سَرى طيفُ سُعْدى بعَدما هطل النّدى

سَرى طيفُ سُعْدى بعَدما هطل النّدى

وكاد قَوامُ الليلِ إن يتأودا

وكاد قَوامُ الليلِ إن يتأودا

Su'da's phantom came by night after the dew poured down,

The specter of my beloved crept by after the dew fell

And night's upright form was almost bending.

And the darkness of night was about to settle in

وهَبّ الصَّبا النجديُّ يحمل بردَه

وهَبّ الصَّبا النجديُّ يحمل بردَه

حِذاراً إذا ما ماس إن يتقصدا

حِذاراً إذا ما ماس إن يتقصدا

The east breeze from Najd rose, carrying his cloak,

The Najdi breeze blew, carrying its coldness

For fear he might snap apart if he swayed.

Beware, lest it intentionally assault you

عجِبتُ له كيفَ أهتداني بحندسٍ

عجِبتُ له كيفَ أهتداني بحندسٍ

لو أن هلال الأفق يسريه ما اهتدى

لو أن هلال الأفق يسريه ما اهتدى

I marveled at him: how had he found me in pitch darkness,

I wondered how it found me with such intuition

Where even the horizon's crescent, crossing it, would have lost its way?

If the crescent of the horizon were guiding it, it wouldn't have found its way

ألمّ فأهدى لي المنام سلامه

ألمّ فأهدى لي المنام سلامه

ولو لم يَزُرْ مَا بتُ إلاّ مُسَهّدا

ولو لم يَزُرْ مَا بتُ إلاّ مُسَهّدا

He visited, and sleep brought me his greeting;

It came over to me and brought me sleep’s greetings

Had he not visited, I would have spent the night sleepless.

Had it not visited, I would have stayed sleepless

فارشفني ثغراً ولاَصقني حَشاً

فارشفني ثغراً ولاَصقني حَشاً

وافرشني شعْراً ووسَّدني يَدا

وافرشني شعْراً ووسَّدني يَدا

He let me sip his lips and pressed his breast to mine;

It laid me down and stuck me to the ground

And made his hair my bedding and his hand my pillow.

Spread me out and used its hand as my pillow

فبتُ أهزّ الغصنَ أهيف ما يئساً

فبتُ أهزّ الغصنَ أهيف ما يئساً

وعدتُ أضمُّ الظبي أحررَ أغيدا

وعدتُ أضمُّ الظبي أحررَ أغيدا

So I spent the night swaying the branch, slender and [apparently] swaying,

I stayed shaking the branch, hopeless

And again embraced the gazelle, [apparently] dark-eyed and graceful.

And returned to hugging the gazelle, freeing the tied up baby deer

ومَنْ ريقِه راحي ومَنْ دُرّ ثغره

ومَنْ ريقِه راحي ومَنْ دُرّ ثغره

أقبلُ فوقَ الخدّ زَهراً مُبَدّدا

أقبلُ فوقَ الخدّ زَهراً مُبَدّدا

From his saliva comes my wine, and from the pearls of his mouth

And from its saliva is my scent, and from its mouth’s pearls

I kiss blossoms scattered over his cheek.

Above the cheek I kiss scattered flowers

له اللهُ طيفاً ما أبَّر معَ الكَرِيَ

له اللهُ طيفاً ما أبَّر معَ الكَرِيَ

وأكثر إسعاداً وما كان مُسْعدَا

وأكثر إسعاداً وما كان مُسْعدَا

God bless him as a phantom—how kind he was in sleep,

May God keep its specter, so loyal and true

And how much solace he gave, though he had never consoled me!

Bringing abundant joy, though it was not made to be happy

تعلّم مِنْ أجفانِه جسمي الضنى

تعلّم مِنْ أجفانِه جسمي الضنى

وأصلحَ مني ما أرادَ وَأفْسَدا

وأصلحَ مني ما أرادَ وَأفْسَدا

My body learned wasting sickness from his eyelids,

My body learned patience from its eyelids

And he mended and ruined whatever he wished in me.

And it corrected what it wanted of me and ruined what was corrupt

واضعف سلواني وقوى حبابتي

واضعف سلواني وقوى حبابتي

واصلح مني ما أراد وأفسد

واصلح مني ما أراد وأفسد

He weakened my power to forget and strengthened my love,

It weakened my authority and strengthened my love

And he mended and ruined whatever he wished in me.

And it corrected what it wanted of me and ruined what was corrupt

ولائمةٍ لي فيه لو بَصُرتْ به

ولائمةٍ لي فيه لو بَصُرتْ به

لكانتْ فِداءً لي وكَنْتُ له فِدَا

لكانتْ فِداءً لي وكَنْتُ له فِدَا

A woman who reproached me for him—had she seen him,

Blameworthy to me if it could see it

Would have sacrificed herself for me, and I for him.

It would ransom me, and I would ransom it

يحاول إرْشادي فانّ لحاظَهُ

يحاول إرْشادي فانّ لحاظَهُ

لتأمرني أَنْ لا أُطاوعُ مُرْشدّا

لتأمرني أَنْ لا أُطاوعُ مُرْشدّا

He tries to guide me, yet his glances

It tries to guide me, for its glances

Surely command me to obey no guide.

Command me not to obey any guide

ويسالني عن شعْرِه وجبينِه

ويسالني عن شعْرِه وجبينِه

فقلتُ رأيت الحسنَ أبيضَ اسودَا

فقلتُ رأيت الحسنَ أبيضَ اسودَا

He asks me about his hair and his brow,

It asks me of its hair and forehead

So I replied: I have seen beauty in white and black.

I said: “I saw beauty, black and white”

علامَا مُقامي بالحصُيب على الظمى

علامَا مُقامي بالحصُيب على الظمى

وقد كنت لا أرضى بدجلة مَوَرْدا

وقد كنت لا أرضى بدجلة مَوَرْدا

Why do I remain in al-Husayb, parched with thirst,

Why do I stay at al-Husayb so thirsty?

When once I would not accept the Tigris as a watering place?

When before I would not be satisfied by the Tigris as my drinking fountain