وَافَى الْكِتَابُ فَأَحْيَا

وَافَى الْكِتَابُ فَأَحْيَا

قَلْبَ المَشُوقِ الكَئِيبِ

قَلْبَ المَشُوقِ الكَئِيبِ

The letter arrived and revived

The book arrived and revived

The sorrowful, yearning heart,

The heart of the melancholy longing one

بِنَظْرَةٍ مِنْ صَدِيقٍ

بِنَظْرَةٍ مِنْ صَدِيقٍ

عَنْ أَعْيُنِي مَحْجُوبِ

عَنْ أَعْيُنِي مَحْجُوبِ

With a glimpse of a friend

With a glance from a friend

Hidden from my eyes,

Hidden from my eyes

وَرَجْعِ صَوْتٍ رَقِيقٍ

وَرَجْعِ صَوْتٍ رَقِيقٍ

حُرِمْتُهُ فِي المَغِيبِ

حُرِمْتُهُ فِي المَغِيبِ

And the echo of a gentle voice

And the return of a soft voice

Denied me during absence.

That I missed in absence

كَأَنَّمَا أَنْتَ فِيهِ

كَأَنَّمَا أَنْتَ فِيهِ

مَخَاطِبِي عَنْ قَرِيبِ

مَخَاطِبِي عَنْ قَرِيبِ

As though you were there in it,

As if you were in it

Speaking to me from close by.

Addressing me closely

أَذْكَرْتَنِي غَيْرَ نَاسٍ

أَذْكَرْتَنِي غَيْرَ نَاسٍ

يَوْمَ الفَتَاةِ اللَّعُوبِ

يَوْمَ الفَتَاةِ اللَّعُوبِ

You reminded me, though I had not forgotten,

You remembered me unlike others

Of the day of the playful girl

On the day of playful youth

بَيْنَ الأَوَانِسِ وَالتُّ

بَيْنَ الأَوَانِسِ وَالتُّ

رْبُ حَبُّ القُلُوبِ

رْبُ حَبُّ القُلُوبِ

Among the maidens—and the age-mate

Among the intimates and the

Is the darling of hearts—

Love of hearts is the way of hearts

في مَسْرَحٍ ضَاقَ رَحْباً

في مَسْرَحٍ ضَاقَ رَحْباً

بِكُلِّ غَاوٍ أَدِيبِ

بِكُلِّ غَاوٍ أَدِيبِ

In a spacious theater grown cramped

In a theater that was spacious

With every cultured libertine.

With every cultured lover

تُوحِي المَحَاسِنُ فِيهِ

تُوحِي المَحَاسِنُ فِيهِ

مُقَدَّمَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ

مُقَدَّمَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ

There, beauty inspires

Beauty hints in it

The preludes to sin.

The beginnings of sins

أَدْمَاءُ كَالشَّمْسِ تَبْدُو

أَدْمَاءُ كَالشَّمْسِ تَبْدُو

وَالوَقْتُ بَعْدَ الْغُرُوبِ

وَالوَقْتُ بَعْدَ الْغُرُوبِ

A dusky woman appears like the sun,

Ruddy complexions appear like the sun

Though the hour is after sunset:

And the time after sunset

مَلِيكَةٌ ذَاتُ وَجْهٍ

مَلِيكَةٌ ذَاتُ وَجْهٍ

سَمْحٍ وَطَرْفٍ مُذِيبِ

سَمْحٍ وَطَرْفٍ مُذِيبِ

A queen with a face

A queen with a face

Gracious, and a melting gaze.

Of serenity and melting eyelids

بِالنورِ تُنزِلُ آيَا

بِالنورِ تُنزِلُ آيَا

تِ حُكْمِهَا المَرْهُوبِ

تِ حُكْمِهَا المَرْهُوبِ

With light she sends down the verses

She delivers verses with light

Of her awe-inspiring rule.

Of her feared rule

مِثَالُهَا مِنْ ضَمِيرِي

مِثَالُهَا مِنْ ضَمِيرِي

في مَقْدِسٍ مَحْجُوبِ

في مَقْدِسٍ مَحْجُوبِ

Her image, within my soul,

Her example is from my conscience

Rests in a hidden sanctuary,

In a hidden sanctuary

مُسَيَّجُ مِنْ غَرَامِي

مُسَيَّجُ مِنْ غَرَامِي

وَغَيْرَتِي بِلَهِيبِ

وَغَيْرَتِي بِلَهِيبِ

Fenced by my passion

Fenced by my passion

And my jealousy with flame.

And jealousy with flames

يَجْثُو فُؤادِي فِيهِ

يَجْثُو فُؤادِي فِيهِ

بَيْنَ اللَّظَى المَشْبُوبِ

بَيْنَ اللَّظَى المَشْبُوبِ

My heart kneels there

My heart kneels in it

Amid the kindled blaze,

Between embracing embers

وَيَعْبُدُ الطَّيْفَ مِنْهَا

وَيَعْبُدُ الطَّيْفَ مِنْهَا

في مَأْمَنٍ مِنْ رَقِيبِ

في مَأْمَنٍ مِنْ رَقِيبِ

And worships her phantom

And worships her shadow

In a refuge from any watcher.

In refuge from a watcher

لكِنْ أَغَارُ عَلَيْهَا

لكِنْ أَغَارُ عَلَيْهَا

مِنْ ذِي دَهَاءٍ َأرِيبِ

مِنْ ذِي دَهَاءٍ َأرِيبِ

But I am jealous over her

But I envy her

Of a cunning, shrewd man,

From a sly deceiver

أَخِي مَزَاحٍ وَرِفْقٍ

أَخِي مَزَاحٍ وَرِفْقٍ

مُسْتَلْطَفِ التَّشْبِيبِ

مُسْتَلْطَفِ التَّشْبِيبِ

A man of banter and gentleness,

My brother of jest and kindness

Whose love poetry charms.

Of enchanting youth

وَمَا عَنَيْتُ حَبِيباً

وَمَا عَنَيْتُ حَبِيباً

حَاشَا وَفَاءِ حَبِيبِ

حَاشَا وَفَاءِ حَبِيبِ

And I did not mean Habib—

I never intended a lover

Habib's loyalty is beyond reproach.

Far from the loyalty of the beloved