خليليَّ عوجا باللَّوَى ها هُوَ الجَزْعُ

خليليَّ عوجا باللَّوَى ها هُوَ الجَزْعُ

نَشِمْ بارِقاً بالرقْمَتين له لَمْعُ

نَشِمْ بارِقاً بالرقْمَتين له لَمْعُ

My two friends, turn aside at al-Liwā—here is the valley bend.

My beloved twisted the tendrils, there, the slim one appeared,

Let us watch a lightning-flash gleaming at al-Raqmatayn.

Glistening in the dark with a double string of pearls for it's luster,

أَشارَ علينا بالسلامِ فكلُّنَا

أَشارَ علينا بالسلامِ فكلُّنَا

له بَصَرٌ يدنو فيحسدهُ سَمْعُ

له بَصَرٌ يدنو فيحسدهُ سَمْعُ

It signaled a greeting to us, and each of us

It greeted us with peace so we all gazed,

has a gaze drawing near, and so hearing envies it.

At it with admiring eyes and envious ears,

وأَسهرني لما سَرَى البرقُ مَوْهِناً

وأَسهرني لما سَرَى البرقُ مَوْهِناً

حمامٌ بأَفنانِ الغصونِ له سَجْعُ

حمامٌ بأَفنانِ الغصونِ له سَجْعُ

And when the lightning traveled late at night, I was kept awake

And it kept me up when lightning flashed weakly,

by doves cooing among the branching boughs.

A dove cooing in the boughs for it has lament,

وما شاقني إلا تأوُّدُ بانةٍ

وما شاقني إلا تأوُّدُ بانةٍ

ومرُّ نسيمٍ لا طُلولٌ ولا رَبْعُ

ومرُّ نسيمٍ لا طُلولٌ ولا رَبْعُ

And nothing stirred my longing but the swaying of a bān-tree

And nothing saddened me but the affection of a loved one,

and the passing of a breeze—not ruins, nor a dwelling.

And the passing of a soft breeze, neither long nor short,

وطيفُ خيالٍ حين كاد يزورني

وطيفُ خيالٍ حين كاد يزورني

بَدَا لعمودِ الفجر في ليله صَدْعُ

بَدَا لعمودِ الفجر في ليله صَدْعُ

And a phantom vision, just as it was about to visit me—

And the image of a daydream when it almost visited me,

a rift opened in its night for the shaft of dawn.

Appearing at the pillar of dawn in it's night has a crack,

فما للهوى بل ما لدُرِّ مدامعي

فما للهوى بل ما لدُرِّ مدامعي

تحوَّلَ مرجاناً وعهدي به دَمْعُ

تحوَّلَ مرجاناً وعهدي به دَمْعُ

What ails love—or rather, what ails the pearls of my tears,

So it's not for love, but for the tears of my eyes,

that they have turned to coral, though I knew them as tears?

That turned to coral and my pact with it is tears,

وما للمطايا الراسماتِ كأنما

وما للمطايا الراسماتِ كأنما

لوصلِ السهوب الفيح مِن وجدها قَطْعُ

لوصلِ السهوب الفيح مِن وجدها قَطْعُ

And what ails the briskly striding mounts, as though

And it's not for the camels that draw the lines as if

their yearning were cleaving the unbroken stretch of the spacious plains?

Connecting the plains were severed from finding them cut,

ظعنَّ بمن عندي وإن نَزَحَتْ لها

ظعنَّ بمن عندي وإن نَزَحَتْ لها

هَوىً بين أَحْنَاء الضلوع له لَذْع

هَوىً بين أَحْنَاء الضلوع له لَذْع

They carried away the one for whom, though she has gone far, I harbor

It moaned for one I love and if the love for it departed,

a love amid the curves of my ribs, with a burning sting.

Between the curves of the ribs it has a sting,

غلاميّةٌ مال الشبابُ بِعطفها

غلاميّةٌ مال الشبابُ بِعطفها

فلم يكُ للصهباء في مثله صُنْع

فلم يكُ للصهباء في مثله صُنْع

A boyish maiden whose figure youth has made to sway,

A young slave whose youth was bent by her charm,

and tawny wine had no hand in such a sway.

So the blond had no equal in her art,

تفوح بلا طيبٍ كما أنَّ جيدها

تفوح بلا طيبٍ كما أنَّ جيدها

تجلَّى بلا حَلْيٍ وفعلاهُما طَبْعُ

تجلَّى بلا حَلْيٍ وفعلاهُما طَبْعُ

She exudes fragrance without perfume, just as her neck

She emanates without scent, just as her neck,

shines without jewelry, and both effects are innate.

Shone without adornment, yet both are nature,

وتكسرُ أحياناً محاجِرَ نَرْجَسٍ

وتكسرُ أحياناً محاجِرَ نَرْجَسٍ

كأن الذي ما بين أهدابها الجَزْعُ

كأن الذي ما بين أهدابها الجَزْعُ

And at times she half-closes her narcissus eyes,

And she sometimes breaks narcissus blossoms,

as though what lies between their lashes were onyx.

As if what's between her lids is sadness,

يضاهين من رضوانَ سيفاً مؤيَّداً

يضاهين من رضوانَ سيفاً مؤيَّداً

يُرَى فوقَ أَعناقِ الأَعادي له وَقْعُ

يُرَى فوقَ أَعناقِ الأَعادي له وَقْعُ

They rival a mighty sword of Ridwan,

They compete with Rizwan’s sword, aided,

whose stroke is seen over the necks of foes.

Seen above the necks of enemies, it has impact,

وللنصرِ مَثْوىً فوقَ حدِّ حُسَامِهِ

وللنصرِ مَثْوىً فوقَ حدِّ حُسَامِهِ

إِذا حانَ من هامِ الكماةِ به فَرْعُ

إِذا حانَ من هامِ الكماةِ به فَرْعُ

And victory has an abode upon the edge of his sword,

And for victory, above the edge of it’s blades,

when the time comes to strike the warriors' crowns with it.

When the time comes from the wrist with it a twig,

وليس الذي يبدو عليهِ فِرِنْدُهُ

وليس الذي يبدو عليهِ فِرِنْدُهُ

ولكنَّها الأرواحُ فيهِ لها جمع

ولكنَّها الأرواحُ فيهِ لها جمع

And what appears upon it is not its watered-steel pattern,

And what appears on it is not it's blades,

but souls gathered together within it.

But the spirits in it have a group.