّني البُستانُ جَرَّدَ نَفسَهُ

مِن زَهرِهِ المُتَنَوِّعِ المُتَضَوِّعِ

مِن زَهرِهِ المُتَنَوِّعِ المُتَضَوِّعِ

I was like a garden that stripped itself

I was a garden stripped of its flowers

It was as if I were a garden that stripped itself

of its varied, fragrant blossoms,

Diverse, colorful, once towering

Of its varied, fragrant blossoms,

لِيُحِسَّ نورَ الشَمسِ في ذَرّاتِهِ

لِيُحِسَّ نورَ الشَمسِ في ذَرّاتِهِ

وَيُقابِلُ النَسَماتِ غَيرَ مَقَّنَّعِ

وَيُقابِلُ النَسَماتِ غَيرَ مَقَّنَّعِ

to feel the sunlight in its every particle

To feel the sunlight in its dust

To feel the light of the sun in its very particles,

and face the breezes without a veil.

Unveiled, to meet the winds robust

And to face the breezes without a veil.

فَمَشى عَلَيهِ مِنَ الخَريفِ سُرادِقٌ

فَمَشى عَلَيهِ مِنَ الخَريفِ سُرادِقٌ

كَاللَيلِ خَيَّمَ في المَكانِ البَلقَعِ

كَاللَيلِ خَيَّمَ في المَكانِ البَلقَعِ

Then a canopy of autumn crept over it,

But over it came the autumn shroud

So a pavilion of autumn walked over it,

like night pitching its tent in a barren place.

Darkening that place beneath its cloud

Like night camping in a desolate wasteland.

وَكَأَنَّني العُصفورُ عَرّى جُسمُهُ

وَكَأَنَّني العُصفورُ عَرّى جُسمُهُ

مِن ريشِهِ المُتَناسِقِ المُتَلَمِّعِ

مِن ريشِهِ المُتَناسِقِ المُتَلَمِّعِ

And I was like a sparrow that bared its body

I was a bird stripped of feathers bright

And as if I were a sparrow that bared its body

of its well-arrayed, gleaming feathers,

Harmonious, shining, once so light

Of its coordinated, glistening feathers,

لِيَخِفَّ مَحمَلُهُ فَخَرَّ إِلى الثَرى

لِيَخِفَّ مَحمَلُهُ فَخَرَّ إِلى الثَرى

وَسَطا عَلَيهِ النَملُ غَيرَ مُرَوِّعِ

وَسَطا عَلَيهِ النَملُ غَيرَ مُرَوِّعِ

to lighten its burden, then fell to the earth,

To lessen the burden, to the ground it fell

To lighten his burden, but he fell to the dust,

and ants assailed it, with nothing to frighten them away.

The ants marched on without parallel

And the ants swarmed over him, undeterred.

وَهَجَعتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّها بِنتَ الرُأى

وَهَجَعتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّها بِنتَ الرُأى

فَصَحَوتُ أَسخَرُ بِالنِيامِ الهُجَّعِ

فَصَحَوتُ أَسخَرُ بِالنِيامِ الهُجَّعِ

I slept, thinking she was a daughter of dreams,

I laid down thinking she was wisdom's daughter

I slept, thinking she was the daughter of visions,

then woke to mock the sleepers deep in slumber.

But woke up laughing at useless slaughter

Then I woke, mocking those who slumber deep.

لَيسَت حُبوراً كُلُّها دُنيا الكَرى

لَيسَت حُبوراً كُلُّها دُنيا الكَرى

كَم مُؤلِمٍ فيها بِجانِبِ مَفزَعِ

كَم مُؤلِمٍ فيها بِجانِبِ مَفزَعِ

The world of sleep is not all joy;

Not all is loss in this world of woe

The world of sleep is not all joy;

how much pain it holds alongside terror!

Beside the pitfalls some comforts glow

How much pain is there alongside terror.

تَخفي أَمانِيَّ الفَتى كَهُمومِهِ

تَخفي أَمانِيَّ الفَتى كَهُمومِهِ

عَنهُ وَتَحجُبُ ذاتَهُ في بَرقَعِ

عَنهُ وَتَحجُبُ ذاتَهُ في بَرقَعِ

It hides a young man's hopes, like his cares,

From him it hides his hopes and pain

It hides a youth's wishes just as it hides his worries,

from him, and shrouds his very self in a veil.

Veils his essence deep within its reign

And veils his very self in a shroud.

وَلَرُبَّما اِلتَبَسَت حَوادِثُ يَومِهِ

وَلَرُبَّما اِلتَبَسَت حَوادِثُ يَومِهِ

بِالغابِرِ الماضي وَبِالمُتَقَّعِ

بِالغابِرِ الماضي وَبِالمُتَقَّعِ

Often the events of his day are confused

His day's events with past and future blend

And perhaps the events of his day become confused

with the bygone past and with what is expected.

All a confusion without end

With the distant past and the expected future.

يا حَبَّذا شَطَطَ الخَيالِ وَإِنَّما

يا حَبَّذا شَطَطَ الخَيالِ وَإِنَّما

تُمحى مَشاهِدُهُ كَأَن لَم تُطبَعِ

تُمحى مَشاهِدُهُ كَأَن لَم تُطبَعِ

How delightful the wild flights of fancy! Yet

Would that imagination's excess fade

Oh, how lovely is the excess of imagination, yet

its scenes are erased as though never imprinted.

Its scenes erased as if never made

Its scenes are erased as if never imprinted.

لَمّا حَلِمتُ بِها حَلِمتُ بِزَهرَةٍ

لَمّا حَلِمتُ بِها حَلِمتُ بِزَهرَةٍ

لا تُجتَنى وَبِنَجمَةٍ لَم تَلُعِ

لا تُجتَنى وَبِنَجمَةٍ لَم تَلُعِ

When I dreamed of her, I dreamed of a flower

When I dreamed of her, I dreamed of a flower unplucked

When I dreamed of her, I dreamed of a flower

that could not be plucked, and of a star that had never risen.

Of an unreached star in the skies stuck

That cannot be picked, and a star that never shone.

ثُمَّ اِنتَبَهتُ فَلَم أَجِد في مَخدَعي

ثُمَّ اِنتَبَهتُ فَلَم أَجِد في مَخدَعي

إِلّا ضَلالي وَالفِراشُ وَمَخدَعي

إِلّا ضَلالي وَالفِراشُ وَمَخدَعي

Then I woke, and found in my chamber

Then I awoke to find in my bedstead

Then I awoke and found nothing in my chamber

nothing but my delusion, the bed, and my chamber.

None but my loss and pillow for my head

Except my error, the mattress, and the room itself.

مَن كانَ يَشرَبُ مِن جَداوِلِ وَهمِهِ

مَن كانَ يَشرَبُ مِن جَداوِلِ وَهمِهِ

قَطَعَ الحَياةَ بِغَلَّةٍ لَم تُنقَعِ

قَطَعَ الحَياةَ بِغَلَّةٍ لَم تُنقَعِ

Whoever drinks from the streams of his illusion

He who drinks from the streams of his illusion

He who drinks from the streams of his own illusion

passes through life with an unquenched thirst.

Cuts short his life in useless confusion

Traverses life with a thirst that is never quenched.

ذَهَبَ الرَبيعُ فَلَم تَكُن في الجَدوَلِ ال

ذَهَبَ الرَبيعُ فَلَم تَكُن في الجَدوَلِ ال

شادي وَلا الرَوضِ الأَغَنِّ المُمرَعِ

شادي وَلا الرَوضِ الأَغَنِّ المُمرَعِ

Spring passed, but she was not in the brook

The spring left no brook but shadeless

Spring departed, and she was not in the singing stream,

that sings, nor in the lush, melodious meadow.

No garden but fruitless and waterless

Nor in the lush, fertile garden.

وَأَتى الشِتاءُ فَلَم تَكُن في غَيمِهِ

وَأَتى الشِتاءُ فَلَم تَكُن في غَيمِهِ

الباكي وَلا في رَعدِهِ المُتَفَجِّعِ

الباكي وَلا في رَعدِهِ المُتَفَجِّعِ

Winter came, but she was not in its cloud

Winter came, in its clouds no rain

And winter came, and she was not in its weeping clouds,

that weeps, nor in its grief-stricken thunder.

In its thunder no sorrow or pain

Nor in its agonizing thunder.

وَلَمَحتُ وامِضَةَ البُروقِ فَخِلتُها

وَلَمَحتُ وامِضَةَ البُروقِ فَخِلتُها

فيها فَلَم تَكُ في البُروقِ اللُمَّعِ

فيها فَلَم تَكُ في البُروقِ اللُمَّعِ

I glimpsed the flash of lightning and imagined her

Lightning flashed, empty I found its flare

I glimpsed the flash of lightning and thought her within it,

within it; but she was not in the gleaming flashes.

No lightning afire in the barren air

But she was not in the shining lightning.

صَفَرَت يَدي مِنها وَبي طَيشُ الفَتى

صَفَرَت يَدي مِنها وَبي طَيشُ الفَتى

وَأَضَلَّني عَنها ذَكاءُ الأَلمَعي

وَأَضَلَّني عَنها ذَكاءُ الأَلمَعي

My hand was empty of her, while youth's recklessness was in me,

My hands withered, astray went this lad

My hands were empty of her, though I had the recklessness of youth,

and the cleverness of the keen-witted led me astray from her.

His wit led him stray from the wise and staid

And the intelligence of the brilliant led me astray.

حَتّى إِذا نَشَرَ القُنوطُ ضَبابُهُ

حَتّى إِذا نَشَرَ القُنوطُ ضَبابُهُ

فَوقي فَغَيَّبَني وَغَيَّبَ مَوضِعي

فَوقي فَغَيَّبَني وَغَيَّبَ مَوضِعي

Until, when despair spread its fog

Until despair spread its mist overhead

Until, when Despair spread its fog above me,

over me, hiding me and hiding my place,

Veiling me, my place covered and hid

Hiding me and hiding my very place,

وَتَقَطَّعَت أَمراسُ آمالي بِها

وَتَقَطَّعَت أَمراسُ آمالي بِها

وَهيَ الَّتي مِن قَبلُ لَم تَتَقَطَّعِ

وَهيَ الَّتي مِن قَبلُ لَم تَتَقَطَّعِ

and the ropes of my hopes for her snapped,

Hope's threads were severed, once unbroken

And the ropes of my hopes for her were severed,

though they had never snapped before,

Squeezed by sorrow, my tears were the token

Hopes which, before that, had never been cut,

عَصَرَ الأَسى روحي فَسالَت أَدمُعاً

عَصَرَ الأَسى روحي فَسالَت أَدمُعاً

فَلَمَحتُها وَلَمَستُها في أَدمُعي

فَلَمَحتُها وَلَمَستُها في أَدمُعي

grief wrung my soul, and it flowed as tears.

I saw her, felt her in my streaming tears

Sorrow wrung my soul, and it flowed out as tears,

Then I glimpsed her and touched her in my tears,

When wisdom comes late, nothing appears

And then I glimpsed her, and touched her, in my tears.

وَعَلِمتُ حينَ العِلمُ لا يُجدي الفَتى

وَعَلِمتُ حينَ العِلمُ لا يُجدي الفَتى

أَنَّ الَّتي ضَيَّعتُها كانَت مَعي

أَنَّ الَّتي ضَيَّعتُها كانَت مَعي

and knew, when knowledge was of no use to a man,

The one I lost was with me all along

And I learned, at a time when knowledge no longer avails,

that the one I had lost had been with me.

That she, whom I had lost, was with me all along.