غيرُ صبري في هَواهُ هيِّنُ

غيرُ صبري في هَواهُ هيِّنُ

فمَلامي فيه ظُلمٌ بيِّنُ

فمَلامي فيه ظُلمٌ بيِّنُ

All but my patience in loving him comes easily;

In loving him, all comes easily to me but patience.

so to blame me for him is manifest injustice.

So blaming me over him is manifest injustice.

صرَّح اللاَّحي عليهِ أم كنَى

صرَّح اللاَّحي عليهِ أم كنَى

ما أراهُ رامَ شيئاً يُمكنُ

ما أراهُ رامَ شيئاً يُمكنُ

Whether my reproacher speaks openly of him or hints,

Whether the reprover speaks plainly of him or in hints,

I do not see him aiming at anything possible.

I do not think he seeks anything attainable.

رَشأٌ مَا خلتُ لولاهُ الهوَى

رَشأٌ مَا خلتُ لولاهُ الهوَى

أَنَّه يُعبدُ فيه الوثَنُ

أَنَّه يُعبدُ فيه الوثَنُ

A young gazelle—were it not for him, I would never have thought love

A young gazelle—but for him, I would never have thought that in love

a faith in which the idol is worshiped.

an idol could be worshipped.

رامِحٌ صعدتُه أنَّى انثنَى

رامِحٌ صعدتُه أنَّى انثنَى

قامةٌ باللَّدنِ منها يَطعنُ

قامةٌ باللَّدنِ منها يَطعنُ

A lancer: wherever he bends, his spear is

A spearman—his lance, wherever he sways,

a figure with whose supple shaft he thrusts.

is his stature, with whose supple shaft he thrusts.

ضاربٌ من مقلتيهِ صارمٌ

ضاربٌ من مقلتيهِ صارمٌ

مُرهَفُ ما طبَعتهُ اليَمَنُ

مُرهَفُ ما طبَعتهُ اليَمَنُ

A swordsman: from his two eyes flashes a blade,

A swordsman—from his two eyes comes a blade,

keen-edged, though Yemen never forged it.

keen-edged, which Yemen never forged.

ساحرُ الألحاظِ كم قامت بهِا

ساحرُ الألحاظِ كم قامت بهِا

وعليها في هَواهُ الفِتَنُ

وعليها في هَواهُ الفِتَنُ

A sorcerer of glances—how many tumults have risen through them

Bewitching in his glances—how many tumults have arisen through them,

and over them, in love of him!

and over them, for love of him!

يا خليلي خلِّ داراً أقفرت

يا خليلي خلِّ داراً أقفرت

وَمحلا غابض عنه السَّكنُ

وَمحلا غابض عنه السَّكنُ

My friend, leave the dwelling now deserted,

O my friend, leave a dwelling now deserted,

and the campsite whose inhabitants have vanished.

and a place whose inhabitants are gone.

واردَعِ الباكي على منزلةٍ

واردَعِ الباكي على منزلةٍ

رحلت من ساحتَيها الظُّعُنُ

رحلت من ساحتَيها الظُّعُنُ

And restrain the weeper over a stopping-place

And restrain the one who weeps over an abode

from whose two courts the departing caravan has gone.

from whose two courtyards the camel litters have departed.

كلُّ ربعٍ ليسَ يُقضَى وَطرٌ

كلُّ ربعٍ ليسَ يُقضَى وَطرٌ

فيهِ ما ذلِكَ عندي وَطَنُ

فيهِ ما ذلِكَ عندي وَطَنُ

Every campsite where desire is not fulfilled—

Any dwelling—if no desire is fulfilled

that, to my mind, is no homeland.

within it—is no homeland to me.

فدعِ الرَّكبَ اليمانيَّ وما

فدعِ الرَّكبَ اليمانيَّ وما

ضمّهُ فيه الكَثيبُ الأيمنُ

ضمّهُ فيه الكَثيبُ الأيمنُ

So leave the Yemeni caravan, and whatever

So leave the Yemeni caravan, and whatever

the auspicious dune enfolded there,

the dune on the right enfolds within it;

ودماءً سفكَتهُنَّ الدُّمي

ودماءً سفكَتهُنَّ الدُّمي

ما سلاحُ العيِنِ إلاَّ الأعينُ

ما سلاحُ العيِنِ إلاَّ الأعينُ

and the blood those idol-beauties spilled.

and the blood those idols have shed—

The eye has no weapon but other eyes.

the wide-eyed beauties have no weapon but their eyes.

فاصرفِ الهمَّ بصِرفٍ دَنُّها

فاصرفِ الهمَّ بصِرفٍ دَنُّها

مرَّ في العُمرِ عليهِ الزَّمنُ

مرَّ في العُمرِ عليهِ الزَّمنُ

Turn care away with the pure wine of its vat—

So banish care with unmixed wine, whose cask

time has passed over it throughout its life.

has seen time pass over it through the years.

ذاتِ نُورٍ إن تَجلَّت في دُجىً

ذاتِ نُورٍ إن تَجلَّت في دُجىً

عادَ مثلَ الصبُّحِ منه الوَهَنُ

عادَ مثلَ الصبُّحِ منه الوَهَنُ

Possessed of light: if it unveils itself in darkness,

Radiant wine—if it shines forth in darkness,

its faintest gleam becomes like dawn.

the night, through its light, becomes like dawn.

كلَّما طافَ بها السَّاقي تَرى ال

كلَّما طافَ بها السَّاقي تَرى ال

شمسَ بالبدرِ علينا تُقرَنُ

شمسَ بالبدرِ علينا تُقرَنُ

Whenever the cupbearer circles with it, you see the

Whenever the cupbearer circles with it, you see the

sun joined to the full moon above us.

sun paired with the full moon above us.

فاغتَنِمها من يَدي معتدِلٍ

فاغتَنِمها من يَدي معتدِلٍ

قدُّهُ يَخجَلُ منه الغُصنُ

قدُّهُ يَخجَلُ منه الغُصنُ

Seize it, then, from the hands of a well-proportioned youth

So seize it from the hands of one well-proportioned,

whose figure puts the bough to shame.

whose figure puts the bough to shame.

آفةُ العشَّاقِ منه خُلقٌ

آفةُ العشَّاقِ منه خُلقٌ

سيءٌ صَعبُ وَخَلقٌ حَسنُ

سيءٌ صَعبُ وَخَلقٌ حَسنُ

The lovers’ bane in him is a character

The lovers' bane in him is a disposition

bad and harsh—and a form most beautiful.

bad and unyielding, and a beautiful form.

مُذ تبدَّى الشَّعرُ في سالفهِ

مُذ تبدَّى الشَّعرُ في سالفهِ

دارَ حول الوردِ منهُ السَّوسنُ

دارَ حول الوردِ منهُ السَّوسنُ

Ever since the down appeared along his cheek,

Since hair appeared along his cheek,

the lily has circled the rose there.

the iris has encircled his rose.

بعتُه رُوحيَ بلَى ما صحَّ لي

بعتُه رُوحيَ بلَى ما صحَّ لي

غيرَ مُرِّ الهجرِ منها ثَمنُ

غيرَ مُرِّ الهجرِ منها ثَمنُ

I sold him my soul—indeed, no price proved fitting for me

I sold him my soul; indeed, nothing came to me

except bitter estrangement from him as its price.

as its price but the bitterness of estrangement.

ولوَ انيِّ بخيالٍ بعتُها

ولوَ انيِّ بخيالٍ بعتُها

لَغَدت بيعةَ من لا يُغبَنُ

لَغَدت بيعةَ من لا يُغبَنُ

Even had I sold it for the vision of you,

And had I sold it for a phantom,

it would have been a bargain in which none is cheated.

it would have been the bargain of one not cheated.

أيُّ حُسنس وجَمالٍ فيهش لو

أيُّ حُسنس وجَمالٍ فيهش لو

أنَّهُ يُجِملُ بي أو يُحسنُ

أنَّهُ يُجِملُ بي أو يُحسنُ

What beauty and loveliness there would be in him, if only

What beauty and loveliness he has—if only

he dealt graciously with me, or acted kindly!

he would treat me graciously or show me kindness!

سَلبت عيناهُ عنِّي نومضها

سَلبت عيناهُ عنِّي نومضها

فلهِذا زادَ فيه الوسَنُ

فلهِذا زادَ فيه الوسَنُ

His eyes stole their sleep from me,

His eyes have robbed me of sleep,

and so drowsiness grew in him.

and that is why his drowsiness has grown.

أفردتهُ بالمعاني طَلعةٌ

أفردتهُ بالمعاني طَلعةٌ

حظُّنا منها شجىً أو شجَنُ

حظُّنا منها شجىً أو شجَنُ

A countenance singled him out for every fine perfection;

His countenance has made him peerless in beauty;

our share of it is a grief-stricken one—or grief itself.

our share of it is choking grief or sorrow.