1. مرَّ باللَّيلِ طائفٌ فَدَعَاني

    لجميلِ الذِّكرَى وحُلْوِ الأماني

    An apparition passed in the night and called me

    To beautiful remembrance and sweet hopes.

  2. مرَّ وهْنًا فاعتَامَنِي برجاءٍ

    ضلَّ منه الرُّقادُ عن أجفاني

    It passed late at night, then singled me out with hope;

    Because of it, sleep strayed from my eyelids.

  3. ليس إلا سُوَيْعةً ثم جادت

    بِحُداها النجومُ للرُّكبانِ

    It was but a little while; then freely gave

    The stars their camel-driving songs to the riders.

  4. بينَ أفنانِ روضةٍ تتراءى

    كخيوطِ الـسرابِ ذي الأركانِ

    Among the boughs of a garden, she comes into view,

    Like threads of a mirage with its corners.

  5. ناوأتْنِي بسِحْرِها مِن بعيدٍ

    ثمَّ جادت بِبارقِ الأشجانِ

    She opposed me with her enchantment from afar,

    Then bestowed a flash of sorrows.

  6. إنَّ عهدِي بها قريبٌ ولكنْ

    هكذا ضجَّ القلبُ بالأحزانِ

    It is not long since I was with her, yet

    Thus the heart cried out with sorrows.

  7. رُبَّ ليلٍ كَمِثْلِ هذا بلا سُهْـ

    ـدٍ ولا تَذكارٍ ولا ترجمانِ

    Many a night like this, without sleepless-

    ness, or remembrance, or an interpreter,

  8. ووصالٍ قَبْلَ النَّوَى وعتابٍ

    ضلَّ في بَوْتَقِ الأسَى الفتَّانِ

    And union before separation, and reproach

    That strayed in the crucible of beguiling sorrow.

  9. فادَّكِرْ قَبْلَ ذلك البينِ عيشًا

    صالحًا وادَّكِرْ قُطُوبَ الزمانِ

    So recall, before that parting, a life

    That was good, and recall the frowns of time.

  10. جادَ بَعْدَ الوصالِ بينًا طويلًا

    فاستجابتْ له لحاظُ البيانِ

    It bestowed, after union, a long separation,

    So the glances of eloquence responded to it.

  11. كلُّ عيشٍ له كذاك انقضاءٌ

    غيرَ أنَّ الذِّكرَى تهِيجُ الأماني

    Every life has an ending like that,

    Yet remembrance stirs up hopes.

  12. فاذكُرِ العهدَ مدبرًا قد تولَّى

    وادعُ صبرًا لجفْنِيَ الهتَّانِ

    So recall those days, receding, already gone,

    And summon patience for my tear-streaming eyelid.

  13. إنما العيشُ بينَ وصلٍ وهجرٍ

    وعتابٍ ترقُّ فيه المعاني

    Life lies only between union and estrangement,

    And reproach in which meanings grow tender.

  14. غيرَ أنَّ الشُّجونَ أقْوَمُ قِيلًا

    تحتَ سقفِ النجومِ في كلِّ آنِ

    Yet sorrows are truer in speech

    Beneath the roof of stars at every moment.

  15. كيف باللهِ أدبرتْ ثم جاءتْ

    تُوقِظُ الذِّكْرَ في عيونِ الزمانِ

    How, by God, did she turn away, then come

    To awaken remembrance in the eyes of time?

  16. عاجلتْها ركائبُ السُّهدِ حتَّى

    أسلَمَتْها لملتقَى الأشجانِ

    The riding camels of sleeplessness overtook her, until

    They surrendered her to the meeting place of sorrows.

  17. بعثتْ آيةَ الفراقِ وضنَّتْ

    بوصالٍ قد تاقَهُ وجداني

    She sent a sign of separation and withheld

    A union for which my heart had yearned.

  18. فبعثتُ الدموعَ تَتْرَى إليها

    فتأبَّتْ سِوَى أسَى الهجرانِ

    So I sent my tears to her, one after another,

    Yet she would have nothing but the sorrow of estrangement.

  19. لكِ منِّي مِن بعدِ هذا اشتياقٌ

    وحنينٌ يجودُ بالخفَقانِ

    From me to you, after this, comes longing,

    And yearning that pours forth heartbeats.

  20. أبِهَذا تجزِينَ شوقي وسُهدي

    بصدودٍ يزيدُ مِن أحزاني

    Is this how you repay my longing and sleeplessness,

    With rejection that adds to my sorrows?

  21. فلئنْ قالوا كاذبٌ في هواه

    فَسَلِي هذا الليلَ عن أجفاني

    So if they say, 'He is false in his love,'

    Then ask this night about my eyelids.

  22. ليتَ شِعرِي متى اللقاءُ المرجَّى

    أمْ أمانٍ تَدُورُ خلفَ أمانِ

    Would that I knew: when is the hoped-for meeting?

    Or hopes that circle behind hopes?

  23. أنتِ أيقنتِ لَوْعَتِي وغرامي

    فَعَلَامَ النَّوَى بلا برهانِ

    You knew full well my anguish and my passion;

    So why separation without justification?

  24. فاهجري ما شاء الدلالُ ولكنْ

    لكِ يومٌ يضلُّ فيه مكاني

    So forsake me as much as coquetry wills, but

    A day awaits you when my whereabouts are lost to you.

  25. قد حفظتُ العهودَ دهرًا ولكنْ

    ذلك البينُ والنَّوَى أغواني

    I have kept the vows for an age, but

    That parting and distance led me astray.

  26. يا شِفاءَ الرُّوحِ الَّتي عاندَتْني

    بِسُهادِ النَّوى وطُولِ الأماني

    O cure for the soul that defied me

    With separation's sleeplessness and prolonged hopes,

  27. أين حُلْوُ الوصالِ أين حديثٌ

    كان عونًا لنا على الأشجانِ

    Where is the sweetness of union? Where is the conversation

    That helped us withstand sorrows?

  28. دَعْكَ مِن هذا الوجدِ واطْوِ لهيبًا

    فاضَ منه البكاءُ كالأشطانِ

    Put aside this passion, and fold away a blaze

    From which weeping poured like well-ropes.

  29. وادَّكِرْ معشـرًا أعدُّوا بِليلٍ

    عُدَّةً للشَّحناءِ والشَّنَآنِ

    And remember a company who prepared by night

    Equipment for enmity and hatred.

  30. أيريدون حَجْبَ نُورٍ تأبَّى

    غيرَ إشراقِه بذِي الأكوانِ

    Do they seek to veil a light that has refused

    Anything but its shining in these worlds?

  31. إنَّما يحقدُ الضَّعيفُ المُعَنَّى

    ليس يبغي الشِّقاقَ ذو العرفانِ

    Only the weak, tormented one harbors rancor;

    One who has understanding does not seek discord.