إِقرَ السَلامَ عَلى إِلفٍ كَلِفتُ بِهِ

إِقرَ السَلامَ عَلى إِلفٍ كَلِفتُ بِهِ

قَد رُمتُ صَبراً وَطولُ الشَوقِ لَم يَرمِ

قَد رُمتُ صَبراً وَطولُ الشَوقِ لَم يَرمِ

Convey greetings of peace to a beloved with whom I am smitten.

I bid peace to a beloved with whom I was burdened

I have sought patience, but long yearning has not ceased.

I have endured with patience though longing remained unabated

ظَبِيٍ تَباعَدَ عَن قُربي وَعَن نَظَري

ظَبِيٍ تَباعَدَ عَن قُربي وَعَن نَظَري

فَالنَفسُ وَآلِهَةً مِن شِدَّةِ الأَلَمِ

فَالنَفسُ وَآلِهَةً مِن شِدَّةِ الأَلَمِ

A gazelle who withdrew from my presence and my sight;

A gazelle distanced from my proximity and sight

so the soul is distraught with the intensity of pain.

So the soul is tormented by the extremity of pain

كُنّا كَروحَينِ في جِسمٍ غِذاؤُهُما

كُنّا كَروحَينِ في جِسمٍ غِذاؤُهُما

ماءُ المَحَبَّةِ مِن هامٍ وَمُنسَجِمِ

ماءُ المَحَبَّةِ مِن هامٍ وَمُنسَجِمِ

We were like two souls in one body, nourished

We were like two spirits in a body sustained

by the water of love, flowing and streaming.

By the water of love from care and harmony

إِلَفَينِ هَذا بِهَذا مُغرَمٌ كَلِفٌ

إِلَفَينِ هَذا بِهَذا مُغرَمٌ كَلِفٌ

وَواحِدٌ في الهَوى مِنّا بِمُتَّهَمِ

وَواحِدٌ في الهَوى مِنّا بِمُتَّهَمِ

Two lovers—this one enamored of that one, passionately attached,

Two intimates, one enamored with the other and attached

and one of us under suspicion in love.

United in passion, one of us accused

لِلَّهِ تِلكَ اللَيالي وَالسُروربِها

لِلَّهِ تِلكَ اللَيالي وَالسُروربِها

كَأَنَّما أَبصَرَتها العَينُ في الحُلُمِ

كَأَنَّما أَبصَرَتها العَينُ في الحُلُمِ

To God belong those nights and the joy within them!

By God those nights and their felicity

As though the eye had seen them in a dream.

Were as if seen by the eye in a dream

فَفَرَّقَ الدَهرُ شَملاً كانَ مُلتَئِماً

فَفَرَّقَ الدَهرُ شَملاً كانَ مُلتَئِماً

مِنّا وَجَمَّعَ شَملاً غَيرَ مُلتَئِمِ

مِنّا وَجَمَّعَ شَملاً غَيرَ مُلتَئِمِ

Then time scattered a company that had been united

Time separated a union that was coherent

among us, and gathered a company that was disunited.

And united a union not coherent

ما زِلتُ أَرعى نُجومَ اللَيلِ طالِعَةً

ما زِلتُ أَرعى نُجومَ اللَيلِ طالِعَةً

أَرجو السَلُوَّ بِها إِذ غِبتُ عَن نَجمي

أَرجو السَلُوَّ بِها إِذ غِبتُ عَن نَجمي

I have never ceased to watch the stars of night as they rise,

I continued to tend to the rising stars of night

seeking solace in them, since I was parted from my star.

Hoping consolation thereby when absent from my star

نَجمٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ ما يَجري بِهِ فَلَكٌ

نَجمٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ ما يَجري بِهِ فَلَكٌ

كَأَنَّهُ الدُرُّ وَالياقوتُ في النَظمِ

كَأَنَّهُ الدُرُّ وَالياقوتُ في النَظمِ

A star of beauty carried by no celestial sphere,

A star of beauty whom no orbit contains

like pearls and rubies strung together.

As if it were pearl and ruby in stringing

ذاكَ الَّذي حازَ حُسناً لا نَظيرَ لَهُ

ذاكَ الَّذي حازَ حُسناً لا نَظيرَ لَهُ

كَالبَدرِ نوراً عَلا في مَنزِلِ النِعَمِ

كَالبَدرِ نوراً عَلا في مَنزِلِ النِعَمِ

That is he who possessed a beauty without equal,

The one who attained singular beauty

bright as the full moon, risen in the station of blessings.

Like the full moon, exalted in abode of bounty

وَقَد تَناظَرَ وَالبِرجيسَ في شَرَفٍ

وَقَد تَناظَرَ وَالبِرجيسَ في شَرَفٍ

وَقارَنَ الزَهرَةَ البَيضاءَ في تومِ

وَقارَنَ الزَهرَةَ البَيضاءَ في تومِ

And indeed, he and Jupiter vied in exaltation,

It contended in nobility with the Pleiades

and he joined white Venus amid pearls.

And paired with the white flower in symmetry

فَذاكَ يُشبِهُ في حُسنِ صورَتِهِ

فَذاكَ يُشبِهُ في حُسنِ صورَتِهِ

وَذا يَزيدُ بِحَظِّ الشِعرِ وَالقَلَمِ

وَذا يَزيدُ بِحَظِّ الشِعرِ وَالقَلَمِ

Thus that one resembles him in the beauty of his form,

That one resembles in the beauty of its form

while this one excels in the gifts of poetry and the pen.

And this exceeds in share of poetry and calligraphy

أَشكو إِلى اللَهِ ما أَلقى لِفُرقَتِهِ

أَشكو إِلى اللَهِ ما أَلقى لِفُرقَتِهِ

شَكوى مُحِبٍّ سَقيمٍ حافِظِ الذِمَم

شَكوى مُحِبٍّ سَقيمٍ حافِظِ الذِمَم

I complain to God of what I suffer at parting from him,

I complain to God of what I faced in separation

the lament of an ailing lover faithful to his pledges.

The complaint of a loving, frail, keeper of pacts

لَو كُنتُ أَشكو إِلى صُمِّ الهِضابِ إِذاً

لَو كُنتُ أَشكو إِلى صُمِّ الهِضابِ إِذاً

تفَطَّرَت لِلَّذي أُبديهِ مِن أَلَمِ

تفَطَّرَت لِلَّذي أُبديهِ مِن أَلَمِ

If I were to complain to the unyielding hills, then

If I complained to the deaf stones of the plateau

they would split apart at the pain I reveal.

They would split from the pain I express

يا غادِراً لَم يَزَل بِالغَدرِ مُرتَدِياً

يا غادِراً لَم يَزَل بِالغَدرِ مُرتَدِياً

أَينَ الوَفاءُ أَبن لي غَرَ مُحتَشَمِ

أَينَ الوَفاءُ أَبن لي غَرَ مُحتَشَمِ

O faithless one, ever clothed in treachery,

Oh betrayer persistently clad in betrayal

where is faithfulness? Tell me without shame.

Where is loyalty, show me one not brazen

إِن غابَ جِسمُكَ عَن عَيني وَعَن نَظري

إِن غابَ جِسمُكَ عَن عَيني وَعَن نَظري

فَما يَغيبُ عَنِ الأَسرارِ وَالوَهمِ

فَما يَغيبُ عَنِ الأَسرارِ وَالوَهمِ

If your body is absent from my eye and my sight,

If your body is absent from my eye and sight

yet it is not absent from my inmost thoughts and imagination.

It is not absent from secrets and imagination

إِنّي سَأَبكيكَ ما ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

إِنّي سَأَبكيكَ ما ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

تَبكي أَليفاً عَلى فَرعٍ مِنَ النَشَمِ

تَبكي أَليفاً عَلى فَرعٍ مِنَ النَشَمِ

I shall weep for you as long as a collared dove laments,

I will weep for you as long as a turtledove moans

weeping for a mate on a branch of a nasham tree.

Crying for a mate on a branch of nasham