أَثارَ اللَيثَ أَلحاظٌ نِيامٌ

أَثارَ اللَيثَ أَلحاظٌ نِيامٌ

تَرى في قَتلَتي الثَأرَ المُقيما

تَرى في قَتلَتي الثَأرَ المُقيما

Drowsy glances roused the lion;

The lion's den was stirred by slumbering glances

they see abiding vengeance in slaying me.

I see my revenge carried out on the slain

أَرى الخَيرِيَّ يَمنَعُني جَناهُ

أَرى الخَيرِيَّ يَمنَعُني جَناهُ

فَهَل أَلقاهُ ريحاً أَو شَميما

فَهَل أَلقاهُ ريحاً أَو شَميما

I see the gillyflower withholding his fruit from me;

Good fortune holds me back from its wings

so shall I meet him as a breeze or a fragrance?

Did a breeze or a scent carry it along?

أَشيمُ البَرقَ يومِضُ مِن نَداهُ

أَشيمُ البَرقَ يومِضُ مِن نَداهُ

وَأَشمَمُ مِن نَواحيهِ النَسيما

وَأَشمَمُ مِن نَواحيهِ النَسيما

I watch the lightning flashing from his bounty,

I perceive lightning flashing from its clouds

and breathe in the breeze from his surroundings.

And scent the breeze from its regions

وَلَستُ بِمُشتَكٍ مِنهُ مِطالاً

وَلَستُ بِمُشتَكٍ مِنهُ مِطالاً

فَمَن لِيَ أَن أَكونَ لَهُ غَريما

فَمَن لِيَ أَن أَكونَ لَهُ غَريما

And I do not complain of his delay;

I have no complaint against it out of longing

for who could grant that I be his creditor?

For who am I to be its enemy?

وَأَحسَبُ كُلَّ ذي نَظَرٍ رَقيباً

وَأَحسَبُ كُلَّ ذي نَظَرٍ رَقيباً

وَأَزعُمُ كُلَّ ذي نُطقٍ خَصيما

وَأَزعُمُ كُلَّ ذي نُطقٍ خَصيما

And I deem everyone who looks a watcher,

I reckon all with sight as a watcher

and suppose everyone who speaks an adversary.

And claim all with speech as a foe

أَبُثُّ مَعَ البَليلِ إِلَيهِ شَوقي

أَبُثُّ مَعَ البَليلِ إِلَيهِ شَوقي

فَتَبلُغُهُ وَقَد عادَت سَموما

فَتَبلُغُهُ وَقَد عادَت سَموما

I send my longing to him with the cool breeze,

I confide my longing to the night

so it reaches him already turned into a scorching wind.

So it reaches him though it became lethal

أَخافُ الريحَ إِن ناجَتهُ عَنّي

أَخافُ الريحَ إِن ناجَتهُ عَنّي

تُعيدُ أَقاحَ مَبسِمِهِ هَشيما

تُعيدُ أَقاحَ مَبسِمِهِ هَشيما

I fear the wind, should it whisper to him on my behalf,

I fear the wind if it betrays me to him

will turn the daisies of his smile to dry, crumbling stalks.

It may return a smile’s fragments as rubble

أَلا يا جَنَّةً كانَت عَذابي

أَلا يا جَنَّةً كانَت عَذابي

وَسَلسالاً سُقيتُ بِهِ الحَميما

وَسَلسالاً سُقيتُ بِهِ الحَميما

Ah, O paradise that was my torment,

Oh you who were agony yet became my paradise

and sweet water through which I was given scalding water to drink!

And a chain with which I was served anguish

لِنَفسٍ قَد حَلَلتَ عُرى عَزاها

لِنَفسٍ قَد حَلَلتَ عُرى عَزاها

وَعَينٍ قَد عَبَدتُ بِها النُجوما

وَعَينٍ قَد عَبَدتُ بِها النُجوما

For a soul whose bonds of consolation you have undone,

For a soul whose bonds of glory you loosened

and an eye with which I have worshipped the stars:

And an eye whose stars you enslaved

لَئِن واصَلتَ يا موسى مُحِبّاً

لَئِن واصَلتَ يا موسى مُحِبّاً

لَقَد أَحيَيتَ يا عيسى رَميما

لَقَد أَحيَيتَ يا عيسى رَميما

if you grant a lover union, O Musa,

If you join, O Moses, with a lover

you have indeed brought decayed remains to life, O Isa.

You have revived, O Jesus, one ruined