هَجَرَ الخيالُ فزرتُهُ بالخاطرِ

هَجَرَ الخيالُ فزرتُهُ بالخاطرِ

ولقد يكونُ زمانَ هجركِ زائري

ولقد يكونُ زمانَ هجركِ زائري

The apparition deserted me, so I visited it in thought.

The phantom departed so I visited it in thought

And it would indeed visit me during your estrangement.

Though the time of your abandonment may be fleeting

أسَدَدْتِ مسراه فلم يُطِقِ السُّرَى

أسَدَدْتِ مسراه فلم يُطِقِ السُّرَى

أمْ باتَ عِندَكِ نائِماً عن ساهِرِ

أمْ باتَ عِندَكِ نائِماً عن ساهِرِ

Did you block its path, so it could not travel by night,

You barred its path, so it could not bear the journey

Or did it spend the night with you, asleep, heedless of one awake?

Did it sleep at your side, oblivious to the wakeful?

طُمعَتْ مصافحتي له إذ زُرتُهُ

طُمعَتْ مصافحتي له إذ زُرتُهُ

فَقَبضتُ مِن ظلِّ الخيالِ النافِرِ

فَقَبضتُ مِن ظلِّ الخيالِ النافِرِ

I hoped for a handclasp with it when I visited it,

I hoped to greet it when I came to visit

So I grasped at the shadow of the fleeing apparition.

But grasped only the shadow of the shrinking ghost

إِنّي اقتَنَعْت بِزَورَةٍ زُوْرِيَّةٍ

إِنّي اقتَنَعْت بِزَورَةٍ زُوْرِيَّةٍ

أَلفَيتُ باطِنَها خِلافَ الظاهِرِ

أَلفَيتُ باطِنَها خِلافَ الظاهِرِ

Indeed, I was content with an illusory visit;

I made do with an imaginary visit

I found its inner reality contrary to its outward appearance.

Finding its essence differed from its facade

وَإِذا أَرَدتَ بِأَنْ تُصَوِّرَ للمُنى

وَإِذا أَرَدتَ بِأَنْ تُصَوِّرَ للمُنى

صُوَراً فَسَلِّمْها لِفِكرَةِ شاعِرِ

صُوَراً فَسَلِّمْها لِفِكرَةِ شاعِرِ

And if you wish to fashion for hopes

And if you wish to depict yearning

Images, entrust them to a poet's imagination.

Entrust the task to the mind of a poet

يا مَنْ لها بالسِّحرِ طرْفٌ قاتلٌ

يا مَنْ لها بالسِّحرِ طرْفٌ قاتلٌ

أسَمِعْتِ بالفُتْيَا الَّتي في الساحِرِ

أسَمِعْتِ بالفُتْيَا الَّتي في الساحِرِ

O you whose gaze is deadly through magic,

O you whose glance works magic with ruin

Have you heard of the ruling concerning the sorcerer?

Did you hear of the charmer in the ruins?

إِنِّي نَظَرتُ فَلَم أجِدْ لك فتكَةً

إِنِّي نَظَرتُ فَلَم أجِدْ لك فتكَةً

إلّا بِحَدِّ حسامِ لَحظٍ فاتِرِ

إلّا بِحَدِّ حسامِ لَحظٍ فاتِرِ

Indeed, I considered, and found no deadly stroke of yours,

I looked but found you have no means of conquest

Except with the edge of a languid glance's sword.

Save with the edge of a languid, fading glance

أثْبَتِّ حُبّكِ في فؤادٍ خافقٍ

أثْبَتِّ حُبّكِ في فؤادٍ خافقٍ

أوَ ما عجبت لواقعٍ في طائِرِ

أوَ ما عجبت لواقعٍ في طائِرِ

You fixed your love in a fluttering heart;

Affirm your love in a fluttering heart

And have you not marveled at what rests within what flies?

Else I wonder not at one caught in a snare