عجبتُ وهل ذا الدّهرُ إلاّ عجائِبُ

عجبتُ وهل ذا الدّهرُ إلاّ عجائِبُ

لمن قال ذا عتبٌ بِحُسْنِ بَيانِ

لمن قال ذا عتبٌ بِحُسْنِ بَيانِ

I marveled—and is this age anything but wonders?—

I wonder, is this life anything but wonders

At one who voiced this reproach with fine eloquence:

For one who said, this is a blame with eloquence

أتيناكُمُ من بُعْدِ أرضٍ نزوركم

أتيناكُمُ من بُعْدِ أرضٍ نزوركم

وكم منزلٍ بِكْرٍ لنا وعَوَانِ

وكم منزلٍ بِكْرٍ لنا وعَوَانِ

We came from a far-off land to visit you,

We came to you from a far land to visit you

And many a lodging was ours, virgin and seasoned.

And how many untouched places for us and meadows

نُسَائِلُكم هل من قِرًى لنزيلِكُم

نُسَائِلُكم هل من قِرًى لنزيلِكُم

بِمَلْءِ جُفُونٍ لاَ بِمَلْءِ جِفَانِ

بِمَلْءِ جُفُونٍ لاَ بِمَلْءِ جِفَانِ

We ask you: is there any hospitality for your guest,

We ask you, is there a home for us to lodge in

By filling the eyes, not by filling bowls?

With eyes brimming, not with brimming cups

أتأتوننا قصد الزيارة ثمّ لا

أتأتوننا قصد الزيارة ثمّ لا

توافوننا من بعد نَيْلِ تدانِ

توافوننا من بعد نَيْلِ تدانِ

Do you come to us intending a visit, then not

You come to visit us, then after getting

Return to us after attaining closeness?

Familiar, you do not visit us after that

وتَغْنَوْنَ بالإِرْسال عن وصل حِبِّكُمْ

وتَغْنَوْنَ بالإِرْسال عن وصل حِبِّكُمْ

وقد صار منك الوصلُ طَوْعَ بَنَانِ

وقد صار منك الوصلُ طَوْعَ بَنَانِ

And make do with sending messages instead of meeting your beloved,

And you sing, instead of connecting your love

Though union now lies at the command of your fingertips?

And connection has become pliant for you

لقد جلّ هذا الحبّ حتّى كأنّه

لقد جلّ هذا الحبّ حتّى كأنّه

سرابٌ تراءَى لامِعاً لِعِيَانِ

سرابٌ تراءَى لامِعاً لِعِيَانِ

Truly, this love has grown so exalted that it seems

Truly this love has become so great as if it is

A mirage appearing, gleaming, before the eye.

A mirage seen shining clearly to the eyes

وساءلتُمُ مِلْءَ الجفون قراكمُ

وساءلتُمُ مِلْءَ الجفون قراكمُ

أشرتم إلى بُخْلٍ بملء أوانِ

أشرتم إلى بُخْلٍ بملء أوانِ

And you asked for filled eyes as your welcome;

And you asked with brimming eyes for your towns

You hinted at stinginess in filling vessels.

Hinting at stinginess with brimming cups

بعيشك ما صدّ الجفونَ عن القرى

بعيشك ما صدّ الجفونَ عن القرى

وما احتجتَ في لقياه للوخدان

وما احتجتَ في لقياه للوخدان

By your life, the eyes were not kept from hospitality,

It is not your living that barred eyes from towns

Nor did you need to hurry to meet it.

Nor did you need pillows to meet them

وقد لاح لي في شرح ذاك ضمائر

وقد لاح لي في شرح ذاك ضمائر

أنَزِّه عن عرابهنّ لِسَانِي

أنَزِّه عن عرابهنّ لِسَانِي

And in explaining that, hidden meanings dawned on me:

And it has appeared to me in explaining that

I keep my tongue too pure to voice them.

Hearts, my tongue is too pure for their intricacies