ليتها إذ قاسَمَتْكَ العِناقا

ليتها إذ قاسَمَتْكَ العِناقا

علّمَتْكَ الصبرَ لا الاشتياقا

علّمَتْكَ الصبرَ لا الاشتياقا

If only, when she shared an embrace with you,

If only when she bid farewell

she had taught you patience, not longing.

She had taught you endurance, not yearning,

لِنُسائلْ مِعْصَمَيْنا فإِنَّا

لِنُسائلْ مِعْصَمَيْنا فإِنَّا

ما نطقنا مذ عرفنا الفراقا

ما نطقنا مذ عرفنا الفراقا

Let us question our two wrists, for we

Let us blame our wrists, for we

have not spoken since we came to know parting.

Have not spoken since we knew parting.

كم على جيدٍ وخصرٍ أُدِيرَا

كم على جيدٍ وخصرٍ أُدِيرَا

مَرَّةً عِقْداً وأُخرى نِطاقا

مَرَّةً عِقْداً وأُخرى نِطاقا

How often they were wrapped round a neck and a waist,

How often round a cheek and waist

once as a necklace, and another time as a girdle.

I would turn a necklace, and at other times, a sash,

وكأَنَّ الحُسْنَ آلاتُ خَرْطٍ

وكأَنَّ الحُسْنَ آلاتُ خَرْطٍ

أَبرَزَتْ في الصَّدْرِ منها حِقَاقا

أَبرَزَتْ في الصَّدْرِ منها حِقَاقا

And beauty is like a set of lathe-tools

As if beauty were musical instruments

that brought forth small round caskets upon her chest.

Projecting from the chests pieces joined together.

سَفَرَتْ عن بدرِ تِمٍ فلما

سَفَرَتْ عن بدرِ تِمٍ فلما

نُبِّبَتْ كان النّقابُ المِحَاقا

نُبِّبَتْ كان النّقابُ المِحَاقا

She unveiled a moon at its full; then, when

She traveled from a full moon. When

she was veiled, the veil was the moon's dark phase.

She was brought together, the veil was the unifier.

وجرت في قمرِ الخدِّ منها

وجرت في قمرِ الخدِّ منها

عبرةٌ كانت عليهِ انشقاقا

عبرةٌ كانت عليهِ انشقاقا

And across the moon of her cheek there flowed

And down the moon-like cheek of hers

a tear that was a rift upon it.

Ran a teardrop; it was as if it split it.

حاكمٌ أظهرَ للعَدْل فينا

حاكمٌ أظهرَ للعَدْل فينا

كلَّ ما لاقَ بعقلٍ وراقا

كلَّ ما لاقَ بعقلٍ وراقا

A judge who, for justice, revealed among us

A ruler who showed justice to us

all that befitted reason and gave delight.

However much it agreed with a sound mind.

حكمةٌ لو عاقنا الدهرُ عنها

حكمةٌ لو عاقنا الدهرُ عنها

كان عن حكمةِ لقانَ عاقا

كان عن حكمةِ لقانَ عاقا

Wisdom—if Time had barred us from it,

Wisdom - if the vicissitudes of fate denied it to us

it would have barred us from Luqan's wisdom.

It would lack the wisdom of Luqman the Sage.

نثرَ التأويلَ دُرّاً ولكن

نثرَ التأويلَ دُرّاً ولكن

غاصَ من علمٍ بحاراً دقاقا

غاصَ من علمٍ بحاراً دقاقا

He scattered interpretation as pearls, and yet

He scattered interpretation liberally like pearls

he dived into subtle seas of knowledge.

But dived into oceans of profound knowledge.

يَدُهُ للمال إلفٌ غَضُوبٌ

يَدُهُ للمال إلفٌ غَضُوبٌ

كلما واصَل شاء افتراقا

كلما واصَل شاء افتراقا

His hand is an irascible companion to wealth:

His hand was violently prone to money;

whenever it keeps company, it wishes to part.

Whenever he associated, he desired separation.

تأْبِقُ الأموالُ عن راحتيهِ

تأْبِقُ الأموالُ عن راحتيهِ

بندىً عَلَّمَهُنَّ الإباقا

بندىً عَلَّمَهُنَّ الإباقا

Riches flee from his two palms,

Wealth escapes from his comfort

through a generosity that taught them to run away.

Dew taught it evasion.