أَخَفَّ ما نالَ مِنّي الطَرفُ ما أَرقا

أَخَفَّ ما نالَ مِنّي الطَرفُ ما أَرقا

وَخَيرُ ما سَرَّ مِنّي القَلبُ ما خَفَقا

وَخَيرُ ما سَرَّ مِنّي القَلبُ ما خَفَقا

The lightest hurt my eye has suffered is what kept it wakeful,

The least of my eye's afflictions is sleeplessness,

and the finest joy my heart has known is what made it throb.

and the best of my heart's delights is its throbbing.

وَنَزرُ ما كادَني ذا الدَهرِ جَورُ نَوى

وَنَزرُ ما كادَني ذا الدَهرِ جَورُ نَوى

أَصابَني بِسِهامٍ تَخَرَّقَ الدَرَقا

أَصابَني بِسِهامٍ تَخَرَّقَ الدَرَقا

A trifling thing was what ruined me: this age’s tyranny of separation—

The least of this age's plots against me is cruel separation,

it struck me with arrows that pierced through shields.

which struck me with arrows that pierce shields.

طَمِعتُ بِالوَصلِ مُشتاقاً فَما طَلَني

طَمِعتُ بِالوَصلِ مُشتاقاً فَما طَلَني

وَجَدَ رَكبَ التَنائي بي فَما رَفَقا

وَجَدَ رَكبَ التَنائي بي فَما رَفَقا

Longing, I coveted reunion, but it granted me no respite;

I hoped for reunion, yearning, but it put me off;

the caravan of distance found me and showed no mercy.

and separation's caravan sped away with me, showing no mercy.

ما إِن دَنَت مِن فُؤادي مُنيَةٌ قَصَدَت

ما إِن دَنَت مِن فُؤادي مُنيَةٌ قَصَدَت

إِلّا وَسَدَلَها مِن دوني الطُرُقا

إِلّا وَسَدَلَها مِن دوني الطُرُقا

No wish pursued by my heart ever drew near

No wish I sought ever drew near my heart

but the roads lowered their curtains between me and it.

without the roads to me being barred against it.

كَأَنَّما حَلَفَ الدَهرُ الخُؤونُ بِأَن

كَأَنَّما حَلَفَ الدَهرُ الخُؤونُ بِأَن

يَحولَ بَينَ فُؤادي وَالَّذي عَلِقا

يَحولَ بَينَ فُؤادي وَالَّذي عَلِقا

It is as though treacherous Time had sworn

As though treacherous time had sworn

to stand between my heart and that to which it clung.

to come between my heart and what it clung to.

وَرابَني صَرفُهُ فيما يَعنَتُني

وَرابَني صَرفُهُ فيما يَعنَتُني

إِن كَيفَ خَلَفَ لي مِن بَعدِهِ رَمقا

إِن كَيفَ خَلَفَ لي مِن بَعدِهِ رَمقا

Its reversals make me mistrust all the torment they bring—

And its turns, in tormenting me, leave me wondering

for how can any breath remain to me after him?

how, indeed, it left me any breath of life afterward.

لِلَهِ أَيُّ نَسيمٍ لَيسَ يُذكِرُني

لِلَهِ أَيُّ نَسيمٍ لَيسَ يُذكِرُني

وَأَيُّ ساجِعَةٍ لَم تَجِدني قَلِقاً

وَأَيُّ ساجِعَةٍ لَم تَجِدني قَلِقاً

By God, what breeze does not remind me of him?

By God, what breeze does not stir my memories,

What cooing bird has not found me restless?

and what cooing bird has not found me restless?

يَميلُ قَلبي وَقَد لَجَت نَوازِعُهُ

يَميلُ قَلبي وَقَد لَجَت نَوازِعُهُ

ما مَيَّلتُ نَسَماتِ الفَجرِ غُصنَ نَقا

ما مَيَّلتُ نَسَماتِ الفَجرِ غُصنَ نَقا

My heart inclines, while its yearnings press insistently,

My heart sways, its yearnings grown insistent,

as the breaths of dawn bend a branch upon the dunes.

as dawn breezes sway a branch upon a dune.

يا غائِباً مُخلِصاً لي في مَوَدَّتِهِ

يا غائِباً مُخلِصاً لي في مَوَدَّتِهِ

وَلَستُ أَعرِفُ مِنهُ غَيرَ ما نَطَقا

وَلَستُ أَعرِفُ مِنهُ غَيرَ ما نَطَقا

O absent one, sincere toward me in his affection,

O absent one, whose affection for me is sincere,

of whom I know nothing except what he has spoken—

though I know of him only what he has spoken.

فَدِر دَرَّكَ مِن خِلٍّ سَما خَلَقا

فَدِر دَرَّكَ مِن خِلٍّ سَما خَلَقا

لِأَنتَ أَفضَلُ مَن في وُدِّهِ صَدَقا

لِأَنتَ أَفضَلُ مَن في وُدِّهِ صَدَقا

splendid are you, a friend exalted in character;

So may your bounty flow, friend of lofty character;

you are the finest of all men in the truth of your affection.

you are indeed the finest of those true in their affection.

تَفَدّى القَلائِدَ آثاراً لَهُ سَبَقَت

تَفَدّى القَلائِدَ آثاراً لَهُ سَبَقَت

إِلَيَّ وَالفَضلُ لا يَخفى لِمَن سَبَقا

إِلَيَّ وَالفَضلُ لا يَخفى لِمَن سَبَقا

Let necklaces themselves ransom the traces of him that reached

Let necklaces be ransom for his works, which came

you before him—for excellence is plain to those who came first.

to me first; the merit of those who come first is plain.

لا غَروَ إِن أَرَها مِن قَبلُ صاحِبَها

لا غَروَ إِن أَرَها مِن قَبلُ صاحِبَها

إِنّي أَرى الصُبحَ لَكِن قَبلَهُ الشَفَقا

إِنّي أَرى الصُبحَ لَكِن قَبلَهُ الشَفَقا

No wonder that I should see them before their maker:

No wonder if I see them before their author:

I see the dawn, yet twilight comes before it.

I see daybreak, but twilight comes before it.

لِلَهِ مِن صاحِبٍ صُغرى مَحامِدُهُ

لِلَهِ مِن صاحِبٍ صُغرى مَحامِدُهُ

مَوَدَّةً مَحَضَّتٌ لا تَعرِفُ المَلَقا

مَوَدَّةً مَحَضَّتٌ لا تَعرِفُ المَلَقا

By God, what a friend—whose least praiseworthy quality

By God, what a friend! His smallest virtue

is a pure affection that knows no flattery.

is pure affection that knows no flattery.

مُهَذَّبٌ إِن بَدا مِنهُ الثَناءُ فَفي

مُهَذَّبٌ إِن بَدا مِنهُ الثَناءُ فَفي

شَريفِ أَخلاقِهِ رَوضُ الثَنا عَبِقا

شَريفِ أَخلاقِهِ رَوضُ الثَنا عَبِقا

Refined: if praise proceeds from him, then within

A refined man: if praise comes from him, then within

his noble character the meadow of praise breathes fragrance.

his noble character the garden of praise breathes fragrance.

أَهدى إِلى قَريضاً مِن طَرائِفِهِ

أَهدى إِلى قَريضاً مِن طَرائِفِهِ

يَوماً فَقَلَّدَ مِنّي الصَدرَ وَالعُنُقا

يَوماً فَقَلَّدَ مِنّي الصَدرَ وَالعُنُقا

He gifted me a poem, one of his rare creations,

He gave me verse from among his rare treasures

and one day hung it like a necklace upon my breast and neck—

one day, and decked my breast and neck with it.

كَالبَدرِ مُتَّسِقاً وَالدُرُّ مُنتَسِقا

كَالبَدرِ مُتَّسِقاً وَالدُرُّ مُنتَسِقا

وَالصُبحُ مُنبَثِقاً وَالغَيثُ مُندَفِقا

وَالصُبحُ مُنبَثِقاً وَالغَيثُ مُندَفِقا

like the full moon in its symmetry, like pearls arranged in a strand,

Like the full moon in its fullness, and pearls strung in order,

like daybreak bursting forth, like rain pouring down.

and dawn breaking forth, and rain pouring down.

شِعرٌ لِكُلِّ اِختِراعٍ جاءَ مُفتَتِحاً

شِعرٌ لِكُلِّ اِختِراعٍ جاءَ مُفتَتِحاً

مِن بَعدِ ما كانَ هَذا البابُ مُنغَلِقا

مِن بَعدِ ما كانَ هَذا البابُ مُنغَلِقا

A poem that opened the way to every innovation

Poetry that opened the way to every invention,

after this door had long remained closed;

after this door had been closed.

سِحرٌ لَقَد لَعِبَت بِالقَومِ فِتنَتُهُ

سِحرٌ لَقَد لَعِبَت بِالقَومِ فِتنَتُهُ

بِلا طَلاسمٍ تَخفى سِرُّهُ وَرُقى

بِلا طَلاسمٍ تَخفى سِرُّهُ وَرُقى

magic whose enchantment played upon the people,

Magic, whose enchantment has indeed toyed with people,

with no obscure talismans, hidden secret, or incantation.

without talismans that conceal its secret, or incantations.

جازيكَ مِن شاعِرانِ تَستَجِدُّهُ إِلى

جازيكَ مِن شاعِرانِ تَستَجِدُّهُ إِلى

نَظمٍ مَضى فيهِ مِثلَ السَهمِ إِذ مَرَقا

نَظمٍ مَضى فيهِ مِثلَ السَهمِ إِذ مَرَقا

A poet answered you—one newly summoned to

He is poet enough for you: if you urge him toward

a poem through which he sped like an arrow in flight.

verse, he speeds through it like an arrow shot forth.

إِذا اِنبَرى في مَضاميرِ البَيانِ غَدَت

إِذا اِنبَرى في مَضاميرِ البَيانِ غَدَت

جِيادُهُ في المَعاني تَركُضُ الرَهقى

جِيادُهُ في المَعاني تَركُضُ الرَهقى

When he enters the arenas of eloquence,

When he enters the racecourses of eloquence,

his steeds of meaning gallop on through weariness.

his steeds of meaning gallop past the weary ones.

يَرقَ في النَظمِ حَتّى يَستَرِقُّ بِهِ

يَرقَ في النَظمِ حَتّى يَستَرِقُّ بِهِ

وَيَستَرِقُّ إِذا ما جاءَ مُستَرِقا

وَيَستَرِقُّ إِذا ما جاءَ مُستَرِقا

He rises in verse until through it he captivates,

He grows tender in verse until he takes hearts captive,

and grows exquisitely tender whenever he comes stealing hearts.

and steals hearts when he comes as a thief.

لَبَيَّكَ يا خاطِباً مِنّي الوِدادَ تَرى

لَبَيَّكَ يا خاطِباً مِنّي الوِدادَ تَرى

مِنّي فَتىً ما دَرى نَكثاً وَما مَذَقا

مِنّي فَتىً ما دَرى نَكثاً وَما مَذَقا

At your service, you who seek affection from me: you shall see

At your service, O seeker of my friendship! You will find

in me a youth who has never known betrayal or adulterated love.

in me a young man who knows no betrayal and never dilutes his affection.

قَد طالَما سَمِعَت إُذُني وَما نَظَرَت

قَد طالَما سَمِعَت إُذُني وَما نَظَرَت

بَواصِري فَليُفاخِرَ مَسمَعي الحَدَقا

بَواصِري فَليُفاخِرَ مَسمَعي الحَدَقا

Long has my ear heard, although my eyes have not beheld;

My ear has long heard, though I have never seen

so let my hearing boast against my sight.

with my eyes; let my hearing boast over my gaze.

فَإِن عَرَفَت فَإِنّي ناظِرٌ ثَمَراً

فَإِن عَرَفَت فَإِنّي ناظِرٌ ثَمَراً

لَكِنَّني لَم أُصِب عوداً وَلا وَرَقا

لَكِنَّني لَم أُصِب عوداً وَلا وَرَقا

If I have come to know you, I am one who has looked upon fruit,

If I know him, it is his fruit I behold,

though I have encountered neither bough nor leaf.

yet I have encountered neither branch nor leaf.

يا قاتِلَ اللَهِ حَظى وَالفِراقُ هُما

يا قاتِلَ اللَهِ حَظى وَالفِراقُ هُما

عَلى مُناصَبَتي دَهراً قَد اِتَّفَقا

عَلى مُناصَبَتي دَهراً قَد اِتَّفَقا

May God confound my fortune and separation—the two

Ah, may God curse my luck and separation! The two

have long agreed to oppose me.

have long agreed to wage war on me.

فَهَل أَرجى مِنَ الدُنيا الصَلاحَ وَلَم

فَهَل أَرجى مِنَ الدُنيا الصَلاحَ وَلَم

تَزَل وَفيها غُرابُ البَينِ قَد نَعَقا

تَزَل وَفيها غُرابُ البَينِ قَد نَعَقا

How can I hope for well-being from this world, while

So can I hope for goodness from the world, while still

the raven of parting has never ceased to croak within it?

the raven of separation keeps croaking within it?

لَكِن عَلى المَرءِ عِراكُ الدَهرِ طاقَتُهُ

لَكِن عَلى المَرءِ عِراكُ الدَهرِ طاقَتُهُ

وَلَو تَحمِل ذو الهِمّاتِ كُلَّ شَقا

وَلَو تَحمِل ذو الهِمّاتِ كُلَّ شَقا

Yet a man must wrestle with Time to the limit of his strength,

Yet a man must grapple with time as best he can,

though one of lofty purpose must bear every hardship.

even if a man of lofty resolve bears every hardship.

حُبَّ السَلامَةِ يُثني عَزمَ صاحِبِهِ

حُبَّ السَلامَةِ يُثني عَزمَ صاحِبِهِ

فَإِن جَنَحَت إِلَيهِ فَاِتَّخِذ نَفَقا

فَإِن جَنَحَت إِلَيهِ فَاِتَّخِذ نَفَقا

The love of safety bends its possessor’s resolve;

Love of safety bends its owner's resolve;

so if you incline toward safety, take yourself a tunnel.

so if you incline to it, take refuge in a tunnel.