أَضحى هلالاً بدرُ ذَاك النَّادِي

أَضحى هلالاً بدرُ ذَاك النَّادِي

سُقْماً ومن لي أَنْ أَكونَ الفادي

سُقْماً ومن لي أَنْ أَكونَ الفادي

The full moon of that gathering has become a crescent

The full moon of that gathering has waned

through sickness—who will let me be his redeemer?

Into sickness, and who can I be to redeem it?

ظرُفَتْ محاسِنُه وكادَتْ رِقَّةً

ظرُفَتْ محاسِنُه وكادَتْ رِقَّةً

تُخفي علينا من ضَناه البَادِي

تُخفي علينا من ضَناه البَادِي

His charms grew exquisite and, in their delicacy, nearly

Its beauties have become delicate, almost

hid from us the visible signs of his wasting.

Concealing from us its obvious brilliance.

واعتلَّ منه الجسمُ بعد الخِصْر وال

واعتلَّ منه الجسمُ بعد الخِصْر وال

أَلحاظِ والعُشَّاقِ والميعادِ

أَلحاظِ والعُشَّاقِ والميعادِ

And his body fell ill, after his waist and his

Its body has weakened after the waist, and no more

glances, his lovers, and his tryst.

Glances, lovers, trysts for it remain.

وكأَنَّ حُمَّاه لشدَّة وقْدِها

وكأَنَّ حُمَّاه لشدَّة وقْدِها

أَلقَتْ عليه حَرارةَ الأَكْباد

أَلقَتْ عليه حَرارةَ الأَكْباد

And it was as though his fever, so fierce its blaze,

As if its fever from the intensity of its flame

had cast upon him the heat of livers.

Cast upon it the heat of livers aflame.

لمَّا توقَّد صحَّ إِذ سمَّيْتُه

لمَّا توقَّد صحَّ إِذ سمَّيْتُه

ودعوتُه بالكوكبِ الوَقَّاد

ودعوتُه بالكوكبِ الوَقَّاد

When he blazed, I was proved right in naming him

When it blazed I named it rightly, and called it

and calling him the blazing star.

The celestial torch ever lit, ever guiding.

يا جامعاً بيني وبينَ ظَلالَتي

يا جامعاً بيني وبينَ ظَلالَتي

ومفرِّقاً بيني وبينَ رشادي

ومفرِّقاً بيني وبينَ رشادي

O you who unite me with my waywardness,

O you who unite me with my shadows’ shades

and part me from my sound judgment:

And part me from finding my way aright!

لما نحلتَ حكيتَ بعضَ خلائِقي

لما نحلتَ حكيتَ بعضَ خلائِقي

فحكيتَ صبري أَو حكيتَ رُقادي

فحكيتَ صبري أَو حكيتَ رُقادي

When you grew thin, you mirrored some of my traits;

When you described me you told of my patience

so you mirrored my patience, or mirrored my sleep.

Or told of my repose in the dark of night.

لولا الوشاةُ عليك جئتُك عائِداً

لولا الوشاةُ عليك جئتُك عائِداً

لكن عَدتْني عنك لي عوَّادي

لكن عَدتْني عنك لي عوَّادي

Were it not for the tale-bearers around you, I would have come to visit you,

But for those who slandered you I'd have returned,

but visitors of my own kept me away from you.

Though my own passions turned me from you in flight.

فبعثْتَ قلبي عَائداً ولربَّما

فبعثْتَ قلبي عَائداً ولربَّما

قَضَتِ القلوبُ فرائضَ الأَجسادِ

قَضَتِ القلوبُ فرائضَ الأَجسادِ

So you sent my heart to visit, and many a time

So you made my heart return, and hearts can sometimes

hearts have discharged the duties of bodies.

Fulfill the duties incumbent on bodies slight.

ولو أَنَّه حلَّ السَّماءَ لحسنِه

ولو أَنَّه حلَّ السَّماءَ لحسنِه

أَتت النجومُ له مَع العوَّاد

أَتت النجومُ له مَع العوَّاد

And were he to dwell in heaven, so lovely is he,

Had it settled, entranced, in that sky for its beauty

the stars would come to him with those visiting the sick.

The stars would have come to it, and its flights.